The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-20
THE WORLD OF BOOKS
Something About the Adams
Family in Literature.
CHARLES FRANCIS PECULIARITIEs
The Remarkable Intellectual Inheritance
Which Has Passed From Father to
Son for Four Generations


the Adams family it might have been
thought remarkable coincidence that
two brothers should have issued within
week two such books as the Life of Rich
ard Henry Dana" and the concluding vol
ume of the History of the United States"
for the first quarter of a century of its
existence as a nation. Neither of these
books will attain great popularity, but
each of them will become standard, and
therefore permanent addition to our lit
erature.
The remarkable intellectual inheritance
which has passed from father to son for
four generations in the Adams family, and
which has been illustrated in political
movements on many occasions during the
last hundred years, is also suggested by
these two books written by two brothers
who are at-grandsons of the second
president of the United States and grand
sons of the sixth, and whose father, Charles
Francis Adams, was once nominated for
the vice presidency, and all but received
the nomination of the Liberal party in
1872 for the presidency in place of Horace
Greeley.
Of the sons of Charles Francis Adams,
that one who is of the same name, Charles
Francis, Jr., is the most generally known.
Yet he was not a person of any public con-
sequence until after he quit the closet of
the student and threw aside the luxuries
and delights of the litterateur and first
grappled with the railway problem in Mas
sachusetts as a commissioner, and after
ward became the president of the Union
Pacific railway. Charles Francis Adams,
Jr., in personal appearance, suggests the
portraits of his grandfather and great
| grandfather, who were presidents of the
| United States.
| All of the Adams family were and are
short, thickset men, with round heads,
| high foreheads and broad brows. John
Adams was the shortest of all the presi-
dents, and his son, John Quincy, with
| Martin Van Buren,, was only fraction of
an inch taller than the second president.
While Charles Francis Adams, Jr., was in
the midst of most excessive business per
plexities and cares he yet found time to
write the life of that very remarkable
man, Richard Henry Dana, who was an in
innate friend of Charles Francis, Sr. Mr.
Dana was best known to the American
people of his generation as a writer of 6
book of extraordinary interest, 1.-TWO Years
Before the Mast" which described his eX
perience as sailor boy. Mr.. Adams in his
life of Dana tells the story of how this book
came to be written. But he does a more
important service than that, because he re
veals the nature and genius of this pecul
| lar many sided and somewhat eccentric
man.
Within few days of the publication O.
this book the final volume of Mr.. Henri.
Adams history of the administrations O
the first four presidents of the United
States appeared. Until the publication o
the first volume, Henry Adams was known
only to few public men and to his imme
date circle of friends. Many persons wer
astonished to learn when the history wa
first made public that, Charles Franci
Adams had son of this name. This wa
due probably to the fact that Henri,
Adams has lived the life almost of a re
cluse, and as he has abundant wealth h
was able to crafty fondness for histor
ical study, the fruits of which we get il
these volumes He has lived in the win
ter for some years in Washington, and ha
had as near neighbor Col. John Hay
An intimacy sprung up between MI
Adams and Col. Hay, due very largely t
their common literary tastes. While MI
Adams was writing his history Col. Ha
was putting the finishing touches upo
the Life of Lincoln" which he wrote i
collaboration with Marshal Nicolay
In these two sons of Charles Franci
Adams are seen most strikingly develope
that peculiar and apparently inconsister
nature which has distinguished the Adam
+ family since the time of the colonies. Th
JNatI
yet republicans, using the word in il
original meaning. In their social relation
they were of aristocratic tendency, but
their political associations and instinct
, they were true republicans. Henry Adam
seems to have inherited the aristocrat
tendency alone, using that word in its tru
and not offensive sense. His association
are entirely with men of cultivation an
intellect. On the other hand, third sol
{ John Quincy Adams, is a genuine dem
crat both personally and politically, viii
e Charles Francis Adams seems to have con
bined the two dispositions, as did his al
cestorS.
In Massachusetts, John Quincy Adams
t perhaps better known to the masses eve
than his brother Charles Francis. But b
yond that state his name is not famili;
n one. He is n most delightful man-full
d fun as an egg is of meat, an entertainin
It raconteur, witty, popular with the mass
It and has no mannerisms which suggest b
3, consciousness Of distinguished ancestr
He has been the candidate of the Demo
d racy for governor of Massachusetts two
three times, and on one occasion was we
in the canvass before he knew he was eve
y nominated. If he could be induced
Is write book it would be something thi
the masses would enjoy reading, but he
or has been a very busy lawyer, and whe
he is freed from professional cares it is b
2 theory that he owes it to himself to enj'
4. himself. E. J. EDWARDS.
y Points Regarding Theatre Building.