The San Francisco call., 1899-10-20

ficient In Boston his influence was long
supreme The royalist Governor of Mas
sachusetts colony rightly called him the
grand incendiary of the province for the
whole of Massachusetts was set on fire
by the Boston town meeting, and the
moderator and master of that meeting
was Samuel Adams. He did not enter
into public life early but from 1863, VIXEN
he was first elected as a representative
from Boston to the Great and General
Court, to 1897, when he resigned the
Governorship of the State, his whole time
was devoted to the service of the people.
1t was noted that he cared not to discuss
social. scientific or religious matters with
friends; all his thoughts were on politics,
and in old age his favorite theme was the
struggle with Great Britain, in which he
had borne so great a part Upright him
self. he insisted on civic virtue and strove
to draw promising and able young men
into public service. His kinsman, John
Adams. and John Hancock, whose wealth
and social position were of great value
to the colonists, were two of those he
introduced into politics.
Through a long career we find but little
to criticize in his actions from moral
point of view He was doubtless some
what disingenuous in his treatment of the
letters of Governor Hutchinson and in
some of his arguments. but the wonder is
rather that in the heat of controversy he
was swayed so little from the path of alb
solute rectitude.
He cared not for personal advancement
and seemed to feel little bitterness when
the people set him aside for a time. Adams
trusted the people and believed that their
decisions as to men were right. To infu-
ence their decisions as to measures he ap-
piled himself with the utmost vigor.
He was born in 1922 and was educated at
Harvard College, where he took his bach
elor's degree in 1740 and his masters de-
gree in 1T43. It was afterward remem-
bered, as presage of his future. that his
masters thesis was an affirmative an
swer to the question, Whether it be law
full to resist the supreme magistrate, if
the commonwealth cannot be otherwise
preserved"
When 26 years of age he began furnish
ing to the newspapers the first of that
long series of articles on government
which had so much effect. His style Of
writing was clear and incisive, his argu-
ments were forcible and logical. Adams
used few metaphors and quotations, his
writings were not graceful. but they were
never duh and they were always convinc-
ing.
Adams always took deep interest in
popular education and his first public Of
he was appointed in 1888. His whole
course of effort against Great Britain
was what we would call campaign of
education" He appealed chiefly to che
intellects of his fellow-citizens. though he
was too skillful to omit altogether the
appeal to emotions. When the stamp act
showed the policy of Great Britain to-
ward America he drafted his first public
paper. a series of instructions to the peo-
ton town meeting May a, 1854. He stood
steadfastly for the principle of no taxa
ton without representation, and unlike
Otis. discerned from the first that repre-
sentaton of any sort in the British Par
lament was impracticable. In these early
resolutions he claims that the stamp tax
"annihilates our charter rights to govern
and tax ourselves. 1t strikes at our Brit
ish privileges, which, as we have never
forfeited them we hold in common with
out fellow subjects who are natives Of
Britain. If taxes are laid upon us in any
shape without our having a legal repre-
sentation where they are laid we are re-
duced from the character of subjects 10
the miserable state of tributary slaves.
Adams advanced from this position so as
to maintain, in 1773. that Parliament had
no right 70 legislate for the colonies iii
America The attempt of~the British to
seize him and Hancock just peIOre the
battle of Lexington was not a mistaken
one. He had been the very forefront of
opposition.
Adams was prudent enough to see from
the very first that Boston alone, or even
the whole of Massachusetts, could not en-
dure successfully the burden of the strug-
gle with England. To secure even the
hope of success the cooperation of all
the other colonies was necessary. In the
resolutions of 1854 to which we have re-
ferred the necessity of united effort is
stated thus: LAS his Majesty's other
North American colonies are embarked
with us in this most important bottom
we further desire you TO use your en-
deavors that their weight may be added
to that of this province that by the
united application of all who are ag-
grieved all may obtain redress" This
insistence on the Importance of united
action was never lost by Adams He con-
tinued to struggle for it. In 1868 he in
duced the Legislature to send a circular
letter to the other colonies. Massachu-
setts was the chief offender, but she
struggled for a principle whose impor-
tance was equal to att-the colonies We