Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-14
TRANSMITTED ABILITY.
Extraordinary Record Of the Quincy
Family.

From the Cincinnati ooho) Gazette.
! OF all the names distinguished in colonial
days very few are now known by eminent repre-
sentatives. The Quincys and the Adamses Of
Massachusetts. are the most prominent eNccp-
tons TO the rule, and they really furnish only
one case. John Adams OF rather obscure
descent, and, though not lacking talent was ir.
ritable and crotchety. He owed much OF his
success in life to his brilliant wife whose grand
father was Quincy. Ii is the Quincy rather
than the Adams blood that gave John Quincy
Adams and his son, Charles Francis Adams their
ability. The same may be said of the sons OF
Charles Francis, who have inherited much 81
the ancestral talent. Louisa MAY Alcott, the
writer, is also an oflshoot of the Quincy stock.
The first of the name TO gain emnence was
Edmund Quincy, (l6Sl-le3S a Judge OF the
supreme court of Massachusetts. ana agent TO
the British court for the settlement OF the
boundary question between Massachusetts and
New Hampshire. He died while prosecuting
this mission. His son Edmund Q70S-SS) was a
prominent merchant of Boston the father-iu-law
of John Hancock and the author of a treatise
on Hemp Husbandry." Another son, Josiah,
(l1E-oi, was also a Boston merchant. His son
Josiah Cl744-75) became distinguished lawyer,
showed great courage. and incurred temporary
odium by joining with John Adams i'm the de-
tense of the soldiers who perpetrated the Bos-
ton massacre OF l710. Soon after his health
. failed, but his zeal for the patriot cause was
unquenchab!e. In l114 he went to London In
me interest OF the country. and his letters show
tllat he worked in season and out of season
against the oppressive policy of Great Britain
He died on his return voyage, Just in sight of
his native shore, ar the age of 81. He was
known as Josiah Quincy, jr., since his father
who bore the same name survived him.
His son, Josiah. 2-lS64 was called through
most of his long life. Josiah Quincy sr., as he
had a son Josiah. He studied law. and was
elected to Congress. where he was fcderalist
leader, opposing with equal energy the l.ouisi-
hos flaax. ISr
years mayor of Boston, and the author of many
important municipal improvements. Suisse
quently. from 1929 to 1916, he was president OF
Harvard University. The finances OF the insti-
tuition were in a sad plight at his accession,
having been badly mismanaged. He left them
in very prosperous condition. During his
later years he was an energetic anti-slayery
man, was one Of Fremont's most earnest sup
porters, and predicted that the war Of secession
though he did not live to see its end-woud
be the opening of a new era Of national great
ness He was the author of life of his father.
OF histories OF Harvard University aud the city
OF Boston, and or other works He was not a
man or genius. but possessed that thorough
balance of powers which insured his success In
whatever he undertook.
His son Josiah Quincy. known as Junior until
1864. who has just died. was not his fathers
equal In ability, but was still man of more than
ordinary talent and worth. Born January a. 1902
he was nearly 81 at his death He graduated
from Harvard with Emerson in the class of 1921
and adopted the legal profession Most of his
attention, however. was given to public affairs,
he held many state and municipal offices, and it
was during his mayoraty that Boston was sup
Piled with the Cochtuate water a vast under
taking for the day. He was not a. successful i'm
the administration Of his personal finances as
was his father but this did not sour his temper
or abate his interest in public matters He gave
a good deal of attention ia his later wears to the
encouragement OF improved suburban homes
for working people. His sons Josiah Phillips
author of seyera. dramatic poems. and samuel
Miller distinguished as a volunteer officer in
the war of the rebellion. and since as a legal
writer, are his worthy successors in keeping up
the family name. Their uncle the late Edward
Quincy, was the author of an entertaining life
of his father and OF Wensley. a 'Story without
Moral, novel quite popular 20 years ago.
He was also foremost an abolitionist In day
when it required great courage to take such
stand.
We have sketched the foregoing family his
tory not for any genealogical purposes. but as a
remarkable and almost solitary instance of the
persistency of talent through several genera
lions. Neither Webster nor Clay left sons at all
comparable with their father. And 80 1t is with
most men of eminence