The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-07-03
THREE UNITED STATES
PRESIDENTS DIED
ON JULY A

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our usual observance of INDIE
pendence Day, we are informed
by the Division of Information
and Publication of the United
States George Washington BIZ
centennial Commission. This
is especially strange because
this historic fact has touching
and dramatic meaning. July 4
is the day on which three Pres
identsof the United States
died. Each of these early
Presidents played a prominent
part in the very formation Of
our government, and each re-
ceived, as a reward from the
people, elevation to their
highest office. Having per-
formed great labors in planning
the theory of our government,
it. fell to their lot to set noble
examples in putting the theory
into practical effect.
These three Presidents were
John Adams, Thomas Jeffer-
son, and James Monroe. In
deed John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson died almost at the
same hour on July fourth, 1926.
After many sharp differences
of opinion, which had divided
them during a part of their
lives, Adams and \ Jefferson
became not only reconciled but
closely attached friends. The
correspondence of their final
years is one of the glories of
American letters. Adams lived
to be ninety, Jefferson eighty
three. Neither knew how close
to death was the other, and
Adams last words, when con-
scious that death was near, are
said to have been, Thomas
Jefferson still lives" But
Thomas Jefferson. was already
dead.
Before their Presidency, both
these great men served as Vice
President, and one of them as
Vice President while the other
was President. The older man,
John Adams, was Vice Presi-
dent under George Washington
himself. All three were closely
associated with Washington
during our formative days, and
to one of them, John Adams,
goes the credit for playing
major part in throwing George
Washington into the arms of
destiny.
1t was largely the action of
John Adams that led the Con-
tinental Congress to appoint
George Washington as COM
mander-in-chief of the Revo-
lutionary forces. Before that
time Washington had been
an outstanding sectional figure,
a man of the South. In COM
mand of the Continental forces
he became a man of the cOun-
try, and history knows full well
how he played the part.
James Monroe, a younger
men, appeared on the scene of
action after the great political
groundwork of founding the
nation had been accomplished.
But as a young man he played
a gallent part on the field of
battle, as a follower of Wash
ington.
Strange to say, he at first op-
posed the Constitution of the
United States, and as a mem
Der of the Convention, elected
to act on adoption of the Con-
stitution, he voted against it.
Yet he lived to become the
President who enunciated a
Doctrine that statesmen regard
as no less a settled rule of
American policy than the Con-
stitution itself. James Monroe
died on July 4, but the "Mon-
roe Doctrine" is immortal.
In spite of their passing
differences, these two giants of |
intellect and manhood, Adams
and Jefferson, were partners
throughout their lives, in one
OF the greatest achievements
for the progress of humanity.
On the very birthday of the
new charter they had brought
to mankind. when the entire
nation was celebrating it's 5Oth
anniversary, they died, with
IN a few hours of each other.
Had they been allowed to select
the day of their passing, Meth
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