Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-01-11
II taxes good many sftings to get The chat

II takes good many Sftings TO get the char
from the wheat; to get the powder of sand from
tbegranules- Buts agitation DOES ali these things
Al last It HkeEise taxes an immense saount
Of biographical writing 10 get out : d.guerreo-
type Of the subject Its lanentable fact re;
Ia true, that one Is compelled 10 waste 50 many
precious hours before beng let into the secret
Of the real characters Of notable men The
school boy reads olny's and Frost's Z. 5. history
sad be sEe.rs BIZ the men OF the reyolu;ion.
They were pure, noble, phiian,hropic, suasrhu-'
manly disinterested So the boy thiaks, for
while-A long while, PeEhsps-but II ne be-
comes reading man he isn't apt to .lEays be
ignorant Of the fact that Thomas Jefferson was
= mzn Of very selfish instDcts-Ezs very an
bilious and interruptions, AID eHse-t2ined very
many radical and narrow prejudieeS, and would
have been glad enough TO have filed al the
Offices Of the country with Yoliaires and Tom.
Psiaes- Nor Is he likely TO pass by the truth
of history" which lets Us know that Alexander
Hamilton was q sensualist-E.s schculing,
restless and double il his nature. Al these
things leak ont in the course Of half dozen
biogrsphies-or biographical memoirs Ittakes
about that mAnY-more, If anything. TO get
lair estimate of notable msn's character. Bot
the real does come out at last As personal
recollection -parti.Ity or pTejudice-fzdes
away after the death Of distinguished man,
the impartial record commences, and gets probed
and amended by each succeeding writer
These thoughts are callei up in reading lee
ture upon John Adams, the Federalist, delivered
by Theodore Parker, and re-published in the
Boston Bee. It is very able review. We ex-
tract few specimens:
Mr.. Adams had strong temptations to excess
i've indulgence in animal passions; but he never
yielded to the temptation, and in his old age, ne
proudly writes, mo virgin or matron ever bad
cause to blush at sight Of me, or TO regret orr
acquaintance" Here he was greatly the supe-
Tior of Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, nay, Of
Washington himself These are great virtues
Few politicians, or other men, can count so
much.
He was not good Judge of character; he Of
ten suspected the modest men, and put credu
tous faith in the mean and deceitful- Intensely
ambitious Of place and power as ne was, he yet
always sought TO rule his desire by his duty
But IL he sought only excellent things, the spir-
II Of search was not always coInmendable; his
motives selfish, his manner harsh. He was not
= magnanimous or noble man. He Was suSpi-
cious and jealous of the noblest men before him
in social rank and above him in power. He at
tributes mean motives to all men-Often TO the
uVOiGSN Ia luE A4uu ne cues NulS IN MS e1Il-
est letters and in his latest. A round headed
man, he vas constantly fighter. This appears
In his diary, and in his newspaper articles, BE-
fore the resolution and after it; even in his osn
autobiography, writ in his extreme old age. He
was violent in wrath, which, when roused moth
ing, for the moment. stayed He was indis-
criminate TO the cause oft 1t might be the
members Of his Cabinet at the seat OF Govern
in his bill
he was conscientious man. and sought the
counsel of that "still, small voice" which de-
clares the Law Of the universe, the eternal law,
to whoever listens He could not understand
that q kings command should rule the con-
science Of the subject He had clear cOncep-
ton Of justice. FiTacious, outspol;en, he had
an utter hatred Of lies, assembling and hypoc-
Tisy IN every form; and not only IN the abstract
bat ne hated liars, hyDOcIites and dis<embleTs
in the concrete, As re needs must; q lie in the
abstract does not exist He was terribly open,
earnest and direct, and could not keep his mouth
shut He knew this Once he went with some
friends TO see the great picture Of Washington
At Raneuil Hall Some one remarked upon the
"a III WeIl-seL mnuLn- 1T looks as If il could
keep 4 secret" so he could, - said Mr.. Adams;
''bnL" with his cane tapping his own bust)
that d-n fool never could" Loud laughter
and applause.l
He hated all stratagem and trick, and grum-
bled at the slow and stealthy way in which
Franklin threw in his line, and drew out the
giitteTlng spoil. diplomacy Is silent arr;
and John Adams was talker. He ''wore his
heart upon his sleeve" He had not much de-
eorum, no reserve. His early rule was never to
deceive the people, nor conceal from them any
truth essential to their welfare. He had great
moral delicacy, and, becoming President, doubt
ed, if he might retain his son, John Quincy
Adams in the foreign post to which Washing
ton had appointed him He consulted Wash
ington on the subject, who told him, "Itis right
for you 10 keep him there; 1t would be wrong
for you to put him there"
Loving the praise Of men, he never once
stopped for it; never once hesitated to do even
the most unpopular act, if he was sure he was
right; and he never bowed that head to escape
the abuse that came from doing the right thing
Yet he was intensely arrogant Claiming SO
much for himself he abused his rivals. OfSam-
usI Adams and John Hancock, he writes, on one
occasion They will be sure OF all heloaveS
and fishes of the National and State Govern.
ments. as they hope" \ most atrocieus calum-
ny. lie speaks sneeringly Of John Hancock, as
"a man without head or heart-a mere shadow
Of = man; and yet, Governor of old Massachu.
setIsl" One day, he dined with \ company Of
gentlemen in town adjoining this. After the
dinner, clergyman wished TO help him on with
his CLOAK. He objected but the clergyman said,
al cannot do too much for you, when I think
what you and Washington done for the coun-
Try" Washington and me-" growled out the