Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-08-16
JOhn Quincy Adams Life-YOlumes
Five and Six.

From 1917 to 1926 John Quincy Adams was
Mr. Monroe's Secretary of State The fifth and
sixth volumes of his 'life,n as edited by Charles
Francis Adams, and published by Messrs. j. B.
Lippincott 4 Co., of Philadelphia, complete the
record of this period, and proceed for a few
weeks into his term as President. We have
heretofore reviewed in detail the four volumes
of the work preceding these now undernotice.
Apart from the value of the daily minutes of
Mr. Adams occupation, his detailed report of
diplomatic interviews with foreign ministers, and
minute accounts of many "affairs Of State,
which the passage of time has reduced to oompar-
alive insignifcance, the chief interest of these
volumes lies in the picture which they give of the
time, and frequent vivid sketches ofpublic men
which they present. The great Diarist did not hes
itate to record what he thought of his associates
and contemporaries and his son has not omit
ed to print these bits Of personal description.
Here, for instance, is what he says of John
Sergeant, of Philadelphia, one of the most
eminent men whom that city has ever had to rep
resent her at Washngton-a man so clear of
mind and 80 sensible in action, that few of his
Successors have measured up to his standard.
The Diary says
Sergeant is one of the ablest and most dis
tnguished members of the House. There is d
mild and placid character in his manners, and
great simplicity without awkwardness in his de-
portment exceedinglysuited to acquire influence
in popular assembly. They are the manners
of Quaker without their boldness, and the
polish of a courtier without its fawning. His ell
oquence partakes of his temper, which is always
cool and self-possessed. Powerful in argument
persuasive in form, it wins its way to assent by
the genteness of it's approaches, and, as he
nfT I'm 10 oI n,,tl,
by all partiea
Again he pictures another Pennsylvania mem
ber Of Congress
Colonel Thomas Forrest, a member of the
Hunse OF Representatives from Pennsylvania
was here this morning ; Nov. %, 1920 he re-
tains by courtesy his title of Colonel, which he
held during The Revolutionary War, though he
Is now Quaker in full communion, wearing the
drab-colored suit of broadcloth raiment and
the broad-brimmed hat, never taken off for sal
utation or ciyiity, and thou and theeing all with
whom he conyerses The humorous contrast in
Ills character is the luxllriant delight with which
he Slories IN his military services, and the indi-
eatlons constantly oozing out from his discourse
that he considers personal courage the first of
human virtues, united with all the ostelabe
formalities or Quakerism. He entertained me
with long account OF the share he had in the
passage OF the Delaware and capture of the Hes
SLAMS at Trenton, 25th 25th December 1776-
nuliys picture OF which, he says IL good for
who was there; every word that was said: every
look that was cast by General Washington.
The Colonel is seventy years of age OF more
but has yet much activity, ard apparent vigor of
constitution
Duane, that bold and unscrupulons newspaper
editor, who dared to print in the Philadelphia
Aurord such criticisms and fault findings as JEFF
ferson, Madison, and Burr had breathed amongst
their followers against the administration of
President George Washington, appeared to Mr..
Adams as despicable creature He thought but
Ill OF the newspapers at any rate, and in one
place, commenting on Major Noah, the once
well-known New York editor, says =
HE Is like all the editors of newspapers in
this country who have any talent an author to
De let. There ID not one of them whose friend
snip is worth buying, nor one whose enmity is
not formidable. They are sort of assassips
who sit with loaded blnnderbusses at the corner
OF streets, and fire them off for hire or for sport
at any passenger whom they select"
And in regard to Duane, particularly, he had
more than this general ground of criticism. In
an entry on May 18th, 1920, describing an inter
view with U. S. Senator Jonathan Roberts. of
Pennsylvania, the Diary says
" Pennsylvania has been for about twenty
years governed by two newspapers in success.
sion sion one the Aurord, edited by Duane, an
edited by John Bnns, an Englishman Dnnne
mad been expelled from British India for sed.
ton, and Binns had been tried in England for
iiish treason. They are both men of consdera-
Die talent and prohigate principle, aiways for
sale to the highest bidder, and ai6ays nsilnnor-
table burdens, by their Unsuitable rapacity to the
parties they support. With the triumph of Jef
ierson, III 1901, Duane, who had contributed To
u, came in for his share, and more than his
share, of emolument and patronage With his
printing establishment at Philadelnha he
connected one in this city, obtained by
extortlon almost the whole of the public
printing, but, being prodigal and reck-
less, never could emerge from poverty
and, always wanting more, soon encroached M,
on tne powers OF Indulgence to his cravings
winch the heads of Departments possessed, and
quarreiied with both Mr.. Madison and Mr. Gal
latln for staying his hand from public ph1nder
IN Pennsylvania, too, he contributed to bring in
Mexican, and then labored for years to r,1n film
uown-contrbnted to bring in SNYDER and soon
turned against him Duane had been made by
mr.. Madison Colonel in the army and as Glib |
bon, the Captain of the Hampshire Militia. saws
ne was useful to Glbbon, the historian of the |
hoinan empire so Duane, the Colonel. was
useful auxiliary to Duane the printer, by fleec-
ing the public by palming upon the army at ey. |
Tayagant prices, a worthless compilation nnon |
military discipline that he had published But |
before the war with England was half over |
duane had SO disgusted the army and dsgraced |
himself that he was obliged to resign his com, |
mission, and has been these seven years a NH |
nc defauter in his accounts to the amount of |
between four or five thousand dollars, for which |
he is under prosecution"
And here, note if You please, good sirs, rev.
elatlon as to the politics of the time-the patri
otic Madison appointing his political fugleman
Duane Colonel in tho army, and the fugleman
hrst setting up job on the public, and then
coming out defaulter But there are more
such cases. The Diary gives us passing views
of them. Touching :" the. affair at Savannah.
Mr. Adams writes, August 19th, 1920 that s.the
delays and hesitate on Of the President, and the
'connivance OF Crawford [Secretary of the
. Treasury in regard to these most infamous
. transactions have forced me to push the sub
: Ject again and again Two of the parties, one
of whom is the Collector of the Port of Sa-
vannah, haye against them the most violent
'presumptive evilen-e of having committed
crimes punishable with death. The third has