Evening journal., 1915-04-21
New News Of Yesterday
When Five Ex-PreSidentS
Were Living
By Holland.

about six months after President
Lincoln was inaugurated. / met in
most informal way one Of his prede-
cessors. 1t was Martin Van Buren.
He visited one of the departments OF
the custom house. where | was en-
ployed. in the hope that he could Sc
cure some facilities for the speedy
passing through the custom mouse ol
the baggage of friend who was that
day TO arrive from Europe said Post
master General Thomas l.. James to
me at time when he was telling me
of his Impressions of men WHO haq
served as Presidents Of the United
States whom he met after they had
retired from that office.
81 have often thought. continued
General James. that it is a curious
fact that in the first half of the pres
ent century there we're more eX-Presi-
dents living than has been the case
since 1865. When John Quincy Adams
was President both his father and
Thomas Jefferson. as we'll as James
Monroe. were living. My recollection
is that the largest number of former
Presidents who were living at one
time was Immediately after the inaug-
uration OF President Lincoln. il was
my fortune 10 be acquainted with some
Of tksee. As ! have just told you, l
have met Martin Van Buren,, and II
was easy to see in my brief conver-
sation with him why he gained such
strong personal hold upon the mem
bers of his party. He was the person
ification of grace and dignity. combin-
ed with a certain modesty of manner.
and he still wore the sidewbiskers
which were the fashion of the day
although observed that instead OF
being of auburn tint, as they were
when he was President, they had be-
come almost white.
j had earlier and again later met
and talked with Millard Fillmore. who
had been eight years out of the Pres
idency when Lincoln was inaugurated
once caught glimpse of Franklin
Pierce, who was living when Lincoln
was inaugurated. but l never met hin
personally. Then. in addition to these
rheresWere John Tyler Of Virginia, and
James Buchanan That makes five
men who had formerly been President
who we're alive when Lincoln was il
office. That number has never beer
eqnaled since then. and ! believe it Is
the largest number of cX-President'
ever living at one time. In Grants
second administration. there was M
ex-President living Andrew John
son. who was sent to the UniteC
States Senate by Tennessee after h
retired from tho Presidency. did no
long survive his election to the Sen
ate. Grant was the only ex-Presiden
in Hayes administration, and he ani
Hayes were the two eX-Presidcnts II
| Garfelds administration.
Another thing that | have though
of is the fact that ex-Presidents o
recent years seem to have had short
er term of life after retirement fron
the White House than those of Garlic
years. Most of the early President
lived many years after their retire
ment, and three of them died on tn
Fourth of July-Jetferson and job
Adams dying the Fourth Of July whic
was the fiftieth anniversary OF tn
Declaration OF Independence, IN tn
writing of which both had par
James Monroe died in comparativ
poverty in New York City on tn
Fourth Of July. 1881.
((Copyright, 1915. by +. j. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell {
"rhe speech that Made Roscoe Conl
ling"