Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-07-28
From the New York Observer.

11OXNs JO11N ~. ADANko YIN NOL AlNTs
HARTFORD, July 10, 1S43.
Messrs. Editors Below send you letter
from Hon. ]. @. Adams, which trust you will
be disposed to make public. A word, by way
ofeyplanation.
About two years since, while l was travel
ling in Vermont, the pastor of small village
put into my hands a'volume Of Voltairc's Phi
losophical Dictionary, purportng to have been
translated by John Quincy Adams, with com
mentary preface by the same. An Infdel neigh
Dor Of Rev. Mr. Hubbard had loaned it to him,
Boosting thatJ. @. Adams was an Intid ell as well
az himself Rev. Mr.. H. procured the address
ofMr. A., delivered at New York, in which he
strongly urges the study Of the Bible. After
reading it, the Inidel replied, If J. @. Adams
blows hot and cold in this way, will have no
further confidence in him. suspected at the
name of another J. @. Adams yet knowing
that it had been attributed to the ex.President
and therefore that his influence was made to
sanction infdelity, finally determined to as.
certain the facts in the case, and also his views
In regard to Voltaire's writings. These are
contained in the following letter.
Yours, &c. JOSEPH EMERSON.
QUINCY, 18th June, lsi3.
Rev'd Sir,-In answer TO the inquiries il
your letter of the 18th instant, cheerfully state
list That never published or made trans
latisn Of Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary; Cd
That never read that work, and am therefore
unable to give an opinion upon its merits; Sd
That never saw the book mentioned by you
- purporting to be translation of Voltaire
Philosophical Dictionary, by John Quincy Ad
ANS 18th. That have heard of a person,
stranger to me, bearing that name, but know
not how he came by it, nor to what family HI
belongs.
l have read extracts from Voltare's Philo
sophical Dictionary, and others of his writing
infected with infdelity, but have also read AM
seen performed on the stage his tragedies O
Zaire, Attire and Mahomet, and have read hi
epic poem of the Henrade. l have read hi
writings, in which he complains that he had bee
accused of irreligious propensities, and appeal
to these tragedies and this epic poem as proof
Of his orthodoxy. He boasts that when his trag
Soy VI </ohO 90 Hot pCiIoiiiCus ~ was Cdiic
the Christian tragedy In the tragedy of Alzr
aSpanish Viceroy is murdered by a Peruvia
Indian, and when the assassin is brought befor
him, as he is dying, he says
Learn now the difference between thy gods and min
Thy gods commandthee to revenge and murder:
And mine, when thou has stabbed me to the heart,
Command me to pity and forgive thee"
In his Henriade, he gorifes Henry w. ft
kooc L,,, -, k,ob l.
ancestor, St. Louis, proves to him the truth
the doctrine Of transubstantiation and he ded
Gated his tragedy Of Mahomet to Pope Benedi
XIV. assuring him that in exposing the impo
Tor of false religion, there was no person
whom the work could with so much propriety
dedicated, az to the head Of the true religion
compliment for which the sovereign pontff n
warded him as true and faithful son of the no
church, with his patertal and apostolic bened
Uon.
Now, ifthe infdel neighbor Of the Rev. N
Hubbard declared that he would have no fl
Their confidence in me. if had been blown
hot and cold, by publishing translation Of We
taire's Philosophical Dictionary, and yet profe
sing for myself religious sentiments and OPT
ions, how could he have any confidence in Va
- lire himself--such an adapt in the art Of bo'
-. cold, that he wrote with the sar
pen his Philosophical Dictionary and his Hen
~;de, h;S Zaire, his Alzire and his Mahomet
how could the infidel justify himself for reco
mending to his friend the work Of such veal
er-cock in religious opinions az Voltare, a
yet profess to withdraw all his confidence in
for my supposed Inconsistency in publishing
infdel trash of Voltaire, and yet avowing II
gous sentiments for myself!
The truth is, that Voltaire was lively, 6
ssstisa', disingenuOus, prejudiced, fanatical {