The age-herald., 1901-04-07
She S,x-PreslAents.


 On January l, 1862, there were living five ex-Presidents of the United States Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan. Now the death of Benjamin Harrison leaves only one ex-President- Grover Cleveland. General Harrison spent just eight years as an ex-President.
 When John Quincy Adams retired from the Presidency after serving as Senator. Minister to England and Secretary of State, it was suggested that he become a member of the House of Representa- lives. He replied that to be chosen a selectman by the vote of the people would be an honor, and for sixteen years, until the time of his death, he represented his district in Congress. He died with the harness on his back. for his fatal illness attacked him, as he arose in the House to address the Speaker.
 Andrew Johnson was elected a Senator from Tennessee some time after the end of his Presidential term, but he lived to serve only few days of the special ses- sion of the Senate.
 Most of the Presidents have retired to lives of comparative idleness. George tleman on his estate at Mount Vernon. He gave a certain amount of time to the reorganization of the army when war with France threatened. but he contented himself with the management of his plan tatior and the simple amusement of a country life.
 Mar In hfc try seat in Columbia county. N. Y, and became almost hermit. There have been several instances like his. The most recent was Chester A. Arthur, who like Van Buren, was disappointed at his fail- ure to achieve a reelection and secluded himeslf from all but his intimate friends. Buchanan was recluse for seven years after his return to private life. He had been much abused toward the close of his term and he sought the quiet of abso- lute retirement as soon as he returned to his home in Lancaster. Pa. Pierce lived eighteen years an ex-President. His home was in New Hampshire. but he was a Southern sympathizer during the war so much out of sympathy with his neigh bors that be spent many of his later years in travel abroad.
 John Adams was the first hermit ex- President. He was twenty-five years an ex-President but he was so disappointed at his defeat for reelection that he sc- cluded himself for a quarter of a cen tury, compiling historic records, and he came out of his hole only once when in 1920 he acted as delegate to a State con vention. The fact that he retired did not mean that he did not take an active in- terest in public affairs
 Van Buren yearned for another term, but could not present himself to the peo- pie of his party. because he was. opposed to the annexation of Texas. From his seclusion he wrote letters which resulted in his nomination for President in 1S4S on a Free Soil ticket, but he received no electoral votes.
 Rutherford B. Hayes took no active part in public affairs after his retirement. but he had been so severely criticised that 1t would have taken more than life time to vindicate his record and make him again Presidential possibility.
 John Tyler was one of the active ex- Presidents. Like Washington. he pur- sued the life of a country gentleman: but he afterwards became very much in terested in the doctrine of secession and took an active part in all the events which led up to the civil war
 Fillmore lived twenty-one years after HIS ictiItiucut. f1e was nominated succeed himself by the American party, but was not elected. He travelled great deal abroad and took great interest in public affairs
 Thomas Jefferson devoted himself to educational interests and founded the University of Virginia after his retire ment from the Presidency. He personally superintended the erection of the univer- sity buildings,
 Monroe had his own ideas on the sub ject pf the occupation of ex-residents He held that "an ex-President should not be party leader'' He was a local magistrate for time and was a delegate to constitutional convention. He lived only seven years after his term ended
 General Grant was the greatest traveller in the list of ex-Presidents. His trip around the globe has been described in two large volumes and it Is a matter of familiar history. General Grant did. not take any part in business or public affairs but he was the silent partner in the firm of Grant & Ward, and his later days were Pembittered by his experience in Wall Fstreet. Every one knows that. his famous book was written while he was on his