And State Papers 13 



Many Presidents have followed the examples of 

 Jefferson and Jackson, and retired, as these two men 

 retired to Monticello and The Hermitage. Others 

 have gone into more or less active work, as practic 

 ing lawyers or as lecturers on law, or in business, or 

 in some form of philanthropy. 



During the President's actual incumbency of his 

 office the tendency is perhaps to exaggerate not only 

 his virtues but his faults. When he goes out he is 

 simply one of the ordinary citizens, and perhaps for 

 a time the importance of the role he has played is 

 not recognized. True perspective is rarely gained 

 until years have gone by. 



Altogether, there are few harder tasks than that of 

 filling well and ably the office of President of the 

 United States. The labor is immense, the cease 

 less worry and harassing anxiety are beyond de 

 scription. But if the man at the close of his term is 

 able to feel that he has done his duty well; that he 

 has solved after the best fashion of which they were 

 capable the great problems with which he was con 

 fronted, and has kept clean and in good running 

 order the governmental machinery of the mighty 

 Republic, he has the satisfaction of feeling that he 

 has performed one of the great world-tasks, and that 

 the mere performance is in itself the greatest of all 

 possible rewards. 



