Evening star., 1927-05-01

which he did in his farewell address, he went
on in this almost suppliant strain:
Il beg you to do me the justice to
be assured that this resolution has not been
taken without a strict regard to all the con-
siderations appertaining to the relation which
binds dutiful citizen TO his country-and that,
in withdrawing the tender of service which
silence in my situation might imply, I am
influenced by diminution of zeal for your
future interest. deficiency Of grateful respect
for your past kindness; but am supported by a
fun conviction that the step is compatible with
BOTH
1t might be thought that this was enough
to square him with his countrymen, but Wash
ington did not think so, and went on to offer
excuses. He explained that in taking the
presidency at all. and even in staying in it for
1is full term each time he had made "a uniform
sacrifice of inclination to the opinion of duty"
Then he went on to reveal that he had drawn
up letter OF declination before his first term
ended, but had been induced to suppress it,
He said
Il constantly hoped that it would have been
much earlier in my power, consistently with
motives which / was not at liberty TO disregard
to return to that retirement from which / had
heen reluctantly withdrawn. The strength Of
my inclination to do this, previous to the last
election, had even led to the preparation of
an address to declare it to you; but mature
reflection on the then perplexed and critical
posture Of our affairs with foreign nations and
the unanimous advice of persons entitled to
my confidence, impelled me TO abandon the
idea"
And finally came the most apoogetic sentence
OF all, in which he plainly intimated that if
public affairs had been still in the same com.
pltcated state they were in in 1902 he would
have felt obliged TO give up his own interests
and take a third term. The remarkable
sentence reads:
II rejoice that the state of your commerce.
external as well internal, no longer renders
the pursuit of inclination incompatible with
the sentiment Of duty or proprety and am
persuaded whatever partialty may he retained
for my services that in the present crcum-
stances of our country you will not disapprove
my determination to retire"
So they let him have his way. John Adams
his successor, served only one term and the
question had no chance to arise Indeed there
was no question yet. The next President
Jefferson, served two terms without any wish
Of his own, and with his heart yearning for
Monticello. He also had a quite uniustiied
suspicion that his mentalities were falling or
might soon fail, for Jefferson was a victim of
many bugaboos. He wrote to Comte Deodati:
The weight Of public service begins to be
too heavy for me, and long for the enjoyment
or rural life. among my books, my farms and
my family Having performed my quadragena
stipendia, I am entitled to nay discharge and
should be sorry indeed that others should he
sooner sensible than myself when 1 ought to
ask it."
X X X
Writing TO Lafayette he was even more
emphatic: Il am painting for retirement but
am as Yet nearly two years from that goal H.
He wrote to William Short that his determine.
ton to retire was the product of several con.
siderations, and added Not the least weightv
or these is C0UsCipl1cpors +bat
physical faculties cannot leave those mental
entirely unimpaired and it will be happy for
me if am the first who shall become sensible
TO it,"
How far this almost pathetic longing to get
nome may have affected his Judgment Of the