Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-05-12
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS


Tho memoirs oftIlis ,smarkabls u,a,,,
edited by his distinguished son, Charles
Francis Adams, furnish passages Of
great interest and Instruction. Under
the date Of CHRISTMAS, in his diary, be
comments with remarkable candor on
the traits Of his children, as well ns bis
own ~ s.
"No attendance at the Office. ! gave
the day to RELAXATION, and, with u view
to make nn experiment upon the taste
of the younger part Of our present
family, after breakfast read aloud
Popes Messiah, u poem suited to tho
day, and of which my own admiration
was great at au earlier age than that
OF my son Charles, the youngest per.
sou now in my fhmily Not one of
them, excepting Gcorgc, appeared TO
take the slightest interest IN IT. nor ~
there ono OF them who has any relish
for literature, Charles has great
fbnduess for books and o meditative
mind, but neither disposition nor apt.
itude for public speaking or correct
reading. Charles must teach himself
all that he learns. He will learn moth
ing from others Literature has been
the charm Of my life, and, could ! have
carved out my own fortunes. to litera-
ture would my whole life been devoted.
have been lawyer for bread, and a
statesman at the call Of my country,
In the practice Of the law / never
should have attained the highest emf.
nence, for the want of natural and
spontaneous cloqucncc. The opera
tions Of my mind are slow, my imagin.
alton sluggish, and my powers Of ex-
temporaneous speaking very inefficient.
But have much capacity for, and love
Of, labor, habits on tho whole Of in
dustry and temperance, and strong
and almost innate passion for lit
erary pursuits. The business and
sometimes the designations of my
life have in great measure withdrawn
me from it. The summit of my am.
bition would have been by some great
work OF literature TO have done honor
TO my age and country, and to have
lived IN the gratitude Of future ages,
This consummation Of happiness has
been denied me. The portion Of life
allotted to me is that of my moral cx-
istence but even in. this failure Of my
highest objects, literature has been to
me a source of continual enjoyment
and powerful preservation from vice.
II would have been great comfort to
me If oil or either of my children in.
herited this propensity. Georgei is not
entirely without it. THE others have
it not, and | have found every effort
TO stimulate them TO it, hitherto, fruit.
less. Pope says ats education forms
the common mind" and so il is; but
the common mind will be always
groveling in common objects. Then
common mind must form itself"
In March, 1921, Mr.. Adams express
es the following opinion of Henry Clay,
which, considering the intimate rela.
ton between the two statesmen few
years aiterward, may be regarded rs
one Of the curiosities Of political life:
Clay is an eloquent man with very
popular manners, and great political
management. lie is, like almost all
the eminent men of this country, only
half educated. His school has been
the world, and in that he is proficient.
His morals, public and private, are
loose, but he has all the virtues indis.
pensablc to popular man. As he is
the first very distinguished man that
the Western country has presented as
statesman to the Union, they are
proportionately proud of him, and,
being n native of Virginia, he has all
the benefit of that clannish preference
which Virginia has always given to
her sons. Clay's temper is impetuous,
and his ambition inpatient. He has
long since marked me as the principal
rival in his way, and has taken no
more pains to disguise his hostility
than was necessary for decorum and to
avoid shocking the public opinion.
His future fortune and mine, are In
wiser hands than ours; have never,
even defensively, repealed his attacks.
Clay has large and liberal views of
public affairs, and that sort of generos-
ity which attaches individuals to his
person. As President OF the Union,
his administration would be perpetu-
al succession Of intrigue and manage
mcnt with the Legislature. 1t would
also be sectional in its spirit, and sacri-
flee all other interests to those,o of the
7 a.