The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-08

A Greater Age Attained by Earlier Chief
Magistrates Than by Those of Later Years.

A Greater Age Attained by Earlier Chief
Magistrates Than by Those of Later Sears.
The present occupant of the White House
and Benjamin Harrison are the only ex-Pres-
dents living and yet all the Presidents since
Buchanan's time, If they were living to-day,
would, mono of them, be extremely old men,
says s. Wattersou Ford in the Yankee Blade.
Lincoln was born in the same year with Oliver
Wendell Holmes and VIM. f. Gladstone, and
both these men are alive in vigorous ana
active old age. Gen. Grant. if he were alive,
would be hardly II years old. Andrew john
son was only one year older than Lincoln.
and consequently, If he were living to-day, he
would be the oldest of our ex- Presidents, 81
years of age, James A. Garfield, il alive, would
be only 81 years old, and Chester A. Arthur
would be only 63. So it will be seen that the
| incumbeney of the Presidential Office has not
been conducive to longevity.
But worry does not always kill Gen. Grant
was not a man whose temperament was suscepti-
bic to much irritation. Yet he died the young
est of any President who died q natural death.
except Polk and Arthur.
Arthur was a man of cheerful disposition,
and, perhaps. of somewhat easy going disposl-
ton yet he was the only President who died
before the age of 80.
That the responsibilities of high official posi-
tion do not always kill is shown by the age and
vigor OF such European statesmen as Bismarck
and Gladstone 1t is possible that exposure
aud hard service in the war may have weakened
the constitutions of our later Presidents. Grant,
Hayes Garfield and Arthur were all soldiers.
OF course, as Garfield died at the hand OF an
assassin it is impossible to surmse how long he
would have lived had not the bullet OF Guiteau
put an end to his existence.
The early Presidents of the Republic, with
tho exception of Washington. lived to good
old age Washington's death was hastened by
exposure, and very severe cold. and undoubt-
edIy was produced in part by the absurd medi-
cal practice in vogue in his time of prOfusely
bleeding sick people. Thus just the strength
required for recuperation WAS taken from them.
There are many medical authorities to-day who
believe that Wsshingt toms life was shortened by
this mistaken course OF treatment
1t is no better with the Vice-Presidency.
There is but single ex-Vice-Presdent now
living. though if all who occupied that office
since the days of Lincoln were now alive, no
one Of them would be an extremely old man.
Since 1860 there have been the following
Vice-Presidents: Hannibal Hamlin. Andrew
johnson afterwards Presdent). Schuyler Col
fax, Henry Wilson, William A. Wheeler,
Chester A. Arthur afterwards President).
Thomas A. Hendricks and Levi p. Morton. Of
all these. Mr.. Morton, the ex-Vice-President, is
the only survivor.
Of these, Henry Wilson and Thomas A. Hen
bricks died in office. Hannibal Hamlin, who
died but a short time ago. and was Vice-Presi-
dent during Lincoln's first term as President,
lived to the greatest age.
All tho others died before they were very
old. Hendricks was &c; Wheeler was 60; Will
son, So and Colfax So.
So nearly all our Presidents and Vice-Presi-
dents during the last 80 years have failed to
attain great age. Whether the worry and re-
sponsibiIty of their positions have shortened
their lives probably cannot be determined 1t
las been said that responsibility never worries
anyone who is capable of assuming RESPONSE
bility. But this is a broad statement, which
must be taken with limitations. Whether
great responsibilities unduly worry man or
not. depends very largely upon his tempera-
ment A nervous, sensitive man would be
worried by responsibilities, no matter how
great his abilities 4 cool, audacious man
would not he worried.
John Adams, the oldest of all the Presidents
at the time of his death, died at 81; Jefferson
was SO; Madison, So; Monroe, 70; john
Quincy Adams, 81; Andrew Jackson, 70;
Martin Van Buren, 80; William Henry Harri-
son. 65, and John Tyler, r.
Our early Presidents. it will be seen. lived to
much greater age, on the whole, than our
later ones.
If one should make hasty conclusion from
this fact, he might infer that people do not live
rs long to-day as in the time of fathers.
But this would be an incorrect conclusion.
II is pretty we'll established that men live
longer to-day than ever before. The hardGhips
Of life are not so extreme. the hours OF labor
are not so long. Men are better clothed than
they were formerly, they are better housed, aid
live under more favorable hygienic conditions.
The fact that the later Presidents have died at
an earlier age than early Presidents may
be due to the fact that the duties of the Office
are much more arduous than they were in
the early days