New-York tribune., 1874-05-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
,,o,,s op 1ouN QUINCY ADAMS.

- Iis oorliest youth Mr.. John Quincy Adams
.ho habit of keeping copious and accurate
a;a,v recording the current events of the day. the
tmportant conversations in which he took part and
,be course Of cotemporaneOus political history.
Few men had more ample opportunities or greater
personal qualifications for presenting faithful
transcript Of passing scenes. He was Keen ana
sagaeious observer critic of no ordinary acuteness
and PROMPT and effective writer His fertility OF
thought was fully matched by his uency of express
sion. His rare talents were combined with al
most incredible industry. Every day was crowded
with significant pursuits and he lost no time IN the
nsual friyoties of youth, or the entlcing dstrac-
lions of manhood. His public career extended over
nperod of more than half century and was ldenucd
with the political history of the country Inc papers
ON which the present work is founded CONSIST NANNY
of the diary already referred to- which has been
carefully abridged by the editor selecting the most
pregnant topics of discussion and description. and
emitting onlysthose points which possess but little
interest for the curious reader large portion Of the
work, accordingly is made up Of extracts from Mr..
Adamss diary the biographical notices by the editor
being limited to brief recital of such facts were
necessary to an unbroken and comprehensive mar
Iative.
Mr. Adams was born on the 18th of July, 17G7 in
The little village of BTaintree on Massachusetts Bay
The disputes which came 10 crisis In the ReV0iu-
tion, were Just beginning to agitate the colonies
They were nowhere more deeply felt than in the
household of the growing boy. His father was
diverted from the pursuits OF strictly professional
3fe plunge into the vortex Of political controversy
His mothers temperament caught the spirit of popu
lar enthusiasm and communicated II to her chlld'
The sounds of the first conflict in spread to her
own dwelling. She took the boy not yet eight years
old by the hand, mounting hight close by to catch
what might be seen or heard of the fight raging
npOn the hill few miles away. The impression this
made on his mind was never etfaced to his latest
hour. OF course, the few facilities for education
then within reach were greatly obstructeG. The
boy attended no regular school. What he
learned was caught chiefly from the elder per-
sons around him. Iu his eleventh wear, he accom-
panied his father on his diplomatic mission to
France where he was sent TO school at Passy. Here
he laid the foundation of his knowledge of French,
which proved of such essential service TO him in his
subsequent career. In about six months, however,
the French commission was abolished and John
Adams decided to return home. But he had scarcely
resumed his usual duties when another call came
from Congress to cross the sea. Only three months
intervened before be and his son were once more on
the way TO France in the vessel that had
brought them out. Such interruptions We're hardly
favorable to the boys progress in learning Yet the
situation, perhaps, afforded him greater advantages
than could have been found in more regular course
of instruction. He was brought at once into COM
ranOuship with of culture and refinement, much
older than himself whose everyday conversation
was college. After his return to Paris, he went to
school less than six months in that city. He was
then transferred to the public Latin school at Am
pterdam. the discipline of which little to his
taste that in four months he was removed to the
university of LeydCn, where lie remained less than
FIVE months This was all the systematic iDstruc-
tion he received prior TO his admission to Harvard
College in the third year of the customary course.
The whole period of his education at school and coll
lege, before commencing lis professional studies,
thus scarcely exceeded three years. Yet the extent
of his acquisitions shows how little he confined him
self 10 school routine, and how much he worked by
himself
In 7Sl just before the close of his fourteenth year.
he accompanied Mr.. Francis Dana on his mission to
Russia in the capacity of secretary and interpreter
He remained in ST. Petersburg fourteen months. Mr..
. Danas mission was barren of fruit, but the time
d was not lost upon the young man. lie pursued his
studies with diligence, making good progress in the
classics, and in English history and poetry. In Oc-
tober, l1S2 he left St. Petersburg for Stockholm
where he had an agreeable sojoun of five weeks,
and after a journey of more than three months in
midwiIter he arrived at his fathers house at the
Hague Whine the final treaty of peace between
the United States and Great Britain was pending in
Paris be accompanied his father TO that capital per-
forming the duties of an assistant secretary and
helping 30 prepare the papers for the completion Of
that instrument. His journal at that time contains
some passages Of curious interest. Here is an ac-
count Of
MESNrRIsM IN ITS EARLY DAYS.
Spent part Of the evening with the AbDes While
wac there gentleman IN, who great partisan
for animal magnetism, that he very strenuously de-
tended Speaking Of Dr.. Franklin hc sad Jaime
beaucOup NJ Franklin cest un homme de beaucOup
d'esprt ct de genie; e settlement fache ui
ouii ait sIguG &C rapport Commissairos." [" am
very fond OF Franklin; he Is man OF great ability and
report Of the Commissioners" lie spoke this with so
much "nafvete" that could not help smiling. When he
went away the AbDes told me he was man with 5000
year Of exceedingly benevolent disposition,
and that he does great deal OF good sensible man.
netism Mesmer, the pretended discoverer, has GER
ainy as yet behaved IKE ana yet nc mas
Uf great and learning that ne mas made an lu
portant discovery. an tNtisor9siy sySIen, a givae
haif rernaded almost haf This kingdom that Mesmcr
really has the secret that he pretcnds 10 have.
Upon the appointment of his father minister to
the English court, john Quincy decided TO return
home aud enter college. After residing in Cambridge
little less than two years. nc graduated with honor
in 1881 He then studied law with TheOphilus Par
cons who al that time lived III NewburypOrt, and in
three years admitted to the Essex bar Soon
nftcr be removed to Boston, and commenced the
practice Of law in that city,
In 1904 he was appointed minster-resldent to Hol-
land and arrived at the Hague in October of that
year Mr.. Adamss diary at this period consists
principally OF record of diplomatic intercourse,
and conversations at dinner parties which present
many political "reminiscences of an interesting char
acter. The talk fell one day the transactions of
the American revolutionary commissioners Sllas
Doane aud Arthur Lee, IN the course of which an
r1ial MV Detr rlrod tbo.