New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-28
Ill.
THE ELECTION.
VICE1pRkSIDEN1 ADAMS'S INACGCRAL
WESTINGHOUSE MODEST FEARS-ADAMSS OPIN.

WASHINGTONS MODEST FEARS-ADAMN'S OPIN.
ION CONCERNING HIS SUPERIOR
A spirit Of calnnc>> confidence and peace settled
over the country rs the first "Wednesday IN Janu-
airy, 10 approached, and the 5000. 600 free ana
indcpcndent surragi,ts Of a delivered and united
Nation prepared 10 cast their ballots for their
first President The election passed oil quietly,
not less for the reason tn the people wanted +"
give the new system lair trlnl than Tor the
reason that nobody doubted what tine tiectofaI
College would do The College met in due time
ard east It's votes The Constitution then pro-
vidcd that the candidate having the hi chest num-
Der Of votes should be President and the on" nav
inc IN, next highest Vice President. Every
men, Der of the College voted for Washington, ana
John Adams received 81 ont OF 60 The votes
that wcr, not given to him were scattered. Jag
received .. RutIcdec Is. Hancock 1, but no one
onnro,chcd the position of a competitor. Adams
had returned from abroad with much popular
favor DIN, IN his success in negotiating several
mnortant loans He was obnoxious to many SIN
ccrc and patriotic men. who thought him snobhi'h
and not ALWAYS trustworthy. Even the anlabl"
Franklin had said Of him: Always honest ana
often wise he is sometimes and in some things
absolutely out of MS senses" But at this moment
the opposition 10 him was uned ana without
distinct object, 80 that his election involved ho
great trouble.
Concres, should have met on the first Wednesday
in March, the 4th, but distances were great ana
travelling was bad 50 that only eight Senators ana
thirteen REPRESENTATIVES, answered the roll-cail on
chat dav They came in by twoS and threes from
,,,. to d,v tLcrca ftcr. and by March 80 u quorum
If the House naG appeared. It Organized lmmr-
JiatcI by the election of Frederick ~ Muher burS
81, Sneaker. and proceeded to discuss tarlii Dill
H. WA, d,cdcdly an able House. Madison lei thr
viroi,,i, DELEGATION. though hc had encountered
much efficiently in getting elected at all lie was
an .,,rrant for the higher honor of IA seat IN the
S.u,tc but his activity III behalf of the new Con
s.:,Yuon had rendered him 50 Objectionable 10
II,pr, thar he va, unable to get a sufficient sup
map, Madison mad been badly Inundated IN VIZ
i.io for all the Anti-Fcdcralist leaders had com
Lip,d to crush him. and it only upon his lsSu-
, rublIc letter in which he promised to support
certain amendments TO the Constitution thit ne
had even succeeded in obtaining seat IN the ho"'r
Ilousc The election 10 IN" Senate OF his rhei po-
Utical adversary and the prime ecmy OF the Ooh-
4titution completed his discontinue lie soon be
cour however, the most conspicuous member oil
rho Uousr. and easily it, foremost man III debate
Ills only rival was Fisher Ames, OF MASSACHUSETTS,
then only thirty-two years old but eloquent ready
and uugnaciouS. \ quorum OF the senate h'u i''
,rr.,,.l until April T. but the moment 1t conhl L.
.,1I,. or.c,nize il placed Langdon temporarily III
the Chair, sent for the House ana pf"c''''u I"
,,., tho ballot, east in the Electoral College, and
f., declare the result On the same day IL as
r,tc,cd Charlc, Thomson its veteran secretary to
u,,rt Vernon. and another messenger to Brain
... n inform Washington and Adams OF their
election.
or course neither of them was IN Ignorance OF
.b,, tbe Electors had donr Washington hii
gradually come 10 consider his election ~ ih'Vl-
tale and his duty To accept It imrr''Fe' IFS
ur,found reluctance again - quit IN" haPP St
ch,sion of his country home on the banks 81 '"'
Potomac was manifested IN ways too ih'fNe' anu
bv an agitation too solemn for any 10 can !. III
..r.stio He In, left his feelings upon hundred
tablets. all telling the same story oi srH-d'p pre-
,,otion and regret that 10 one else would De az
ceptable to the people. Concernlns ihr d'My III
Congress in counting the votes he had written u
Knox: .;,.., Ton
The delay may be compared 70 reIrit' '.,, iIT
ia confidence | tell you with the World IL ""uil
n,.In I;fl, credit that my movement, I" ING
chair Of Government will be accohpihl"o ~ '',I
inas not unlike those OF culprlt WIZ - sp''1h
tL, nbcc of his execution; 50 unWl!ln1 AN !, III
rho ,.vruIur OF "A life nearly consumed III HuoHt
cares. 10 quit peaceful abode Tor an oc'nn vi
diricultics without that competency oI pohuH'
skill abilities or inclndtOnS Wn@h arr NECESSARY
~ manage the helm Integrity ana uinlhc>' axe
all | can proinlse. These. be- The voyage lohe
~ .hoct shall never forsak" me.
To another friend at about the same time, he
wrote these almost pitiful words
7 greatly fear that my cOnntrymen VIII expect
,oo much from me | fear, if the issue OF public
measure, Should not correspond with their san
mine cxpcctatlons they Will turn the cNtravagtht
ur;,i>,., which they are hedplng upou ne AZ thiS
moment into equally cXtravag0nt though L VIII
fondlv nope unmerited censures.
Littlc.n say, Washington Irving recording
these and other express, ions Of personal misttust
",yas Us modest spirit aware that the
urajseS so dubiouSy received were but the open
irr note, Of a theme that to increase nom
age TO ase, 10 pcrvadc al lands and endure
throughout all generations,'
Bralntree was considerably nearer the seat OF
Government than Mount Vernon and Adams had
received the messenger OF Congress ana WAS We"
on Lis way TO Ncw.York before Colonel Thomson
~ reached the Potomac II docs not appear
from any contemporary record that Mr.. Adams
sas Mt all overwhelmed with sense OF the poverty
- his worth. lie appeared to he entirely read5
% resnoud 70 his country's call. and on April
~. set ont on that errand The Roxbury troop
~ horse. carly on that morning, attended him At
his house and escorted him into Boston. On his
arrival AT the fertilization gates writes a chron
ieler of thu day, the bells rung peal, and
amidst the g,utS Of the assembled citizens, he
was escorted "Ns Excellency. the Govetnour'S