The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-02-10

little more than an on-looker IN politics.
He went abroad in 1852, voted for Bu-
chanan in 1856. and was against Lin
coin in 1860. but supported his admins
tration during the civil war. He was
! active in his law practice till very near
| his death.
John Tyler was extremely active IN
public way during the last years of
| his life as ex-president, as was Van
Buren, He stepped down and out at
the age Of So, in 1s45, retiring at once
| to his home. Sherwood Forest" near
Greenway, Va There he lived life
of leisure after the beginning of the
civil war. Then, although he was orig
| inally against secession, he came out
strong for the south. Before this he
had recommended convention of dele
gates from the border states of New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, L.
linois and Iowa. Delaware, Kentucky,
Tennessee and Missouri, and had served
as commissioner to President Buchanan
from Virginia He talked strongly in
favor of peace convention at the gath
ering he had proposed, but it came to
nothing. His statement Of the case was
Secession is inadvisable, but coercion
is impossible" He was, later. made
member, first of the provisional and
then the permanent confederate con-
gress. He died before be had an oppor-
tunity to do much of real value for the
south.
Millard Fillmore. who lived 81 years
after his retirement from the white
house in 1858, did not do much of note
in politics while an cX-president. but
never lost his active interest in public
affairs, and for long time was habitu-
ally spoken Of as the foremost citizen
of Buffalo. He was named by the
American" party to succeed himself,
but was not elected, and then travelled
abroad for time. During the early
days of the civil war he was exceedingly
patriotic. Three times he went abroad,
and once was offered, by Oxford univer-
sity (England), but declined, the degree
of d. C. L. He took deep but quiet in
terest in public matters till the day
Of his death, and travelled about the
earth a good bit.
James Z. Polk died in 1s45. eight
years after he left the white house. His
declining years were marked by III
health.
Founders Of the Republic.
Although only one of the founders of
the republic who became ex-presidents
turned to recluses when ex'es, yet none
Of them were as active in public life as
some OF their SUCCESSORS. Washington
lived less than four full years after his
retirement in 1896, and part of that
time he was engaged as commander in
chief in reorgonizing the army to be
ready for an expected war with France.
He was much pleased when this blew
over, and then proposed to spend some
years attending to his plantation at Mt
Vernon He had one form of amuse-
ment which is closed to Mr.. Cleveland,
so far as the world knows-he played
the violin, and his favorite instrument
is now, or was recently, the property
of an Astoria, N. Y, fiddle maker, named
Gemunder. This violin was bought by
Washington from q negro, in whose
hands he heard it played. It fell to
Judge Bushrod Washington after the
first presidents death, then TO Thomas
B. Washington, who sold it to Gemun-
der.
Thomas Jefferson, who lived a life of
semi-leisure at Monticello" for II
years after his retirement was also
q violinist, and possessed many scholar
ly and artistic tastes which few later
presidents have equalled. Ex-President
Jefferson was greatly interested in the
education Of the people; was the prime
mover in founding the University of
Virginia, and personally superintended
the erection of that institutions build
ipgs. In his later years he fell into
pecuniary difficulties, through indors-
ing $4,000 note, made by a friend,
from the effects of which he was some.
what relieved when congress purchased
his library for $4,000, or about quar-
ter of its value. New York, Philadel-
phia and Baltimore also raised money
to help him. and on his death the sale
OF his estates paid all his debts. He
wrote much and congress ordered all
his works published at government ex-
pense.
James Monroe, whose administration
covered the EZRA of good feeling" was, |
aiso, greatly interested in educational |
progress, as an ex-president, but was
not at all active in progress. Once he |
declined to serve as presidential cleo |
tor on the expressed ground that 'an |
ex- president should not be a party |
leader" he did serve as local magis- !
trate, or justice of the peace, however,
and as a delegate to q Virginia con-
stitutional convention. Less than seven |
yesrs after his retirement. he died July |
4, 1881, in New York, which city di- |
his past presidential residence.
James Madison lived 20 years after re- |
tirement, on his estate Montpelier"
Though in no sense a recluse he was |
not especially active, chiefly because of |
his advanced age. =
Prececents OF All Sorts
The post-prcsidential career of Gen.
Grant is too familiar 70 need more than !
a reference. He was the most extensive |
traveller of all the ex-presidents, though |
four others-Van Buren,, Polk, Fill |
more and Pierce. all went abroad. Some
time ago there was much talk that |
Mr. Cleveland would do as Grant did on !
retiring, and circumnavigate the globe. /
but. ii rumors count for much. it now
seens more probable that he viii fol-
low, more or less closely. the example |
OF ex-President Harrison. deyoting some
OF his time to educational pursuits