The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-04-07
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About the time that James Monroe
as President of the United States pro-
claimed the great doctrine which bears
bis name In international affairs his
wife. Eliza Kortright Monroe, took a
stand in social affairs which has stood
the test OF time quite as we'll as that of
her great husband. She absolutely
refused to return any social calls.
Great was the row i. stirred up, and
the charges of affecting royal manners
aud customs and of being rude and all
the rest rained about Mrs. Mouroe's
head.
But it was of no avail She stuck it
out, and each "frst lady of the land"
has followed her example since. So
great, however, was the disturbance
over Mrs. Monroe's refusal to return
calls that John Quincy Adams con-
sidered 1t necessary to draw up and
formally promulgate a formula of
etiquette which has since regulated
the life of the Executive Mansion.
After the Revolution James Monroe.
then only twenty-three years old, went
to New York as a delegate in Congress
from Virginia, There he met the beau
tiful daughter OF Lawrence kortright.
who was an import ant figure in the
social life of New York of that day,
and, falling in love, they were married.
1t was great wedding, attended by
all the gentry, and was the browning
social event of the gay winter which
succeeded Washiugton's first inaugu-
ration. Subsequently, when Monroe
was in Europe on diplomatic business,
Mrs. Monroe was distinguished for her
beauty and her patrician carriage at
the courts of Spain and England and
III the French capital. Mrs. Monroe
spent nearly ten years of her life in
Europe and her daughters were edu-
Gated in France. The elder, Eliza,
was n classmate and friend of Hor.
tense de Beauharnais, atterward
Queen of Holland and mother of Ma.
poleon Ill.
Mrs. Monroe's sister married Nicho-
las Gouyerneur, and their son, Samuel
Gouverneur, for nine, years Postmaster
of New York, married the Presidents
younger daughter, Maria. Marin was
young and beautiful bride when she
went to New York as Mrs. Gouver-
neur. and was warmly received by So
ciety. She went to housekeeping in
large brick house at SO Prince street,
and all the wealth and fashion of the
city flocked to her receptions. The
house is still standing. President
Monroe was much in New York in his
two terms of office, and society was es-
peciallly stately and magnificent when
he was in town. In 1925 President
Monroe retired from the Presidency
and went to a place which he had
bought in Loudoun County, Virginia,
called Oak Hill.
Here he hoped to end his days as
cou ltry gentleman, keeping up some.
thing of the state with which he had
been nearly all his life surrounded.
But now the evil days came upon him.
Ill health and pecuniary troubles
harassed him night and day. For five
years he fought against bodily infirm-
tiles and tie harassment of debts.
Then, IL 1880, Mrs. Monroe died, aud
he gave up the unequal fight. Old,
lonely. sick and penniless, he came to
New York to pass the few remaining
months of his life, pensioner upon
his son-in-law. He died at his son-1n-
laws house in Prince street on July
4, 1881, and was buried in the Marble
Cemetery. -Philadelphia Press.