The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-01
FAITH.
LECTURE DELIVERED BY
HON. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
Al the Tabernacle, New York, Nor. ~, 1870


lFRoAi THE N. Y. HERALD REPoRT.l
Il is related by the historians OF Alexander the
Great that in the expedition against Persia, and the
Persian monarchy at the battle Of Tarsus, in Pheni-
cia, when covered with lust and glory, on day, and
in manner similar 10 own battle Of Monmouth,
painting under the iervent heat OF the meridian sun,
and languid aner hard fought battle, Alexander the
Macedonian plunged, heated, into the peculiarly cold
Of the Cydnus, TO enjoy the refreshing infu-
encc Of the bath. As natural consequence, he was
seized with shivering fit, and succession Of con-
WILSON'S that brought him nearly TO the verge of disco
luton. These followed by succession of faint
ing fits; animation appeared for time entirely sus-
pended and when il revived he underwent the tor
turing agony of spasms to such extent as to alarm
the army for his life, and struck CONSERVATION into his
attending physicians. Unaccustomed TO the symptoms
of the rightfu disease and not liking TO prescribe
powerful remedies for fear of the worst results the
Macedonian physicians were in despair not knowing
what to do. But there exception, in the per-
son Of Philip; he naturally the favoiite of the
king who gave him his unbounded confidence. Philip
was fully aware of the nature of the disease and OF
the fear full consequences Of failure in the remedy he
wished administer; yet he ready and willing to
devote his life TO his master and his friend He under
took therefore to prescribe for the king, explaining
that il would not operate in any other than violent
manner and that the could not be confirmed
der three days. Alexander, however, determined
to try il, and abide the issue
His physicians burst not give him any medicines,
because they thought themselves not certain of the
cure of the danger they must incur in the applica
ton for they feared the Macedonians If they did not
succeed, would suspect them of bad practice
Philip, the Acarnanian, saw how desperate the king
case was well the rest but, beside the confidence
he had in his friendship he thought it the highest in
gratitude when his master was in much danger not
to risk something with him. in exhausting all his art
for his relief He therefore attempted the cure, and
found difficulty in persuading the king to wait with
patience till his medicine was prepared, or to take il
when ready; DESTROYS was he of speedy recovery,
in order to prosecute the
In the meantime, Parmeno sent him letter from
the camp advising him " To beware of Philip, whom,
he said Darius had prevailed upon, by presents of
infinite value, and the promise OF his daughter in
marriage, to take him off by poison As soon as
Alexander had read the letter. he put it under his pill
low, without showing il to any Of his friends The
time appointed being come, Philip, with the kings
friends entered the chamber, having the cup which
contained the medicine in his hand The king recey-
ed it freely with the least marks of suspicion and
at the time put the letter in his hands. II was
a striking situation, and more interesting than any
scene in tragedy; the one reading while the other
drinking They looked upon each other, but with
a very different air. The king, with open and un-
embarrassed countenance, expressed his regard for
Philip and the confidence he had in his honor Philips
looks showed his Indignation at the calumny. One
while he lifted up his eyes and hands to heaven, pro-
testing his fidelity; another while he threw himself
down by the bedside, cntreatng his master to be of
good courage and trust to his care.
The medicine indeed, was strong, and overpow-
cred his spirits in such manner, that at first he was
speechess and discovered any sign Of sense or
life. But afterwards he was soon relieved by this
faithful physician. and recovered well that he was
able to show himself to the Macedonians whose dis
trcss did not abac till he came personally before them
All history may be said, to certain degree, to be
like all scripture given Tor our instruction guidance
and example. And the narratives of all times past
of except they transcrbethe character, and
expose the principles of action Of the who form
ed the chief feature Of the times treated of Alex
ander was one whose name and actions were stamped
intellectually the tide Of time. His character inlu
cnced the age in which he lived and all the succeed
ing ages of man. The deeds of Alexander have been
sounded by the trumpet Of fame for the last two thou
sand years. The words and the letters Of Alexander
have been treasured talked about and quoted every
age and every country. But there is event Of
Gent history that il frequently recorded none
which has frequently exercised the judgment of
the wise; none upon which there has been greater
diversity Of sentment-of exalted admiration and Of
dsapprobation than this act of swallowing the
medicine admir- stercd to him by Philip under the cir
cumstances.
And one of the most extraordinary men that ever
lived, John J. Rousseau, in writing novel, has intro
duced an incident in his own life, in which this par
ticular act of Alcxander's fully discussed and
varously commented upon This man, in his origin,
rise, and whole career, was most astonishing man
The son Of humble Geneva matchmaker. who pass
ed the greater part of his life in poverty and misery at
one time servant in family, WHILE although not
dsgraced by his situation, he disgraced himself by
charging upon an innocent girl TO her ruin, the theft
of piece of ribbon which he had puroined himself
at another time the miserable tenant of miserable
garrett in Paris copying music for subsistence for
crown day; living life Of RIGHTEOUSNESS in loose
sexual connection with woman to whom he not
married. and putting all the children she had by him
from the moment of their birth into the Founding
Hospital disowning them his own through all his
after life; deprving them Of the knowledge of their
father and leaving them destitute of that natural pro-
tcction to which they entitled from of the
first and best laws of nature and deserving even the
mother, the woman with whom he had adulterously
cohabed and who entitled to his care, deprving
her in hei old age of all protection, and leaving her to
the miserable merces Of cold censorious and heart
less world, by the voluntary termination of his own
existence. And yet this was the great cxpound-
er of the moral and social principles of society He
was eminent as writer moral philosophy; he was
distinguished as political economist; skilled in mu-
Sic good botanist; profound in many sciences /;
with mind and faculties finely attuned to the har
mony Of sweet sounds, as to make his writings the
most smooth and delightfully."- harmonious to read in
the language; he without a rival in the age in
which he lived, and has left behind him name and a
fame as deathess and impcrsheble the land which
he so fondly loved TO call his own.
And yet, this is but comparative fame for man like
Rousseau for whatever subject his friend dwelt on,
or his pen touched he ornamented and rendered of
tense interest And with mind and heart overflow I.
ing with wild emotions that could not brook restraint
but that bore down all before them like the overflow
Ing burning lava,-this man sets out teacher and
re-organzer Of civil society. The world not his
friend, nor the worlds law; and therefore with the
feelings which he possessed but natural that he
should desire to see all society return to the primitive
social compact He possessed a command of words
and imagination, and dialectc scarcely inferior to
any human being before since his day; temper
burning with the strongest and varied passions
that ever centcred in human breast power Of
casm blasting, and swiftly hurled as the thunderbo
degree of irony frightfu to the timid to CON
template; and those were his combinations which he
welded with the power, the skill the tervor, and the
perseverance, of gigantic but fallen angel strug-
cling to assai the better and brighter regions of the
sky
His system of society revolutionary and dsor-
ganizing his system Of teaching children was idle
and worse than none. He was opposed to the teach