Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-03-18
MISCELLANEOUS.
Biography of John Quincy Adams.

Biography of John Quincy Adams.
The following biography of the extraor-
binary man who has just departed this life,
from the American Review of ls45, is in
teresting at this time:-
JoHN Quincy ADAMS was horn in Brain
tree, Massachusetts, in that part OF the town
since called Quincy, July IL, 1857. He was
favored, in the period which his life has
covered, as well as in the influences under
which it commenced. His history runs
hack TO the beginning of the revolution, en-
bracing its trying and stimulating experlen-
ces, and includes the range of wonderful
events which have been accommodating with
in the last seventy years. The youth OF
Mr.. Adams, dating even into his childhood,
was certainly marked by very many clrcum-
stances. as unusual and memorable as the
long and eminent career of his public life
has since proved fitting sequence to them.
Towards the close of the year l777, John
Adams was appointed joint commissioner
with BENJAMIN Franklin and Arthur Lee,
to the Court of Versailles. The boy, John
Quincy. then in the eleventh year of his
age, accompanied his father to France, ana
arrived in Bordeaux early in April, lHo;
and during the eighteen months OF his faith
er's stay in France, he attended French
school, studying the native language with
the usual classical exercises. They return
ed to America, and arrived in Boston on
the LIST August, 1879, in company with the
Cheyalier de la Luzerne, who had been sent
by the French Government as Minister to
the United States. Within three months
after his return, his father was again de-
spatched to Europe by Congress, and took
his son with him on this second voyage.
Certainly, no person in this country was
ever favored with such an education as tor
tnnate circumstances gave to the youth OF
John Quincy Adams. The voyages and
residences of his father in Europe, were
precisely adapted to nurture and bring into
vigorous development all the desirable
qualities and attainments of mind and heart
of one destined to act great and patriotic
part in the history of his country A better
school for young statesman cannot be I'M
agined, than his experience, while with his
father on his missions to foreign courts;-
while the lessons of virtue and religion
were reiterated to his mind and heart in the
letters of his rare and excellent MOTHER
/ And his character and attainments, while
in foreign countries, during this portion OF
his youth, gave evidence that his OPP
portunities and privileges were not thrown
away.
He was at school at different times in
Paris, in Amsterdam, and in the University
of Leyden. In 1871, Francis Dana, (who
had been Secretary to the embassy of John
Adams twas commas. ned as Plenipoten-
tiary to Russia, and took with him John
Quincy Adams, then fourteen gears Of age,
as his private Secretary He remained in
Russia with M. Dana until October, 1882
when he left St. Petersburg, and returned
alone through Sweden, Denmark, Ham
burg and Bremen, to Holland, spending the
winter in the route, and stopping some time
in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Hamburg
In Holland he remained some months, until
his father took him to Paris, where he was
present at the signing of the Treaty OF
Peace in September, 1888; and from that
time to May, 17S5, he was with his father
in England and Holland, as well as France.
At London, he had rare opportunities for
the early formation of the future statesman,
being introduced by distinguished members
of Paliament upon the floor of the House,
and listening many times to the eloquence
of Burke, Pitt, Fox, Sheridan, and other
eminent orators, whose talents at that time
adorned the British nation.
In his eighteenth year his father yielded
to his solicitations, and allowed him to re-
turn to his native country. He entered
Harvard University at an advanced stand
ing, and was graduated as Bachelor of Arts
in l7S7-then twenty years old-wlth dis
tinguished honor. He then entered the Of
fee at Newburyport of the celebrated The
ophius Parsons, afterwards Chief Justice
lof Massachusetts, and on completing the
study of the law, established himself in
Boston where he remained for four years,
Extending his acquaintance with the first
principles of law, and taking part in the
important questions which then engrossed
the attention of the people. In the sum-
lmer of 1871, he published a series of pa
lpers, widely circulated and much spoken of.
containing remarks upon the first part OF
Paine's Rights of Man, in which he showed
his sagacity in being among the first to sug-
gest doubts of the favorable issue of the
French Revolution.
A passage from his diary at that period
finely illustrates the severe opinions he had
formed of the iaborious diligence to be prac-
tised by young man, of whatever abilities
who may be DESTROYS of effectually serving
his country, or of acquiring for himself an
honorable name; and following are the SEN
timents thus recorded--which presented,
like mirror, the forecast of all his subse-
lquent long and active, yet always studious
llife-he applied himself with renewed effort
to whatever most strongly demanded his at
tenfion.
In April, 1898, before Washington had
published his proclamation of neutrality, or
il was known that he conte mplated doing il,
Mr.. Adams published in Boston three arti-
Icles, signed Marcellus, strongly urging that
the United States ought to assume such a
position in the war then begun between
England and France. In these raDers he