St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-11-20
Review Of the Presidents.

1t is doubtful if more deep-seated,
widespread and intense interest in a
presidential campaign has ever been
felt or manifested than in the late con-
| test. The hearty and enthusiastic
hard cider campaign of 1910, resulting
in the triumph of General Harrison
| ("TippecanOe'0 over Martin Van Bu-
rem (Little "Natty Van") nor the more
notable and better remembered cam
paign of 1860, when Abraham Lincoln
! (Father Abraham-Uncle Abe-Hon-
est Old Abe-The rail splitter of the
| West) became the choice of the people
as their chief in the dark and troub-
Ions days of doubt and uncertainty
| that foreshadowed the storm of seces-
sion and treason, so soon to burst in
its fury upon the land,--though both
were campaigns of remarkable interest
and historical impOrtance-are yet
surpassed by the one just closed, both
in intensity of feeling and partisan
bitterness.
The close of President Arthur's term
of Office Oh the 4th of March next will
complete the twenty-fourth presiden-
tial term of four years each since the
adoption of the federal constitution.
During this period of ninety six years
twenty-one different persons have oc-
cupied that high office. OF these, sew
enteen were elected and four sue
ceeded to it's honOrs from the vice
presidency upon the death of presi-
dent. OF the seventeen elected, two
viz. Thomas Jefferson (fOr his first
term) and John Quincy Adams-were
elected by the house of representatives
in accordance with the constitution,
| the electoral colleges in these two in
stances having failed to make a choice !;
and one viz. 4: Rutherford b. Hayes
was declared elected upon the ascer-
tanned results as declared by an cleo
tOral commission specially created to
adjudicate the disputed and memo
rable election of 1876.
Seven presidents were reelected to
a second term, viz: Washington, JEFF
fersOn, Madison, Monroe, jackson,
Lincoln and Grant-and ten to but n
single term, viz. /: John Adams, his
son John Quincy Adams, Van Buren,,
Harrison, Polk, Taylor, Pierce, Blu
chanan, Hayes and Garfield. The
contingent presidents have been John
Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew John
son, and Chester A. Arthur, they sue
| ceeding to the presidency upon the
death of Harrison, Taylor, Lincoln
| and Garfield respectively. But two
ex presidents are now living g-Gener-
al Ulysses s. Grant and Rutherford B.
| Hayes. When Cleveland is inaugur-
ated March next, Chester A. Arthur
| will make the third, should neither be
removed by death before that time.
During the eight years of General
Grants presidency, beginning March
4, 1869, x-presidents Pierce, Fillmore
and johnson died in the order named.
General Grant was therefore upon his
retirement from the White house in
1877, the only living ex-president, this
being the only instance of the kind
since President Washington retired to
private life in 1897.
Washington's first Inauguration took
place in the city of New York his
second in Philadelphia, where John
Adams was also inaugu rated. Jeffer-
son was the first president inaugurated
at Washington, where all subsequent
inaugurations have taken place-with
the possible exception of that of Presi-
dent Arthur. The vice-president be-
ing in New York city at the time of
Garfield's death, the oath of Office was
administered to him at his residence
in that city by Judge Brady.
General Grant was the youngest of
the presidents when inaugurated, be-
ing AZ; Pierce and Garfield were I9 !;
Polk and Fillmore 50 Tyler 81 /; Lin
coin 81; Van Buren and Taylor, 55 !;
Washington and johnson, 81 Jeffer-
son, Madison and John Quincy Adams,
IS Monroe, SO; John Adams and
Jackson, 62; Buchanan; &C Harri-
son, IS.