The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-10-14
(Communicdted.)
SIR

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1t would seem at this time almost a work
of supereroqaon to vindicate the fame of John q.
Adams as a writer remarkable at once for the force
and ucidity of his style. Has the writer in the
" Herald of the Times" forgotten the manner in
which Jonathan Russell was literally used up when
he presumed to try lance with the sage of Quincy
Or is his memory treacherous that he cannot re-
member how his co-aborer at Ghent the redoubta-
bic Clay quailed before him, when upon his preva-
rcating with regard to some transactions that grew
out of the negotiation for peace, and which were
supposed to bear hard Mr. Adams, the latter
gentleman invited him to n controversy which Clay
was too cunning to accept But it is idle to waste
words on a subject regarding which no two ntelll-
gent minds can disagree. The " Herald after be-
rating Mr.. Adams in good set terms in general for
his bad taste in style" at last descends to partic-
ulars and the first stumbling block he encounters in
the celebrated letter the Hon. d. J. Pearce, is the
the epithet evH," when appended to its substantive
/" report" VhoeUer Heard (says this hypercritic)
the report Of a committee, appointed to make it, be-
ing called an tpH report" Now forbear from
turning the tables this scribber, could show
that more arrant nonsense was never contained in
one short sentence than he has contrved to crowd
into the above quotation. But to the por has
this learned Theban ever read his Bible II he has,
being such excellent judge of style he cannot fail
have noted the beautiful story of Joseph of which
it may be enough to say here that its parallel is
hardly to be found in any age or language Well-it
49, :l~.,.;..i s,~-,, &c I~onrh that Mr. Adams had
in his eye when he used the expression which has
so mystifed the writer in the Herald. "Joseph
(having witnessed the vile conduct of his bethren)
brought unto his Father their erH Report"
The next expression at which the Herald carps,
is his applying the phrase Land of Desolations ="
to the town of Quincy. Now who so stupid as not
to perceive that the writer in this instance spoke
ironically. The language is scripturaI and there
fore classical. Jerusalem is frequently apostrophiz-
ed city of desolations," and that too when no
immediate Judgment mpended over it, and the
phrase is used in connection with the I" evil report
of the Rev. Mr.. Cornell to mark in strong
terms the writer's sense of the injustice done to his
native town.
Another expression of Mr. Adams 50 mote il al
wdys be " when applied to the dovntdH of phiggery,
seems to have stirred up the blacklist bile of this re-
viewer who ought to remember that it is mere pri-
vate friendly letter which has drawn down upon its
writer's head this torrent of abuse and that the
quaint expression above alluded TO was probably
used either jocularly, coming from an Antimd-
son IN mockery of masonry. But enough of this
from the fluttering of the pigeons we may Judge of
their wounds. The fact is Mr. Adams knows too
much of these self-syled whigs-He has painted
them it is true with no flatterng hand, but every
stroke is a sketch. Blu; " the style" says the Her
aid, "the style" is execrable, rot at all polished
True,-Mr. Adams knew whom he had to deal with,
and to use polished terms on such unpolished ma
terals would have been - vain and ridiculous ex-
cess" No man ever knew better how 20 suit the
word to the action, and in his late nfction on the
wings, if the instrument he used was unpublished, the
edge was keen and has completely excoriaed them.
Tie may not have made allowance enough for the
thnness of their skin. " To Be fdyed, to be fayed
dhre, nth a razor rih the cire edge on, is too
much" roars the Herald, human nature or ukiggish
nature cannot endure it, hinc Hla ldehrymd.