The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-16

Companled Ms I0tner 10 Pafl1. Inc Oiu man mAoo
touching alusion to the great fancy which JET
ferson took to the boy IN letter to Jefferson,
written just after John Quincy's election to the
presidency. In which he apologized forspeaking OF
him az "0ur John" the proud and gratihed
father then close upon his ninetieth year, said:-
II call MIN our John, because whom you were at
Paris he appeared to me to be almost az much
your boy az mine. I have often speculated upon
the consequences that would have ensued from
my taking your advice to send him TO William and
Mary College, In Virginia, for an education" 1t was
NO new thing for John Quincy Adams to dine RE-
quently at Mr.. Jenerson's when he went to WASH
ington as q Senator from Massachusetts. His
opinion OF that ststesman's conversation can
not be considered as that OF novice.
30 much has been written, nrst and last, OF
Jeerson's entertaining gifts aconversationalist,
without any specimens OF his topics and manner
IN MS lighter hours, that We are glad 10 see the
curtain lifted half century after his death, Ewing
Us an authentic view OF some OF his peculiarties.
what seems TO have struck Mr.. Adams most was
habit Of strange exaggerstfon. In one place he
says:-"You can never be an hour In this mans
company without hearing something OF the marvel
ous like these stores." One OF the stories alluded
to was Jeners0n's statement tnat he had learned
the Spanish language "with the help Of q Don
Quixote lent him BY Mr.. Cabot and grammar, In
was not nineteen days at sea-" The real
marvel Is that o man 80 intelligent as
John Quincy Adams should have thought this
marvellous We have seen 1t stated somewhere
that Edward Everett learnt Spanish in an equally
short space OF time or course neither he nor
Jefferson meant to say that he had learnt to speak
it or to write IL in SO brief space but only that
he had acquired the ability to read 1t. which 10 q
much easier attainment. The language Of Spain
Is q gothictzed Latin, with small infusion OF
Arabic words derived from the Moorish occupa-
ton. A person who. like JEFFERSON, had long IN
derstood Latin, and two languages SO kindred to
Spanish as the French and Italian had merely to
learn the grammatical changes which had been
superinduced upon Latin In its conversion into
Spanish to understand nine words In every
ten without any other help The knovi-
edge In JefYersons case was facilitated BY
beginning with 50 familiar o book as ''Don
Quixote," which he had doubtless read repeatedly
In English or French TRANSACTIONS, the well known
story rendering doubtful work Ineligible some
OF Mr.. Adams' other examples were more to the
point. "At table he told us OF Mr.. Bergasse
whom he saw at Marseies o famous manufac-
turer OF wines, who told him that he would make
any sort OF wine he would name. and In any guam
titles, at six eight soils the bottle, and. though
there should not be drop OF genuine wine in the
COWpObltI ytt IL 6uOulu bO pcItcCttJ Tue
taste that the most refined conn oisseur should
net be able to tell which was which," On another
occasion, alter dining at Jenerson's, Mr.. Adams
said, In the diary "his Itch tor telling pr0dig-
ious stories il unabated." Speaking OF cold,
jefferson said that he had seen Fahrenheit's Their
mometer SIN Paris" at twenty degrees below Zero
and that not for single day, but for six weeks
together 1t had stood whereabouts, saying, that
never ana In the whole time was 1t so high as
zero. which Is 'dty" degrees below the freezing
point This was, indeed, shooting with a pretty
long bow, but the FIFTY" must have been slip OF
the tongue. On another like occasion. Mr.. Adams
wrote In the diary, "The President was less cheer
fu in his memories than usual, but told some OF
his customary startling st0rles:" An instance
given 10. that Jefferson SAID that before he went
from Virginia to France he had some ripe pears
sewed up IN too bags. and that when he re-
turned, six years afterwards, he found them in
perfect state Of preservation. An observation
so often repeated by person who knew Jefferson
so WELL and who always confirmed 1t by giving
instances, must be accepted as proof that JET
fersOn's conversation al his own table was as lar
as possible from the exactness OF witness giving
sworn testimony In o court OF justice. We insert
the following passage from the diary, after another
dinner at the Presidents, because 1t doubtless
gives fairer idea OF the usual topics at Mr. JEFF
tdU4cs huu DcCduSe DTIuRS luLO vie W one
Of the most accomplished men who made figure
in New York society In the early part OF this
century,
At dinner there was much amusing conversation
between him and DR.. Mitchell though alt getner
desultory. There was. as usual, dissertation
upon wines, not very edi!ying. Mr.. Jefferson SAID
that the epicurean philosophy came nearest the
truth, In his OPINION OF ancient system Of PHI
misrepreseRted He wished the work OF Gassendi
concerning 1t had been translated. twas the only
accurate account Of II extant: mentioned Lucre-
raj philosophy. But the moral philosophy was only
70 be found in Gassendi. Or. mitchell men
portance. To which Mr.. Jefferson, asserting
added, sand think his torpedoes valuable in
vention, too. He then euioeised on the Ger.
tainty Of their effect, and adverted to some OF the
obvious objections against them which he said
were not conclusive. Dr.. Miicheii's conversation
or natural philosophy; OF arts, grasses beasts,
BIRDS petrifactons and incrustatIons: Pike ana
ct ceteras-for the doctor knows little OF every
thing and is communicative nj what he knows,
Jetferson said tnat ne had always been extremely
fond OF agriculture and knew nothing about it,
put the person who united with other science the
greatest agricultural knowledge of any man he
knew was Mr.. Madison. He was the best farmer
In the world. On the whole, this was one OF the
most agreeable dinners / have had at MIR. Jefer-
sons
We have preferred to give q specimen relating
to social manners rather than one bearing on
political history, in order that the reader may
perceive that the work is not entirely devoted to
politics. SO lar as 1t has yet gone It abounds in
criticism, In personal anecdotes, in Judgments of
books and theatrical performances and most OF
the topics that interest cultivated people. Mr..
Adams was all his life much gwen to verse writ
ing This was foible, for he had not the slight
est glimmer Of poetic genius. But Us 1t is the
purpose Of his editor to exhibit him precisely as
he was. like the artist who painted Cromwers
face with its warts, he gives copy
Of verses consisting OF fourteen eight
line stanzas addressed by Mr.. Adams
to his wife on her birthday. He was then board.
ing with her sister in Washington, and the verses
consist chiefly OF o description Of his manner OF
passing winter day, intermlngled with remem.
brances Of the absent wife. Every stanza is
equally bad, and In selecting specimen we have
takap zri,ieh ~ n Lou