Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-05-30
From the Nortok LEDGER.

(fOW me IVOIJohH Lager
The former President Adams, is occupi-
ed in writing a series of essays, which are
published in a democratic paper called the
!" Boston Patriot," and are going the round
of republication in all the democratic papers
to the north. The first numbers of these es-
SAYS were from. motives Of decomposition pas
sed over by us without notice, yet had we
f~oreseen their tendency and extent, we
should have inserted them in the Ledger,
but it is now too late, as we have not pre-
served the first numbers, and the meeting
of Congress, which takes place in a few
days, will furnish us with more interesting
matter than the passionate ebullitions c. a
vain, mortified, and irritable old man. It
was remarked Of Cicero, that with many
great and rare qualities, he was destroyed
by vanity, " it was his cardinal vice" Mr..
Adams with a few of the qualities Of the
Roman orator and statesman, has more va
nifty than ever fell to the share Of any hui
man being. We disdain to apply to the
democratic papers, or to their great idol, fo1
a character of John Adams, for they have
pourtrayed it, as marked not only with eg,
gregious folly and excessive vanity, but by
all the political turpitude that could be at
tached to the yilest and most 2rofigate
statesman. The Book published by Gen,
Hamilton (bv many, and by Us among O.
Others, deemed injudicious at that time,
was a most faithful picture of the man, ane
proved the profound wisdom of Hamilton
in his knowledge of the hum an character.
Mr.. Adams we believe to be an honest
man (Mr. Jefferson and al the democrat!
to the contrary Notwithstanding bat a mar
too much under the influence Of hlS pas.
sions ever to be a great man, and Of course
very unfit TO be the head of a great nation
or even at the head of a party. The exclu.
sion Of his son as a senator for the state o.
Massachusetts, has driven the old gentle
man to excesscs which excite the pity O
his former friends, and the secret contempt.
tho professed applause of his former enc
mics. He has lately published the private
and unofficial observations which took place
between him and the leading federalists at
the time he was president, touching i'm
portant measures, With all our belief Of the
integrity of Mr.. Adams, we are not prepar.
ed to admit that a person ofhis irritable tenn
per, sou,ed by his own and the public MORT
hcations of his son, is capable Of giving 3
i" very impartial" statement of facts that &C.
Cured 1Oyears back, when hispresent admir-.
ers said he was in his dotage." Nor woule
We be understood as expressing any regreta
what he has published, or any apprehension
of what he can publish, as relates to the pub
lie or private conduct Of those with whom
he was then associated. Those honorabl,
men Cor such of them az are now alive) vii
feel NO resentment towards this unfortunate
old revolutionary patriot, they will consider
him as one who is dead and say of him
"The good which men have done, lives af
ter them,
nAnd the evil is often inferred with thei
bones"
IF the men who Mr.. Adams, is now EN-
ployed III rendering odious in the public es
timation, were capable of exposing his O.
pinions Of his present friends, what an alb.
surd light would he not appear in? VIVA
would Mr.. Jefferson say, if he was inform
ed of Mr.. Adams expressions, when the
latter found a letter which the former had
written to President Washington, respect
ing the famous Mazzie letter? We are tru.
" sorry, that a man, who has been SO much
distinguished by his country's favor, should
he capable of acting the little, (and if we
did not believe that it proceeds more from
passion,S the infrmity of old age than vice.
we should say the d~ishonorable part, which