New-York tribune., 1882-04-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AN INDEPENDENT.

This another OF tnoSc uolluScU Vioeh"Ph'oo
which have once more conc into fashion This
method OF presenting the hVcs OF distipeu'S"cu
nersons. however, is far from new. Short biogra-
phcs were as much in vogue IN the last century rs
they now are in this They were, 1t is truo. then
usually prexed to collections of the works OF those
whose names were pcrpetuatcd. Now they are pub
ljshed in paper covers by themselves Tor separate
sale aud perusal They give something more than
we should find in the encyclopedias and they are
useful to those who wish to read rapidly ana 10
achieve q max ximnm of knowledge with minimum
of perusal. Mr.. Morse has not given MS tuch iile
Of John Quincy Adams as the carefnl student Will
demand; but his book is all which the majority OF
his readers will require His style is agrceaole' his
judgments dispassionate. and especially TO DC COM
meuded is his skill in maintaining nice proportion
of parts while presenting much matter III small
compass.
John Quincy Adams was the first and certainly the
greatest and most disagrceable Independent In our
rolitica history. lie was dstinctlvey statesman,
and in nowse what is now understood by tho term
sparty politician" Through his long life OF public
service he had habit of considering the right and
wrong of question and its effect upon his countrys
welfare rather than upon his own political advance
ment From the first hour OF his legislative service
he threw off party bonds. His first act when he
entered the Massa chusetts Senate was to demand
inst representation IN the Councll ol tuc opPosioh
minority He traverscd the Federal policy in Con-
gress without any effort to conciliate Republicans,
and met insult and misrepresentation from both
parties Nth front of steel. One cannot recall his
course in regard TO the British aggressions without
admiration for the courage, the wisdom and the
patriotism with which he faced every kind OF oppo-
sition hardest endure. Cold in nature, iron In
will and with an indomitable power of lighting, Mr.
Adams was Puritan of Purtans-the only Ameri-
can in public life who showed himself capable OF
opposing to the British official of eighty years ago
q pluck and an arrogance as surly as his own. lie
had in truth with an American love of freedom the
particular sort of pugnacity characteristic OF the
Englishman of that day. 1t cannot be said that he
was then rash in his public policy-bnt he was OF
the Cromwellian type and moro real safety in
fighting than In submission. lie knew the wisest
thing to do and did it, though in doing 1t he found
himself almost friendess and lost his seat in Con-
gress. And, though man of bitter and snarling
temper-probaby no more self-sulicicnt and dis
agreeable a person ever lvcd-he had, Mr.. Morse
declares, a keen craving for sympathetic apprecla-
fon; and public service was to him the one deslr-
able thing in life. He voted for the Embargo bill
because lie thought it wise, and the charge that he
had in view Republican loaves and fishes has long
been proved to he the stuff that dreams are made
Of He was to seem unfaithful," writes MIR.
Morse not only to a party but to the bitter feud
of a father whom he dearly loved and greatly re-
spected lie was to be reviled by the neighbors and
friends who constituted bis natural social circle IN
Boston; he was to ALLEVIATE himself from the rich,
the cultivated, the influential gentlemen of his
neighorhood his comrades, who would almost uni
versally condemn his conduct. He was to lose his
position as Senator, and probably to destroy all
hopes Of further political so far as it de-
pended upon the goodwill of the people of his own
Len fvix rta iufy
in exchange for what his enemies must admit
to have been only an expectation. But in fact it
is now evident that there was not upon his part
even an expectation. At the first signs of the
views which he was likely to hold. that contempti-
bic but influential Republican Giles. of Virginia,
also one or two others of the party, sought to
approach him with insInuating suggestions. But
Mr.. Adams met these advances in a manner frigid
and repellcnt even beyond his wont, and far from
seeking to concate these emissaries, and to make
q bargain, or even establish tacit understanding
for his own benefit, he held them far aloof, and
simply stated that he wished and expected nothing
from the Administration. His mind was made up,
his opinion was formed no brbe needed to
secure his vote Not thus men sell themselves in
politics The Republicans were fairly notified that
lie was going to do just he chose and Mr. JeiieI-
son. the arch-enemy of all Adamses had no Occa-
sion to orego his teud to win this recruit from that
family"
1t was near The end of Mr. Adams's service as
Secretary of State that machine politics" were in
vented by his colleague and rival, Secretary Craw-
ford. This was the fit originator of bad
system. Coarse, rough, uneducatcd, intriguing he
thoroughly understood all the artfu dodges OF poll
tics and knew how 10 touch the lowest and most
selfish qualities in human nature. He used all his
knowledge in playing for the stake OF the PreSi-
dency and his figure stands out in curious contrast
with that of his successful enemy. Mr. Adams took
no leaf from Crawford's book. So early as
March, 1918, he was asked one day by Mr.. Everett
whether he determined to do nothing with q
view TO promote his future election TO the Presi-
dency rs the successor of Mr. Monroe, and he had
replied that he should do absolutely nothing To
this resolution he sturdily adhered Not breach
of it was ever brought home to him" There is
something of humOr in Mr. Norse's statement of
the manner in which Mr. Adams passed the days of
his candidacy. lie held himself almost wholly
aloof, wrapped in the cloak of his rigid integrity.
His proud honesty was only not quite repellent hc
sometimes allowed himself to answer questions
courteousiy and for brief period held in check his
strong natural propensity to give offence and make
enemies. This the uttermost length that he
could 90 toward political corruption. He became
for few weeks toerably civil of speech, which
after all much for him to do, and doubtless
cost him no Insignificant effort"
When he entered the White House the Puritan
Independent held stoutly to his conviction that he
was put there to do the work of President rather
than to reward with patronage and TO inspire with
q lively sense of favors to come tho men who had
served in his campaign and who might help him to
a second term. Mr.. jefferson had already practsed
that scheme of perpetuatng power.
The times were ripe for it, and the Nation would
not have rcvolted at it. was made apparent
when General Jackson, succeeding Mr. Adams, at
once carried out the system with a thoroughDess