Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-02-12

aEn8 ,auo Io .j2E.y~7GE 5I9a-.iii.ETf- ~
DAY. FEBRUARY IL, Is
John Adans, the Federalist, rs sketched
i'1'D - by Theodore Parker.
.cz4sd-f@. e: @sg s3t.-e4 .s -4 ,l.1
h While American Institutions contin-
ue, Mr.. Parker said, the people will
honor brave, honest old John Adams,
who never rallied his country in the
hour Of need, and who, in his life Of
more than four score and ten wears,
though both passionate and ambitious,
corrupted no woman and no man. He
was brave, deep-thoughted, conscien-
tious, patriotic, and possessed of an in
ltegrity as firm as the granite of the
Quincy hills. In his latter days, some
distinguished foreigners came 10 visit
him at Quincy. lie met them by AZ.
Irangement at special hour, and sat
in a great chair in front Of the house,
under the shade of tree. ssAt the
beginning Of the fight asked one Of
these men, "did you think you should
succeed p "Yes,'' said the old man,
II knew the country would go through,
but I expected nothing but ruin and
death for my family an9 myself" il
was very true, and characteristic OF
the man. He had !. quick, analytic
mind, but was conscieL tiously averse
to regular and long. continued attention.
He had no taste for science, except
when stimulated by the presence OF
Franklin. His first opinion was often
faulty, but his final opinion was com
monty deep, strong, and represented
the true relation Of things. Hence, in
spite of his great defects, he had nata-
rally instructive sagacity, and always
sound Judgment. But he lacked meth
cd, and did things helter-skelter. In
his administration as President there
was no rule for anything. Construct.
ling institutions, he conld not organize
men, nor manage them when organized.
He was not good administrator, ex.
|cept of his own private affairs, where
perhaps, his thrifty wife was the pre-
siding spirit. He had no system, but
was governed by the enthusiasm of
the moment. In the most important
matters, he often went to work fluent
ly, with haste, and without good heed.
AS diplomatlst at Paris, 1850, he ran
violently down steep places, careless
who he ran over or against. In 1898,
he appointed Washington commanders
in-chief, never consulting him before.
hand. An hours explanation, or q
letter Of a few pages, would have saved
all the quarrel which grew out Of that
act. He acted often from personal
wbim and caprice. In time of great
political crisis, in 1899, he left the seat
of government and went off tc Quincy,
where he stayed months long, leaving
affairs to manage themselves, or his
teacherous cabinet to manage them
against him. va
| John Adams had great moral vir-
tues and great vices. Able-bodied,
compact, and vigorous, though not al
ways healthy, he had physical cour.
age-in scholarly men it is a great vir-
tue and rare. He says he meant to
be a soldier, but doubted whether he
should he hero or a coward. There
was no occasion tor doubt: There
was not a drop of cowardly blood in
those manly impetuous veins. He in.
herited what we call'tspuak," and we
all know he transmitted. He had mo.
raj courage in heroic degree. He
could not only face the bullets Of a
British man-of:war, but he could con.
front the wrath Of his own friends for
defending Preston in 1870, and hear
the Indignation and jeers of the feder:
al party in 1879, for his adherence, to
what he believed to be the right. Let
him only be sure he was right, and
John Adams only feared to be false to
his conscience. When the Judges Of
Massachusetts went under the golden
chain of Britain in 1873, and the gov
erncr held it low, in order, to have
them etoop more low before the peo.
pie, Adams said; "Impeach the judg.
les" and the court did no more busi.
ness. Conscious Of integrity, he never
hesitated to take great responsibility
and to take it alone.
He was terribly open, earnest and
Idirect, and could not keep his mouth
shut. He knew this. Once he went
with some friends to see the great pic.
ture Of Washington, at Faneuil Hall:
Some one remarked upon the firm, well
set mouth, cit looks as if it could keep
q secret" $50 he conld," said Mr.
Adams; "buts" with his cane tapping
his own bnst,) "that Dr. fool never
could" He was not good Judge of
character he often suspected the no
blest men, and put credulous faith in
the mean and deceitful. Intensely
ambitious of place and power as he
was, he yet always sought to rule his
desire by his duty. But if he sought
only excellent things, the spirit of the
search was not always commendable.
his motives selfish, his manners harshi
He was not a magna animous or noble
man. He was suspicious and jealous
of the noblest of men before him in So
cial rank and above him in power
He attributed mean motives to all men
often to the noblest in the land. He
\ |1nno %l,:a So h:o n~.1s>.< e.