Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-02

represented begets in the reader a desire
10 emulate similar qualities. As Long
fellow says:
Lives OF great men all remind us,
We can make our lives sublime.
And such lives can only inspire in US a
to be worthy of the legacy |
which our fathers bequeathed us. The
perpetuation of the noble deeds of the great
men of nation is beyond all value. The
youth OF a nation we'll versed in the heroic |
legends Of the past are sure to be patriotic,
while disregard for the life and work of
he founders and preservers of a country |
= sure 10 breed selfi,hness and to be the |
precursor of a disregard for the highest
interests Of the present. "Tell ye your
hildren of it, let your children tell their
hildren, and their children another gene
alton, was the divine command to Israel. |
md it is comm md which we will do
veil 20 follow.
This being true, Houghton, Mifnin &
Co., of Boston, have done the country a
real service in giving to the reading public
the American Statesmen series. This
series embraces biographical studies of
Iohn Quincy Adams, Alexander Hamilton.
John C. Calhoun, Andrew Jackson, John
Randolph, Henry Clay, etc. The series is
under the general editorship of John 7
Morse, which is sufficient guarantee that
he separate books will each be accurate,
comprehensive and interesting. The aim
mas been, not so much to give in exhaus
tive detail every act in the life of each
character, as to present an outline of the
life and public services, an insight into the
history of the times, and view of the
motives aotuating the various characters.
The end sought has been secured, the his
.ories are impartial, the faults as we'll as
virtues of the heroes being shown up and
ZACH being assigned his true place In his
ory. The opening volume of the series
is on John Quincy Adams. and is written
by the editor of the series, John I. Morse,
Jr. To write biography of Mr.. Adams
after the style Of Abbott's Napoleon would
De somewhat difficult, as he was hardly
character to incite intense enthusiasm in
either writer or reader. Indeed in all his
political campaigns he excited very little
enthusiasm and never had a devoted fol-
lowing. Ills antipathies were too strong,
| ais speech was too blunt, and he had too
little pliability to secure for himself the
levotion which some political leaders have
| inspired. To great extent he was inde-
pendent in politics, being first federalist,
ahough frequently upholding measures
advocated by the other party. He finally
| left the ranks of the federalists about the
time that the republicans came into power
For this act he has been severely criticised,
self interest being urged as the motive.
But Mr.. Morse shows conclusively, we
think, that it was only his intense devotion
the right which led him to change his
Jews. Indeed, it was the conviction that
10 was man Of sterling integrity. who
:ould not be swerved from the right, unit
I'd to his pre- eminent abilities rather than
my large following which he possessed
which led the country to select him as their
'nief executive. His diary, of which Mr..
Iorse has made free use, reveals the char
cter of the man. He WAS cynical, sooner
later every public man came under his
condemnation; indeed it seems that the
cry fact that man did not agree with
Ir Adams was enough to convince him
)t his dishonesty. Mr. Ad ans also pJs-
,cssed combatve nature. E1e vas oiten
or taking xtreme measures in our rela
ion to European governments, and carried
he Munroe doctrine to its utmost limit
indeed, Mr.. Morse claims for him tht
authorship of that doctrine. while Mr.
Lodge, in the life of Hamilton gives hi,
ero the credit of its orignation. Tht
ruth probably is that Mr.. Adams eaborat
ed what had already been given to the
world in brief. But while Mr.. Adams
= possessed some unlovable characteristic.
b he was patriot of the highest type. liz
e was willing TO be made the butt of ridicule
he was willing TO be made target for th'
shafts of friend and enemy alike; he wa
J. willing to stand before the people as al
enthusiast or fanatic if he could thereby
o advance the fortunes Of his country. T,
:. his country the services of his entire lif'
g were given, aud upon her affairs he was
e willing to sacrifice everything but prin
e cple; and it may be said Of the politica
e leaders of his day, "He was the mobiles
e Roman of them ALL" Born in 1867 of dis
If tinguished parentage, brought up ami
o the stirring scenes Of the Revolution, wit
1t Messing the battle of Bunker Hill an
n burning of fCharlestown, traveller In Pari
and elsewhere in Europe when II years c
@ age as companion to his father, who wa
IS a diplomatic representative Of our govern
o ment at various European courts; privat
d secretary TO Mr.. Dana, U. S. minister t
nj Russia, when only IA years of age; pri
" vate secretary ofthe embassy which negc
at tiated the final treaty Of peace with Eng
e land, returning home and graduating fror
I'd Harvard college when 20 years of age
admitted to the bar of Boston when 2;
g working faithfully in the profession who
m to him was irksome and achieving som
10 degree OF success contributing to Ii
'r literature of the day over the signatures
t. "Publcolo," and "Marcellus,' and "Co
in ombus," papers which had an immens
Is influence in combating dangerous doc
V' rines and forming public opinion; U.
'c minister at the Hayne when 27, later I
es the court of Portugal, and at Berlin
a. 1877; a member of the Massachusetts sel
is ate when 35, member Of the U. S. whe
I'd 36i deserving and deserted by the fedora