The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-04-22
RETIRING PRESIDENTS.

Few of our ex-presidents have held
Office after their retirement from the
presidency. s>"s- =, r.
President Washington went from the
executive mansion to his rural home at
Mount Vernon at the age of 65 years.
President John Adams arose before
dawn on the morning of March 4, 1901,
and set out in his coach for his home in
Massachusetts,, where he spent the re-
mainder of his life in peaceful and hap
py seclusion, devoting himself to liter
ary research and correspondence with
his friends, notably Thomas Jefferson.
He was IS years old at his retirement.
and he lived not only to see his oldest
est age of all the ex-presidents.
Jefferson retired to Monticello at the
age of &c years, after 40 years Of contin-
uous public service, so seriously i'm,
poverished," as the chronicles have it,
shat he was not sure of being allowed
to leave Washington without being ar
rested by his creditors
Madison, at the close of his second
term, was &C years of age. Hespent the
dCSt VI LIS udyS Will Ills UOOAS anu uLS
friends.
President Monroe, when he retired
from the white house on March 4, 1925,
at 81 years of age, went to his modest
home at Oak Hill, Louden county, Va.
There he accepted an election to the Of
flee of local magistrate. He thought
that ex-presidents should not be party
leaders.
The junior Adams left the executive
mansion for retirement, to be soon
broken by his return to Washington as
a member of the house of representa-
tives, five years later, in 1881. In 1913,
in the capitol, he died in the harness,
aged 81 years, and the oldest member of
the house.
"Old Hickory" rode down the avenue
| on the 18th of March, 1887, the weather
being remarkably pleasant, by the side
of his successor, in handsome phaeton
made of wood from the historic frigate
Constitution. The vehicle was pres
emit from the democrats of New York.
After the inaugural ceremonies on the
eastern portico, perhaps the first in the
style Of the programme now in use for
such occasions, he repaired at once to
his Hermitage retreat, near Nashville,
| Tenn.
Here his eventful and aggressive life
closed in becoming peace and grateful
| retirement in 1915, at the age of 70, just
seven years after leaving the white
house.
Martin Van Buren, retired in 1871 to
| the shades of Lindenwald, a beautiful
country seat in his native county, Co
lu1nbia, N. Y. He spent the rest of his
days in the singular enjoyment of the
| reflection that the "vcto" had never
been exercised by him while president.
The first Harrison lived just one
| month after his Inauguration. He had
| called an extra session OH the 18th of
| April, 1s47, but did not live to that date.
| President Tyler retired to his Vir-
| ginia home. March 4. 1s47, at the age of
65. He remained in retirement until
the beginning of the civil war, when he
became a member of the confederate
| congress and died in 1862.
President Polk retired to his home at
Nashville, but survived only few
months, dying in 1849, aged 81 years.
| President Taylor died at the execu-
tive mansion in 1850, and Fillmore, who
succeeded him, retired in 1853 to his
home in Buffalo, n Y, and in 1856 was
the defeated nominee for president of
the national American party. He died
in 1874, aged ~ years.
President Pierce. after the 4th OF
March. 1857, retired to his home in Con-
cord, N. H., where he died in 1869, aged
65 years.
President Buchanan retired from the
executive Office in 1861 to his home near
Lancaster, Pa, and for the remainder of
his public life was very much abused
ex-president.
The sad ending of the lives of '*the
martyred presidents,' Lincoln and Gar
field, are familiar history.
! President Andrew johnson retired to
his home in Greenville, Tenn, on the ex-
piration of his term of Office in 1860. He
participated in the political discussions
of the times and was elected to the
! United States senate in 1875, but lived
only a few weeks after returning to
| public life in Washington.
| President Grant, in 1877, after the
termination of his eight years as presi-
dent, made a tour of the world, which
was one of the most noted incidents of
his later years. He was enthusiastical-
| ly urged for the republican nomination
for president in 1880.
| President Hayes at the end of his
term of four years, retired to his home
at Fremont, O.. where he led a quiet
but useful life until his death in 1893.
When he was last in Washington he was
seen on foot marching in 4 procession Of
the Grand Army of the Republic, which,
in 1892, held it's annual encampment in
that city.
| President Arthur went from official
life at the white house in 1885 to New
York city, where he resumed the, prac-
tice of his profession, the law; but he
was suddenly called from busy career,
lamented generally by his country, not
long after his successor, Mr.. Cleve-
land, entered upon his duties.-Atlanta