New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-01-07
JOHN ADAMS. THE FEDERALIST.
A LECTURE BY THEODORE PARKER.
Fvo. The Bossoa Ailas s11 Bee, Jas

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/ yiousy snnouneed-John Adams. The auilence, IN
! con sequence Of the severe storm, Was exceedingly
IN Oh, but made up in enthusiasm what they iacAeo IN
! numbers, frequently isteuuptiIg the lecturer VITA
/ spontaneous ana hearty applause. The address was
! sOnerhat lengthy-occupyiDg over an hour and a
half. /: gave evidence of most thorough research and
/ careful snoysis Of the distinguished man OF whom II
treated AID cespayed all the characteristics OF thought
and sIyls, Which 60 peculiarly marx al NJ. Parker
| public Efforts.
The tcturer commenced "a follows: Il 1901, the
General Court Of this Colony made grant Of Isud q.
| Mount Wolaston 10 enlarge the Town Of Boston,
snd in 66 the inhabitants Of Boston granted some OF
this Lard lots 10 ndi-idual settlers residents,
who presently formed church and settled mltister.
10 loo they were organ zed into oTn called BRAN
tree. | fud forty acres Of land granted 10 henry
Adams. He Gied in l6i6, and lett an estate w1lch
was appraised az f75 BE. L. cor sisted. OF land,
barn al house which contained one kitchen one par
lor and one chamber in the attic wherein dwell the
eleven person that made up the family. The inyen-
tory mentions three beds, which suppose, contained
them all st night. He left likewise, one COW, one
hefer, swine, some old boOks, aud slrgle silver
spoon. He was gIsnofathers grandfather TO the sec
ond Pre- sdent Of the United Staes IL was not very
conspicuous family lher, though Il has since borne
two Presidents, and is stl strong and f0urlsbing,
promising koow not row great future giones. Ap.
plause On the other side Of the ses, aptq1 ind
the family old and barobisl. Indeed, the would
Justify larger genealogical claim, tor certainly the
Adams Is ought 10 be sn old family and great; &C
cordirg TO received accounts they are the first in the
John Adams was born the 18th Of October, lbs.
His father Of the came maze, then forty oar years
O and married but the year bsiore, was farmer OF
small means, living in that part OF BralDtree which s
now Quincy-s farmer in Summer and a shoemaker IN
Winter, 30 says the local traction. When he died IL
l6O, he left etste OF thirteen huLdred and thirty
pounds-iour or FIVE thousand dollars ia our money.
He was an officer IN the Braintr,e militia several
wears one of the Honorable Selectmen Of the town,
and for many years deacon OF the caurch. lie seems
10 have been welo educated msD, thoughtful thrifty,
useful with considerable capacity for bnsness genuine
Righteousness great strength Of character and upright
ness Integrity wac a yirtas which lis night TO-
bert well tr irsDit, if virtue run In families.
John the Oldest child of family which at length
counted twelve--a number cot then thought very
numerous . -. .
Mr.. Parker reviewed the life of Adams dividing il
into epochs as follows: His childhood and youth his
doinss as lawyer in Suffolk County; his work as
politician in Congress his services So dpomstst 10
Europe his conduct Executive of the United States
fs Wee President and then President, and finally hs
demesnor in private life from the tins Ae left tue Pre-
s.dential chair TIL his death
We regret that tie pressure of other important mat
ters obhges to pass al over all this part of the
lecture which sbOuaded ia interesting "reminiscences
of those stirring times and come to the exposition OF
the character of John Adams, as given by Mr. Parker
Mr.. 7. said:
have not much time to speak Of Mr.. Adanss char
acter but will briefly refer 10 it, dividing it, for conve-
nence sake, into bis Intellectual NOR Il and religious
nature.
lie hdd q great ullhui quick, COMPREHENSIVE, Gnu
lytca not easily Satisfied save with ulumate causes
ter acious Of its treasures his memory did not fail blm
until he BEGAN. old. With the ptiOn of Franklin,
think OF American in the eighteenth century VINO
WIGS Intellectually lis superior; for though Hancock
and jefferson nay jay Madison AID Marshall, really
surpassed BIN in some high qualities yet more seems
quite so great Oh the whole His understanding was
ample. Though oonsttutOnay ayerse to reg MAR Sc
rious and pgcontinued attention, he yet easily gam
cred what lay before him, and it.Dgly reproduced 1t
when occasion required. He gathered great amount
Of various knowledge, FOX he was sharp observer oi
human affairs. Yet he attended but niue 10 inc "or!i
OF matter; and save for the economical purposes Of
agriculture, or for the immediate enjoyment Of its
beauty he attended to the world Of matter about
him. He had no eys for science, no taste for It, ex-
cept when stimulated BY the presence OF Franklin.
At the age Of 40 he the ablest lawyer in America
tho most armed in historic lore, The most profound
in the study f first principles. He always went 10
the fountains Of English law, and did not scrupe TO
follow the stream through all its many tributary chan
nls. His first opinion wss often faulty, but bis hnai
thought was commonly deep, strong AID represented
the true relations VI things. Hen.e, in spite OF his
great defects, he had naturally distinctive sagaclty
and always sound judgment. In respect TO this, l
think be has not hac justice done him. either by friend
foe. But in s the great acts Of bis he-ln bis de-
febse Of Capt. PresIOn-his controversy VITA Gov.
Hutchirsor-his impeachment OF the Judges-bis APP
pou,meut Of Ministers France, when the nation sad
"No," and the lke-sl these things indicate sound
practical judgment
Blu, he lacked method in bis Intellectual processes.
lie htl LOt lLhL genus WHICH - lle nctuVi, hoi
yet the sober, systematic habit of work, which,
though seemingly slow is found at last swift eLd
sure. He did things heter-sketer.' In bis admin
istrscn President, there rule for anything
h. had far imagination; above the ayerege o. the
educated Of taat time, bat not equ5 to las under
standing. Besides be bed ANAL opportunity for Gull
tivating it in early life, or developing it in later Yet
be wac rather fond OF poetry Lad an ear Tor music
and charmed with the partiog and sculpture and
grand architecture which astoDisn the American IN
Europe. lie La; great reason, though its culture
was defective, and bis method ceYr-ious and ua-
certain. lie had no. the calmness for a philosopher
yet he always locked for the Of tbngs studied
carefully AID demanded proof
HIS philosophical and metaphysical turn appears 10
al his writings. He bold in abstract speculatloni
always bottoued his work ultimate principles Oi
nature. lie is often profound in his renarksi and
think no American politician has ever uttered more
profound truths t.sl fell from the mighty mind vi
John Adams IL certainly bad not mind OF the
higheet cass. II he was the frat American Of that
day after Flarklin, lie second 10 him by long
interval snd lie had several competitors, not very far
behind. He not quite well bslancedi he tipped
this way now then that.
Thus constituted. lie wac an originator, but not
great Ole. lie was often in advance OF his time,
especially in planning his scheme for universal reh-
gious liberation and his scheme for the government
q his time in seerg tie necessity for Navy and FOR
6 Military Academy. lie sought the Military Acade-
Ey II i1eS, and founded II IN l1S.
As Ell organizer, he had 10 deal with political ideas,
cbu CvAtbEuCl ineiH d toHrIlulAob' DNt ~"
ony the smallest talent for organizing men. lie could
plan government with great ski. but be never
practical politician, who ulcersscds the art Ut or
gaining about bis dee, TO defend bis measures
and make bis thought their thing Here there were
many before him, ard hence the great failure OF bis
life. Cortuuctlng Institutions he could not organize
zen, nor manage them when organized de was lot
good administrator, except Of his own private aars
where, perhaps, bis thrifty wife was the presiding
spiIit He had 70 system, bet was governed BY the
enthusiasm Ct tee MoInent. IL tue meet Important
ruhtlers. N, lpn YuIk lleLtIY. Elfa l1ste.