The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-21
pRoposALs BY LIrrLE = sRowr
ron PUBLISHING BY SUBSCRIPTION
HE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOHN ADAMS

FOR PUBLISHING BY SUBSCRIPTION
THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOHN ADAMS,
Second President If the United States.
EDITED BY HIS GRANDSON, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.
TIME public will be glad To learn that the publca
Il ton of the works of JOHN ADAMS, so long de-
layed, will now be commenced SO soon as an ade-
quate subscription shall have been obtained. II is
intended 10 embrace in the proposed collection the
works of MIR. Adams on Government, already pub
lished, but now out OF print and a selection from
most voluIninous mass of manuscripts which have
never seen the light
The collection is TO be made and edited by the
Hon. Charles Francis Adams, the depositary Of all
the manuscripts as well of John Adams as of his
father the late John Quincy Adams and is intended
the first Of two great publications, calculating
the history of the rise and progress of these United
States from the year l76 in which the revolution
airy struggle first began, down TO the year 1915
when the younger Adams died.
The materials for the first OF the two works are
much more ample than has generally been sup
posed. John Adams, during nearly all his life,
scrupulously preserved his papers, and among
them are found many OF a curious and singulary
interesting character. Probably the most remark
able at least in the eyes of the world will prove
be a Diary, commenced by him as early as 1855,
and carried for thirty years. including the largest
portion of his public career. This Diary will be
found 10 contain great amount Of valuable matter
connected with the carly movements of the Revolu-
ton in Massachusetts, and TO throw good deal of
new light upon the proceedings OF the great Con
crosses OF lI74 l175, and 1876 at Philadelphia, in
which the writer was "a conspicuous actor There
also notes of the debates during portion of that
period, which, in the dearth of all knowledge Of
them, will be highly valuable To poserity.
II is well known that an intention was long en-
tertained by the younger Mr.. Adams 10 write a
memoir of his father. This although not entirely
executed, commenced most interesting
fragment remains in n perfect state, and will be
prefxed 10 the present publication. Tho unexc-
cutcd portion will be carried on by the editor aided
by the discovery of photographed fragment
of John Adams himself, which will be woven into
the body of his work.
The great difficulty will be in the abundance of
the materials to be gathered out of correspondence
carried on for half century well out of I'M
published trcatises ofvarious kinds, rather TO bring
them all within reasonable limits for purchasers,
than to come short of what will interest The students
Of the national history.
II is proposed 10 issue the work in ten octave vol
umes. These will include the Essay the Canon
and Fcudal Laws, the Defence of the American
Constitution, the various editions OF which have
been long since exhausted and the Discourses on
Davila; to all of which illustrations, drawn from
the unpublished writings of MIR. Adams, or sup
piled by the editor from other sources, will be
added.
Such selections will be made from the Diary and
from the private papers, may be considered most
likely to promote a better acquaintance with the
times in which Mr.. Adams lived and acted than is
yet possessed, after all the valuable contribu
tons which have already been furnished from
other quarters On the whole, the publishers con-
fdently believe that there is no work relating to
the revolutionary history of the United States, and
indeed of the times in which MIR. Adams lived, that
surpasses in historical and political value the vol
umes now offered to the patronage of the Ameri-
can people. And they strongly hope that they
shall find themselves well sustained in this great
enterprise to be encouraged to go ON and perfect
the other and latter part of it, the Life and Works
of the less distinguished son, John Quincy
Adams.
The works will be brought outsfrom time to time,
commencing during the autumn of lS49, and COM
pleted within reasonable period, consistently
with proper attention TO the high character de
signed to be given to them and in the following
| l. Works upon Government.
2. Political papers, including Controversial Pub
locations Of the Revolution.
3. Messages and Public Papers
4. Diary.
s. Private Letters on Public Subjects l774 to 1901
6. Private Letters from l756 to 1926.
| Z. Life, by John Quincy Adams, continued by
the editor
| s. Original unpublished Letters of Franklin,
Jay, jefferson, the Lees, Laurens, Gerry,
Dana, lizard, and other eminent patriots OF
the Revolution.
The work will be beautifully printed, in ten vol
umes, in the octave form, each volume containing
from 500 to 600 pages, and put up in cloth, at the
price of So % a volume.
limited number of copies will be struck off on
large paper, and put up in the same style of bind
ing, price SO volume
Subscriptions and orders are respectfully solicit
| ed by the proprietors LITTLE & BROWN,
| Aug. 29-3tawtf ll2 Washington ST., Boston