The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-08
MONROE'S LAST DAYS.
They Were Passed In Poverty In Ne,
York City.

I
York City.
! President Monroe's wife was New
/, York woman, his daughter married a
New York man, and in this city he spent
tome OF the happiest days of his life.
finally dying here in poverty in 1890.
| After the revolution. Monroe, then
| young man of %, who had reached a
captaincy in the Continental army.
came to New York as a delegate from
/ Virginia to the congress then sitting
| here.
| His family antecedents and his per
sonal address procured him access to
all the best society of the city, and he
was a well-known figure al all social
functions" OF the republican court"
! Lawrence Kortright was ''swagger"
| parsonage in the little New York of that
day, and his daughter Eliza was known
| throughout the republic as a relgning
belle, celebrated for her beauty and her
accomplishments.
It was q stately society in New York
which president and Lady Washing
ton" led, and in which Capt. Monroe
| was gay cavalier. When he and Miss
Kortright stepped a minuet at balls
/ where wax candles shed a luster on
women in powdered hair and brocaded
skirts and gentlemen in wigs and gold
| laced velvet coats, all society declared
they were just cut out for each other.
They thought SO, too, and so they were
married.
It WIS great wedding. attended by
ell the gentry. and was the GROWING
! social event of the gay winter which
succeeded Washington's first inaugural
tion. Subsequently. when Monroe was
N Europe on diplomatic business, Mrs
Monroe was distinguished for her
teauty and her psrtrician carriage az
the courts Of Spain and England and in
the French capital.
When Monroe became president, Mrs.
Monroe created social revolution by
refusing to return social calls Great
was the row and rumpus over what The
ultra democrats called an affectation Of
royalty, but Mrs. Monroe Persisted. and
each succeeding Lady of the White
House" has followed her example. So
great was the disturbance over Mrs.
Monroe's refusal to return calls that
John Quincy Adams drew up formula
of social procedure. which has ever since
regulated the etiquette of the social life
Of the national capital.
Mrs. Monroe spent nearly ten years of
her life in Europe, and her daughters
were educated in France. The elder.
Eliza, was a classmete and friend Of
Ho-tense de Beauharnais. .afterward
queen of Holland and mother Of Napo-
leon III.
Mrs. Nonroe's sister married Nicholas
Gouverneur, and their son, Samuel
Gouverneur, for nine years postmaster
of New York, married the presidents
younger daughter, Maria Maria wEs
5oung and beautiful bride when she
came to New York as Mrs. Gouverneur.
and was warmly received by society.
Ehe went to housekeeping in a large
trick house at No. GO Prince street, and
all the wealth and the fashion OF the
city focked to her receptions. The
house is still standing. President Mon
roe was much in New York in his two
terms of Office, and society was esPe-
cially stately and nagifcent when lie
was in town. In 1925 President Monroe
retired from the presidency, and went
10 place which he had bought in Lou
doun county, Va, called Oak Hill.
Here he hoped to end hisdaysasa coun-
cry gentleman, keeping up something
of the state with which he had been
nearly all his life surrounded. But nov
fhe evil days came upon him. nl-health
and pecuniary troubles barTassed him
night and day. For five years he fought
against bodily infrmities and the har-
raSsment of debts.
Then, in 1890, Mrs. Monroe died. and
he gave up the unequal fight Old. lone
ly, sick and penniless, he came 20 New
y ork to pass the few remaining months
of his life, pensioner upon his son-in-
law. He died at his son-in-laws housa
in Prince street, on July Z. 1881, and was
buried in the Marble cemetery. Ills |
grave was made directly in front Of the |
big iron gate opening from Second !
street, and an imposing fat slab Of mar |
be was placed over it The Seventh |
regiment escorted his remains TO Rieh- |
mond, Va, in 1858. His body was placed
IN Hollywood cemetery. resting place Of /
all that is mortal of some 5000 Virgin |
Sans, in tomb upon an eIninence over
looking the muddy waters OF the his
toric James.
A copper plate is fastened on ono
aide of the sarcophagus. with the ~
scription:
JAMES MONROE.
Born in Westmoreland County, 18th
April. 175s. Died in the City Of
New York. 4th July. 1881.
BY order Of the General Assembly his r.
mains were removed 10 this cemetery 9Th
July. 1855, as an evidence OF the affection of
Virginia for her good and hnnnred son