The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-06-08
DOMESTIC.
GALLERY OF PORTRAITS.
No. |.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

T. draw IN perfection the visible fea-
tue- of trdnldual man, has nj all times
been considered an art of ser, difficult Al.
tlnmeu.: How much more difficult must
II be- Ia depict the intellectual lrnrts of the
human character The writer knows not
whether he Is about To add 10 the thousand
carleatnres which have been propagatrd
IN relation H. men ard mind; but he is not
AFRAID TO assert thu purity of lis intentions.
llIsohJ"et II To make his couptrymcn bet
Ter acquainted with the remarkable per
sonagrs 0t the times, and 10 PORTRAY
then according 10 their true merits.
Every person III society, whether in
private of IN public Ile, presents himself
for contemplation IN two aspects; III"
h'si, as II regards his reputation the ST..
cond, as II resp cts his real character.
Tue world IN general is COVER ed ht the
Lrsl, because the would genefal IL Ike
the lead ri drum, ~ ich only rr-echors
the sounds that are pr"duced from II h,
The x'crliy of the drummer. Charqcter
can only be Perc'npi by lose H. whom
ohin'e has gwen penetration aud Jodg
meni, aud slIn whom reputation passes
tor nelhng, II II is contributed by the az
lopg which cnnsiltotp character. Not to
advert 10 a NOR" divine example, ST.
crates affords striking i'll rstia alton of the
ruin oi these remarks. he was put to
deaf bN The Atheuldu- from the evil r.
par, OF bis enemes, who framed for him
AZ infamous reputation hat snrcepdIne
generations have done justice To his mem
ory :; and his character, presented TO pos
leulS III genuine cOlors, stands foremost a.
uong th"sr al the sag"s of anliquit, wh,
are repnied the most yI,tuous and the
most WIsr
JoHN QuINcY ADAMS Is one of the few
Statesmen ni Ancilci VINO have obtained
among th.lr cotempoI "A reputation
nearly corresponding With their Intrinsic
charact r.. 10 This case, hoae.rr, the
batter has always been, IN some deg, ep,
superior Ia thu former. Whatever - und
he occupies ~ ihr view of the public, il is
wholly intellectual. lie never attracted
snslr suffrage ia his favor by the blandish-
ment rI IN lnners, or the graces of ronrIe-
81. S'odeons. froto hls earliest youth, he
continues In BIZ 40 in his rlprr sears, and
his mrntal labors are astonishing, when
fleet hat he is now lntrnsIpd with
The man, &. ment of dHaifs If the first i'm
partance, both al home AID abroad. NE
nlnd "l Mr. Adams is striC lS logical and
Though he is evidently considerable
maste' oi the rhetorical art, he is np,rr
hchned 10 use 1t, except on extraordinary
orcasIous. IL every casr that call. fpf tue
exercise OF his judgment. he arpeos to
VI - K alamo f,r H. Ia, -, Il 4
c'slon whrch leads I" ihr proper conrl -
SION. Ghls cautious adhrr, nee Ia reason,
TINS qua d. ID a'efslou Ia the INDULGENCE of
teeth Z, h IF tad ed ,u,nrl ficIaI pniitIcl,n- To
Pron"ut c. blm c"ld. + eent,-rnss a
more "r 9ntods op,uIon. The secret of
TINS apparent trigidl'y is, in truth, a slron2
sensib'ny, which has comp He'd Mr. Ad.
'nls To nesorI Ia Inentel discipline from
when he does mo- depaft, lest he ,houId
ht hnrrIed INTO The r"gous of fancy, here
t'ere * neither anchorage nor pilot. A
cnid-ml ded man was never vet a wit .
'un Ne has, he.rd several >tr,, things at
iflbot"d 10 him E: an ley heart never won
" TREND; and II, viii not b" drned faat
ilr. Adtns has many and warm friend, 3,
HIT nhitioo, indeed. has been more to
heconr an useful citizen, than pleasant
companlon; AID hence the frivolous and
the volatile. " 10 look III affairs only on
ihe surface, ia + not Iuinrd their voices in
his pr'lse. They should co sidpr tn It
hno"irdgsl not acquired by trinlug and
tliat individual Who cnltl,aips the stpti
ment oi patriotism ~ its fullest extent. ran
have but little time to sacrifice to the ga
ce
without being a courier, Mr.. Adams
''d1s good deal In the side of auth rit,
IA government. II is his feature Of b,s
Character winch has rendered nm nth. T.
Ia rather up"pular 18th the republican
party. But has thu, inclination been right
" understood In a monarchy. he tnat
melip'S 10 authority IL governments. IL
commonly an rnem, Ia the tights at man
aud Is .lnstl, liable Ia suspicion on the pact
OF The lfieads ot liberty. Ia thr L. States.
authority mrans nothing more than the
reign OF the law. To well regulated
mlnd, The Ia" of the land is the great rule
vi acton and the disregard Off is a GER
Tan s'sh OF dIssolutenrss OF thought. Too
nee an adherence To the dictates of rca-
son. nevertheless, will, in tumultuary pc
neds, often convey TO tho senses of the
mass the people the idea of aust.ity.
ana even OF a'istocracy ,cansp the thor.
hty virtue OF irreproachahe rectltude
Fi'ehs tue eonseitncss OF those factious
orators "ho nllslead mankind, and whose
poi''c"i morality is measured solely hy
convenience. li,during near Is Years of
ms literary Il public life. Mr.. Adams sup
ported the measures of administration
winch We're deemed udious. ue cannot. at
least, accuse him Of beng demagoeu
ne was The advocate of the empire of the
law, IN Opposition to that wilderness of no
nous en5endered by the fluctuations of