President Polk issued a Proclamation announcing his death, and orders were issued from all the Depart ments directing that suitable honors should be paid the illustrious dead. The funeral took place in the capitol, at twelve o'clock, Saturday, 26th of February, after which the body was conveyed to the Congressional burying-ground to remain until the completion of the preparations for their removal to Quincy.

The following letter of thanks from Mrs. Adams, addressed to the Speaker, was laid before the House of Representatives:

"WASHINGTON, Feb. 29th, 1848.

"SIR: The resolutions in honor of my dear deceased husband, passed by the illustrious assembly over which you preside, and of which he at the moment of his death was a member, have been duly communicated

to me.

"Penetrated with grief at this distressing event of my life, mourning the loss of one who has been at once my example and my support through the trials of half a century, permit me nevertheless to express through you my deepest gratitude for the signal manner in which the public regard has been voluntarily manifested by your honorable body, and the consolation derived to me and mine from the reflection that the unweared efforts of an old public servant have not even in this world proved without their reward in the gen erous appreciation of them by his country.

"With great respect, I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,

"LOUISA CATHARINE ADAMS."

On the following week, the remains of the deceased ex-President were conveyed to Quincy, accompaïned by a committee of one from each State and Territory in the Union.

After this sad event in Mrs. Adams life, she lived uninterruptedly at her home in Quincy, enjoying the society of her children and relations. From a distin guished member of her family, I have received the following letter, which although marked private, I take the liberty of extracting a few items of particular interest.

She also

"I should be very glad to be of service to you if I were possessed of the material which you seem to desire in connection with the life of my mother. But I fear they are not to be found among the papers left by her. She wrote much and read a great deal, both of French and English literature, and translated from the former for the amusement of her friends. wrote verses frequently in the same way. But all these accomplishments of hers, including a nice taste in music and a well cultivated voice, are matters of little moment in a publication, however much they may con tribute to the refinement of the social circle at home. Although she lived to quite an advanced age, her health was always delicate and variable, so as to interrupt the even tenor of her life and disincline her to the efforts required for general society, especially during her twelve years spent at different courts in Europe. This also was very much the case during her residence in the President's House, which I have always consider. ed as the period she enjoyed the least during the pub

lic career of my father. All this appears more or less in her letters, and especially in a species of irregular diary which she kept for some time at Washington for the benefit of my grandfather, John Adams, then liv ing at Quincy, and her brother who was residing at New Orleans."

Mrs. Adams died the 14th of May 1852, and was buried by the side of her husband, in the family bury. ing grounds at Quincy, Massachusetts.

MRS. ANDREW JACKSON.

NOT as a Lady of the White House is Mrs. Jackson's life sketched in this volume, for the cruel misrepresentations of her husband's political opponents had crushed her heart, and ended her days before he took possession of the home of the Presidents. She was denied the gratification of accompanying him to Washington, and of gracing the White House, but she was even in death the President's wife, and as such is ranked. In his heart she lived there, the object of the most deathless and exalted affection, the spiritual comforter and companion of his lonely hours. The friends and visitors of the new President saw her not, nor was she mentioned by the throng; but to him she was ever present in the form of memory and eternal, undying love.

The day of party strife and bitterness toward General Jackson has passed away forever, and the nobility and refined sensibility of his nature are at last appreci ated. The slanders and falsehoods which embittered his earthly life, have been eclipsed by the sunlight of truth, and over the lapse of years comes ringing the prophetic assertion of the immutability of right. He is avenged. Once it was the fashion to revile him, and multitudes in this country who had no independent judgments of their own, took up the gossip of the day and pursued their congenial calling, even after death had taken him from their sight forever.