Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-11-19
THE YOUTH OF THE REVOLUTION.
In his speech delivered at the Acton &C

! In his speech delivered at the Acton cel-
ebration in Massachusetts,, october %Slni
Mr.. Winthrop gave the following interest, !;
iho account of an interview which ne had
with our late venerated citizen, John Quin-
CIV Adams, about FIVE or six years ago.
at was on the floor of the Capitol, not
far from the spot where he soon afterwards
fell The House had adjourned one day
somewhat suddenly and at an early hour
and il happened that after all the other
members had left the Hall, MIR. Adams and
myself were left alone IN our seats, engaged
in our private correspondence. fresenty
the messenger came in rather unceremonl-
ously to clean up the Hail. and began 10
WELD that inexorable implement, which Is
so often the plague of men, both under pup
lie and private roofs. Laughter. DIS.
turbed bv the noise and dust, observed
Mr.. Adams approaching me with an unfold
ed letter in his hands. "Do you know
John J. Gurney ?" said he. 81 know him
well, sir, by reputation; but l did not nave
the pleasure of meeting him personally
when in America "Well he has been
writing me letter, and l have been writing
him an answer. He has been calling me
to an account for my course on the oregon
question and taking me to task for what ne
calls my belligerent spirit and warlke tone
towards England. And | should Ike TO
read you what have written in reply" -.
And then the old man eloquent pro-
ceeded to read to me, so far as it was nm
ished, one of the most interesting letters
have read or heard in my life. 1t was
letter of autobiography, in which he de-
scribed his parentage and early life, and IN
which he particularly alluded to the sources
from which he derived his jealousy efGreat
Britain, and his readiness to resist her even
unto blood, whenever he thought that she
was encroaching on American rights. He
said that he was old enough in l775 to un-
derstand what his father was about in those
DAYS, and he described the lessons which
his mother taught him during his fathers
absence in attending the Congress Of inde-
pendence. Every day he said, after saying
his prayers to God, he was required to re-
peat those exquisite stanzas of Collins,
which he had carefully transcribed in his
expression and energy which shall never
forget-the tears coursing down his cheeks,
and his voice every now and then, choked
with emotion
"Hosv sleep the brave who sink to rest. f
By all their country's wishes best!
When Spring. with dewy fingers cold,
Returns TO deck their hallowcd mould,
She then shall dress sweeter sod
Than Fancys feet have ever trod
By fairy hands their knell is rung,
! BY forms unseen their dirgo is sung;
There Honor comes, pilgrim gray,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay.
| And Freedom shall awhile repair
To dwell weeping hermit, there"
And there was another ode by the same
author, which he said, he was obliged to
repeat, as a part of this same morning ex-
ercise-the ode, believe, was on the death
of Col Charles Ross, in the action at f'on-
tenoy, one verse of which, with slight va
ration, would not be inapplicable to our
own Davis
''8y rapid schelds descending wave,
| His country's vows shall bless the gravsi
| .'A ' Where'er the youth is land
| That sacred spot, the village hind
| With every sweetest turf shall bind,
And Peace protect the shade.'
| OUCH, SIT, w WdS tue euuCdtIOL vi dt least
one of our Massachusetts children at that
day. And though | do not suppose that all
the mothers of ITS were like Mrs. Adams,
yet the great majority ofthem, we all know,
had as much plety and patriotism, if not as
much poetry, and their children were bro't
up at once in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord and of Liberty.
| Indeed, sir, | have at my side, at this in
slant living illustration Of the fact Here
is my venerable friend, DR.. Walton, of Pep
perell who has come here to celebrate his
eigh'y:frst birthday, and who has just told
me, that on the morning of the 18th of A
pril ITS, he was employed at his fathers
house in Cambridge-being then about five
years old-in pouring powder into cartridges
for the American solders."
QUEER CRITTER.-Extraordinary stories
sometimes get into the papers, and here Is
one of them, II is said TO have heen cnf