The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-11-20
Uur FX.PTesidenIs.

IN direct attention TO the conduct and en-
ployment of our Presidents after their re-
tirement from Office. Harrison, Taylor and
Lincoln died while in the White House
Mr.. Fillmore and Mr.. johnson are the only
ex-Presidents now aive-a smaller number
than at any other period during the past
forty years.
Washington retired to Mount Vernon.
For the two years and nine months that he
enjoyed its rural delights, he was visited by
crowds of distinguished and curious Ameri-
cans aud Europeans, while he devoted his
leisure to the cultivation of his estate and to
correspondence with his friends Though
he took lively interest in current events,
he did not actively participate in public af-
fairs after he left the Presidency, except
that, in 1898, when there was a prospect of
a war with France, Mr.. Adams appointed
him Lieutenant-General Of the armies Of the
United States
The elder Adams retired to Quincy,
where he died on the 4th of July, 1926
The twenty-five years of his life, after he
had ceased to be President, were mainly
spent in literary pursuits, diversified BY cor
respondence with distinguished characters,
and especially with his venerable rival JEFF
fersOn. He emerged from bis calm retreat
in 1920, then sc years Of age, to take his
seat in the convention for revising the con-
stitution Of Massachusetts. On his death
bead, awakened from lethargic sleep by
the peaiing of bells, he inquired into the
cause, and was told that il was the anniver-
sary Of the Declaration Of independence.
Lifting his aged head, he said, "Thank
God, Jefferson still lives"
When Jefferson vacated the Presidency
though he sought repose at his favorite Mon
ticellO, he was too celebrated parsonage to
remain in obscurity. lie took an active in
terest in passing occurrences and during the
seventeen years Of his retirement bis man
sion was tbronged with admirers from every
part Of the world. He established the Uni
versity of Virginia, watched over its pro-
sress with generous solicitude, and was, for
some time its rector. He expired on the;
Ith Of July, 1926, within a few hours Of the!
demise Of bis whilom antagonist, Adams.
The death of these two famous men ON tho
anniversary of our national independence
gave occasion for one of Webster's greatestS
OratiOns.
Madison withdrew from the cares of CfictI
to the shades Of his picturesque Montpelier
He there gave valuable counsel to the great
party which he had aided in building upt
engaged actively in the cultivation of thss
soil, was President Of the Agricultural Sol
ciety of It's native county, was an officer q
the American Colonization Society, visit
or and rector Of the University of Virginia.
and a member Of the convention of 1929
for the revision of the Constitution of thgf
State. (.
When Monroe laid aside his PresideH-
tal duties. he went to live among the
charming scenes of Oak Hill, Virginia. Al
the solicitation of his neigbbors, he subsd
quently accepted the Office of Justice of The
Peace, and as such sat 10 the county cOurt
Elected to the Constitutional Convention i
1928, Of which Madison was member, Il
presided over that body, Unlike all Of IS
predecessors, Monroe found himself il
strengthened peeuniary circumstances, ant
thereupon moved to the city of New YoiH
to enjoy the Inequalities of his wealthy sorf
in-lsw, Samuel L. Gouveneur, then Posi-
master Of this city, where be died on tt4e
9Th of July, 1881, being the third Pres!-
dent of Revolutionary fame who had expired
on that great anniversary
John Quincy Adams left the Executive
Mansion on the 4th Of March, 1929, anti
repaired to the old family seat at Quincf.
Never out of office for an hour during tie
previous third of century, and of an Of
tive and aspiring temperament, he did MT
take kindly to the quietude Of private Id !.
lie first ran as tie Anti-Masonc candid4e
for Governor Of Massachusetts, and his NJ
low-citizens Of the Old Colony then SC bit
him as their representative 10 Congrels,
where he remained from December, 1874.
to February, 184S. These seventeen ye;lrs
were the great epoch Of his remarkable pi4o-
lie career. He fought those battles Or
the right to petition and freedom of debate,
and against the aggressions of the SlaSe
Power, which carried bis name and fame TO
the remotest corners of the earth After
playing a distinguished part as the m4st
dreaded, and as one Of the most successful
dcbaters in that turbulent assembly, he fol,
like Chatham, during an exciting discuss in
and was borne OH friendly shoulders to Sie
Speaker room, where on the third day ,tin
the language Of Benton, he died under
the dome Of the capitol in the presencesof
the national representation, his expir AZ
words being, This is the last of earti.
An exPresident as well as member of Che
House Of Representatives, and dying unter
the e extraordinary circumstances while C6n-
gress was in session, his obscquics were. ut
tended with unusual pomp-Mr. Calhoun,
who had been his associate in the cabinet of
Monroe, and Mr. Clay and Judge Mel, sle,
who had been members Of his own cabi4et,
and Gen. Scott, then at the head Of the AR
my, helping to bear up the pail.
jackson resided at the hermitage eEbt
years after be left the Presidential cbsir
During his stormy administration be revFed
and rehabilitated the party founded by tef
ferson, and when he died, in June, 1eF5,
be left it in full possession Of every deptrt.
men Of the federal government, under she
lead Of his successful but not splendid llis- /
clple, James II. Polk. In 1874, Gen
jackson favored the denomination of Van !
buren and four years afterwards, dukDg
me famous campaign Of 1S4S, the esler
BLAIR furnished tue Banbuners Of New
York with letter from the Sage Of the Her
mltage, written in 1914, wherein he predict
ed that the Democratic party would we'd do
justice to Van Buren, BY again conierrtmv
upon him the hOnors Of the Presidakcy
This letter was one of the keenest wca,lons
which Tilden, Church, Richmond, Carker.
Cassidy and their Free Soil associatessem- |
ployed in their crusade against Gen. ass,
the regular Democratic nominee for the
Presidency.
After Van Buren, shook the dust Of the