New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-01-07

Of thst " stl, small voice which declayes the law
o. the universe, the eternal law, 10 whoever listens
He could not urdertand that kings command
should rule the conscience of the subject. He hsd
clear conception of justice. Veracous outspoken, he
bad utter hatred Of lies, assembling and hypocrisy
in every form; and only in the abstract bat he
hated liars hypccrites and disserbers in the
crete lie Ieeds must lie in toe abstract does not
exist. lie tsrrioly open earnest and direct, and
could rot keep bis mouth shut lie knew this Oace
he went with some friends to see the great picture OF
Washington at Faneun Hail. Some ons remarked
upon the firm, wel-set mouth. " IL looks as Il il
could keep q secret" $50 he could, said Mr. Adams;
but with his cane tapping his ewn oust, that
d-n fool rover could. Loud laughter ami sPpianse
He hatec all str .tagem and trick, and grumbled AZ
the sox exc stea,hy way 10 which Franklin threw IN
his line, and drew out the ghtterlDg spoil. Dplo-
macy is silent srt;" ar John Adams was tslker.
He % wore his heart upon his sleeve" He had nos
much decoram, 10 reserve. his early rue was never
TO deceive the people corceal from them any truth
essential 10 heir weere- He had great moral deli
cacy ard, becoming President, doubted, If he mig
reta bis John Qoincy Adams, IN the foreign post
to which Washington bad sPPclntea MN lie con ION,
h. right for yos 20 keep hi there il woald be wrong
for you 10 put him there
Mr.. Adams had strong temptations 10 excessive in
diligence in animal passions but he never yielded 10
the temptation and in his old age, he proudly writes
No virgin or atron ever had cause to blush at sight
of ne or 10 regret our acquaintance Here he was
greatly The superior of Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton
nay OF Washington himself. These are great virtues.
Few politicians or other men, can count 50 much
Bat he was i-tempered, "s sudden and quick IN
quarrel" He was not good Judge of characters he
often suspected the nebest men, and pat ere iuous
faith in the mean and decetfu. Intensely ambitious
of psce ard power he was he yet always sought TO
rule bis desire by his duty. But il he sought only
cel.ut things the spirit OF search not always com
uerdsble; lie motives selfish, his manner hsrsh. He
was not q uagnanimous or noble man. lie was gus
picious and Jealous Of the nobest of before him
y .,al l. md in N attrlhutaa
mean motives TO all men-often to the noblest 10 the
land He does this in his earestetters and his latest
A round. he AIDED man, he WAS constantly lighter
This appears in his oiaIy, and in his newspaper ari
cles before the revolution and after It; even IN has
own autobiography writ in his extreme old age. lie
was violent il wrath, which, when reused, nothing,
for the moment stayed. He was ndiscriminate as TO
the cause of it.. Ii might be the members OF his Csb
net at the seat OF Government, or bis butcher al
Quincy who brought in bis bill.
Impatient Of opposition, AID greedy OF results, he
was most intensely desirous OF honor AMI applause AT
Paris, in 1882, he was handsomely comphmented Tor
his success in Holland and he writes in his Journal
" few of these compliments would kill Franklin, II
they cane TO his ears" Laughter. Franklin
would lave thought of them as scdoolmaster thinks
Of compliment paid TO one of his pupils. Yet, great
a. his vanity was think il bent him aside from
LIS duty. Loving the praise Of men, he never ONCE
stopped for it, never hesitated to do even the
nc st unpopular act if he was sure he was right and
he never bowed that head to escape the abase tnst
from dong the TlSnt thlDS
Yet he was icter sely arrogant. Claiming 80 mucn
for himself, he abused his rivals. OF Samuel Adams
and John Hancock, be writes, on one occasions
They will be Of all the losves and fishes OF the
" National and State Governments, as they hope
most atrOeiOus calumny. lie speaks sneerogly OF
John Hancock as a" a man without head or heart
" mere shadow of n msn; and vet, Governor OF Old
Massachusetts He did not ike to hear the praises
Of Washington. One day, he dined with g; mpany
Of gentlemen in atoSn adjoining this Alter the dim
per, a clergyman wished to help him on with his
cloak. He objected, but the clergyman said, can.
" 10; DO too much for you when think what you and
" Washington have done for the country. Wash.
ipe ton and ne srosled out the Old man, dout let
/" ice hea. you cay that again. Washington was a
" dolt % II was momentary spasm Of wrath, co n
ing fIom " that rash hamor which his mother gave
him" or thst came from somewhere else. At other
times he did Justice TO Washington but always little
coldly for neither liked much the other.
Certainly, thess great vices; bat he had such
virtues that be afford TO have them told and sub
stracted from his merits. He was 80 feartdly open
that il is himself who furnishes all the evidence
aganst himself. He defends Hancock, and says, Ii
"be had vanity and caprice so had i. Bat these
d." little chickering's o. passion determine nothing con-
cerpng essential characters" and be said it right
They were vices OF the surface tbs deep eats of tho
m. n, they were pure and clean, clean down TO the
bottom.
Mr.. Adams lad strong religious emotions; but
mast pare over what mad written on this theme. lie
was not what is called an eloquent msp. lie had no
imsees; pothing of what halfedgcated ministers
fophomores and editors call "fce writing" Whist
schoolgirls name "rertect(y sPLEsDIDF Laughter
t he had strong sense, philosophical Opinions CON
defective misshapen the substance is always strong
and good. Demosthenes said "the first thing, the
next thing and the third thing 10 eloquence is e1er-
Py" and John Adams had II 10 the foil extent thst
wanted Yet scarcely any of his speeches
are lett. Their fame survives only in tradition.
He had not much confidence in the peoplo-no In
stirct of Democracy He leaned to srisocratic forms
OF government. 50, i'll the Constitution OF MassachI
sets in l379 he would give the Governor On absolute
nc ga,ive in ell acts Of the Lesiss,ure and leave him
TO appoint all tne officers Of the militia the Generals
Colonies, Majors, Captains, clear down u the 4!h
Corporate. He insistst however, On four things IN
his Dian Of neutrality-suspicious. OF the Leg1sla-
tive, Judicial and Executive powers of the Govern
ment; the legislature must have two branchee,
House and Senate, the Judiciary must be appointed
duriI good behavior, removable by impeachment or
address, and the Executive must be enc man, not g
Council Of mep. Depsnc upon il, II wss great man
who made tina, gener alization in H76.
He Wac often accused Of fayoring q monarchy, snd
II was said be Wished TO establish King and Honse
When nobody else beheld it, he foressw the future
greatness OF America. in l776 he said, We are leg
" islating for population OF hundred millions, whlch
" will be here IN no great tme.
In 1880, DR.. Franklin wrote hone 70 his govern
nent: "Mr Adams means well for his country; is
4" alwt~- an honest man; often wise man and some
" tim, ID. in some things, is absolutely out OF his
" sense lie adds, know that by asserting this,
" hazard mortal enemy" The criticism WAS just,
a. the of the consequences was true Bu., weigh
the man in AL bslance his aul chiefly those
of will and temper ard lack Of decoruIn, his virtues
are patriotism rathfulness moral courage, integrity.
These, think, have seldom been surpassed, rarely
equaled in any public man. He had prejudice
against aIy section Of the country Here he was su-
pericr to Jefferson and Washington, wh) lever did
iustioe TO New England.
He wss an in1ense patriot, and never hesitatei 70
sacrfce bic own dearest wishes and foniest hopes for
hs counirys good In his later days, some disun-
guisIed foreigners came 10 visit him at Quincy. lie