The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-04-20
American and Foreign RevOlutluns-vhe
Death Of John Quincy Adams.


The American revolution of IVA, or rather
l776-for, as franklin boosted, the Americans
put oil actual revolution to the moment when they
were compelled TO declare separation an d
lndepenoence-has been called the parent of all
the revolutions that for sixty years have tor.
mented Europe. The afhllatlon is probably Just
The example OF successful popular movement
is exactly that ''erempiar imitabile uitiis" by
which the Ignorant are most easily deceived,
and the American revolution, if it Is indeed the
parent OF so many modern rebelliOns, has un-
doubleday been the mother
Prcg.ncm vitiosorem.n
The modern revolutions have inherited all its
vices without any one of its good qualities
This is easily accounted for. The Americans
arose to resist a common wrong, to defend them.
selves against a common aggression. Wrong
and aggression, however, challenge resistance
and defence from all men, from good men as
we'll as bad men, and in the resistance and de-
fence the best men W i'll not be the least forward
while the weight OF their character will, even in
the eyes OF others, be allowed on the ground Of
policy to be title to take the lead. Hence it
was that the best men in America were the
leaders IN the revolution Of 1776, though, as al
ways happens, VII en- the relaxauon of the social
bond lets selfish passions loose, the worst class
become their followers. This REGULARITY OF the
American revolution it is which has preserved
II from the character of vulgar rebellion, and
bequeathed to the republic founded by it what
ever OF stability it possesses. Had the Ameri-
can republic been like the French republic OF
l7y2, founded by fools and villains, and stained
with rapine and massacre, II is not possible that
It could have endured, il has endured, sixty.
hve, or, dating from the declaration of l776,
seventy-two years it must have sunk, as the
French republic OF 1892 did, under its crimes,
In the tenth part of the time.
These reflections have EN- suggested to us
by the remai kable circumstances OF the death
OF one OF the greatest and best men OF the Anne.
rican nation; surviving witness OF the reYolu-
tion; the son OF principal actor in it, and hlm-
self almost an actor-Mr John Quincy Adams.
On the 23i of last month (Febriary), Mr..
Adams expired in the capitol at Washington, at
the ADVANCED age OF 81 years. The day is re-
markable as the very same on which the last
French revolutlon-thc youngest born of the
"progenies vitiosiot"-was Effected; and the
circumstance OF Mr.. Adamss death bear a strl-
King resemblance 10 those in which another
great and good man-l statesman and an orator
and deVOut Christian, Lord Chatham-was
taken TO his reward On the % Mr. Adams was
stricken by paralysis in the Congress Hail. and
removed to an adjacent chamber of the capitol,
where, after brlet period of slight suffering, he
breatned his last.
Ga the following day the two houses assem-
bied to do honor to the memory of their depart
ed colleague, and certiinly the proceedings of
the several assemblies reflect no less honor upon
themselves than upan him who was the obi CT
Oh their sorrow aud their eulogy.
lhe proceedings commenced in the House o