East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1859-10-27
THE YOUTH OF THE REVOLUTION.

THE YOUTH OF TIE REVOLUTION.
In his speech delivered at the Acton
celebration in Massachusetts, October
29th, Mr.. Winthrop gave the following
interesting account of an interview which
he had with the late venerable John
Quincy Adams, about five or six years
ago:
at was on the floor Of the Capitol, not
far from the spot where he soon after
wards fell. The House had adjourned
one day somewhat suddenly, and at an
early hour, and it happened that, after all
the other members had left the hall, Mr..
Adams and myself were left alone in our
seats, engaged in our private correspond
ence. Presently the messengers came in
rather unceremoniously TO clean up the
hail, and began to WELD that inexorable
implement, which is so often the plague
Toois i0n GSaghfer1 GDSaa 9Ds 9Dsstarbed by the
noise aud dust, l observed Mr.. Adams
approaching me, with an unfolded letter
in his hand DO you know John j..
Gurney? said he. Il know him well, sir,
by reputation but / did not have the
pleasure of meeting him personally when
he was in America well, he has been
writing me letter, and | have been
writing him an answer. lie has been
calling me to account for my course on
the Oregon bill; and taken me to task for
what he calls my belligerent spirit and
warlike tone towards England. And
should like to read you what have writ
ten in reply
"And then the Old Man Eloquent
proceeded to read to me, so far as it was
finished, one of the most interesting let
ters l ever read or heard in my life. 1t
was letter of autobiography, in which
he described his parentage and early life,
and in which he particularly alluded to
the sources from which he derived his
jealousy Of Great Britain, and his rcadi-
ness to resist her, even unto blood, when
ever he thought she was encroaching on
American rights. He said that he was
old enough in l775 to understand 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 Independence
Every day, he said, after saying his pray
ers to God, he was required to repeat
those stanzas of Collins, which he had
carefully transcribed in his letter, and
which he rccited to me with an expires.
sion and energy which / shall never for.
get-the tears coursing down his checks
and his voice, every now and then choked
with emotion:
GLOW sleep the brave who sink to rest
By all their country's wishes blesti
When Spring with dewy fingers cold
Returns TO deck their hallowcd mould,
She there shall dress n sweeter sod
Than Fancy's feet have ever trod.
BY fairy hands their kne Is wrung,
| BY forms unseen their dirge IL sung,
There Honor comes, pilgrim gray,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay
ii And Freedom shall awhile repair
To dwell, weeping hermit there"
: "And there was another ode by the
! same author, which he said he was alsc
) obliged to repeat as part of this same
morning exercise--the ode, l believe, on
the death of Col Charles Ross, in the ac
tion at Fontenoy, one verse of which, with
} a slight variation, would not be inapplica
bic to your own Davis:
! "By rapid scheld's descending wave
His country's VOWS shall bless the grave,
wherc'er the youth IL laid;
That sacred spot, the village hind,
With every sweetest turf shall bind,
And peace protect the shade"
"Such, sir, was the education Of a
least one of our Massachusetts, children
at that day and though do not suppos,
that all the mothers of 1775 were lik'
5 Mrs. Adams, yet the great majority o
them, we all know, had as much pict,
7 and patriotism, il not as much poetry
, and their children were brought up a
2 once in the nurture and admonition o
Q the Lord and of Liberty.
: "Indced, sir, have at my side, at thi
2 instant, living illustration Of the fact
Q Here is my venerable friend, DIR. Walton
; of Pepperell, who has come over here =
4 celebrate his eighty-6rst birthday, an
$ who has Just told me that on the mornin,
Y of the 10Th of April, 1775, he was employ
|, cd at bis fathers house in Cambridge
J. being then about five years old-in pou
# ing powder into cartridges for the Amer
can soldiers" @ st ts''..
~"