Nobody ever left the presidency with less regret, less disappointment, fewer heart burnings, or any general content with the result of his term (in his own heart, I mean) than I do. Full of difficulty and trouble at first, I now find myself on smooth waters and under bright skies.

Letter to Guy M. Bryan (1 January 1881) - Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1922 - 1926)