Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-05-24
EX-Presidenfs.

k'oacning visit of General Grant to En-
'-iope. 1t has been said, and it is to
reared with certain amount of trut
#! That the great Republic is apt to foree ct /
chlet servants when they have done wi,
p| .helr work. 1t was remarked, we belle,
oy the late Mr.. Bagehot, that not long ain,
the news of an ex.President's death a,
peared among American kilograms ssnf
wlched between two statements "a ~ n
price OF hides and the price of molasse
! A President, though he may be re.electe
70 q second term Of office IN .con,inuatio
OF MS first, must, as it should seem. abar
don all political hope if once lie leaves tb
White House. There is no instance q
any PRECEDENT having re-entered it after
period OF years, though one or two hav
tried to do So; and it is gradually ge.tin,
to be considered as an unwritten part of tn
American Constitution that ex. President
should neither expect to return to thei
former high estate nor accept an numble
position. Probably the Practice of th,
!!great man who is called the founder Of
the United States has something to do will
the popular belief in the fitness of thi,
rule. For Washington is the beau.idea]
of statesmen in retirement. as he is. ir
American eyes, of actual chief magistrate
We read that on the 4th of March, 1897,
ne was present as spectator at the in
stalation of his sue lessor, after which he
Immediately retired to Mount Vernon
there to live life Of dignifed and busy
leisure as country gentleman. lie did
not engage in public business, bu. IN MAY,
l79S, on the prospect OF war with France,
he was offered and accepted the command
of the provincial army-a precedent for
General Grant should his country have the
misfortune to be again involved in war
during his lifetime. Washington, how
ever, survived his presidency less than
three years, dying on December IA, 1893,
so that his period of retirement IS too
short TO be valuable as q model. John
Adams, like his immediate predecessor,
laid down the chief magistracy at the age
of sixty-five, when still in the full vigor
of his faculties, and with more than a
quarter of century of life remaining to
Inn. He retired to his country house in
Quincy and declined, although nom mated,
to stand candidate at the next annual elec-
tion for the Governorship of Massachu>
sets. In 1920 he consented to serve in the
State Convention tor revising the Consti-
tuition of Massach usetts, but was engaged
On no other public business between the
of his presidency and bis
Heath. "For some years before his DEATH"
rays one Of the biographers of John Ad-
lms, ''his health had become extremely
,oor, and at last little more remained of the
,nce active and eloquent statesman than
he mere bresth of life. In this state he
vas when the morning arrived of the
Fourth of July, 1926, the tiftieth anni-
,ersary of the Declaration OF Indepcnd-
nee. Awakened from sleep Sy the ring
ng of bells and other rejoiclngs of thai
fraud jubilee, the venerable patriot was
lsked If he knew the meaning of what he
,eard. "Oh, yes" lie replied. the glow
# old times seeming TO return TO him for
moment, lit is the glorious Fourth of
[uly!-God bless it-GO,l bless you aiI!'
;ome time after he said, 1T is great and
,lorious day." adding, after pause, ap
'arertly of deep thought, jefferson yet
urvivcs."' These were tie last words
le was heard to utter About neon he !,
ecame alsrmingly i'll, and At six in the
vening expired. But Jefferson, too, was
ying while Adams was deriving consola- K
ion as to the future of his country from
be fact that his illustrious friend and
ometimes rival was etill living. The
a,ne day terminated the careers of the .
w0 ex. Presidents.
jefferson, like Adams, took no part in
ublic affairs between the expiration of ,
is term of office as chief magistrate and
is death (l8O9.s6); but we are assured by
lmerican Boswelle that the last years of =
is life, ''though spentin retirement. were :
OF wasted in inactivity" The cx-Presi-
ent, it seems, continued to get up as
arly as before. He had the uncomforta-
le habit of early rising-aud ''maintained : :
very large correspondence with all parts !:
f the world" which. if the account is to
e accepted as literally true, must have
aken up an exceedingly large amount of
is time, even to leaving him scant leisure q
or repose or any other call of nature. II Z
pp ars, nevertheless, that he not only q
to keep up his correspondence
with all parts of the world,' but to re. h
eve mauy visitors, and it is added that {:
q loved to sec his table furnished with I
uests. 1t is melancholy to think that c
he evening of his lite, which might have 8
cen 80 plea SAINT, was embittered by pecu- 8
,ary difficulties, owing, it is said, chiefly t
, an obligation which he incurred to pay G
friend's debts. On this head one can a
ot but think that the Americans. since ID
hey are determined. - it were, to ostracize Ie
heir most eminent citizens after they have "
nee filled the highest place 10 the State.
hight do worse than allow them. say, as
espectable pension as the English be
tow on their x-Chanccllors. II
Madison, next on the list of ex. .PresI-
ents, acquired that not very envlable \
tatus ct the age of sixty six (lSl:l when |
q had nineteen years more to live. In
sac he was . member of the State Con- 4
enuon OF Virginia appointed 70 revise i
ne local constitution, but he accepted no
ther political cffice in his retirement,
ossibly because, though he lived TO the|l
10 of eighty.6ve, he never enjoyed good |!