Graham guardian., 1903-11-06
A Brief SEetch Of lttn itiEs.
Ry i. a. w.
Copyright, 1908. by L. A. Wynn an

john dams was one Of the fore
most builders Of our free an much
beloved and now mightiest nation
on the globe.
With his clear nd vigorous brain
grand oratory and trenchant pen,
he struck many an effective blow
in the bu lding and launching Of
our glorious Ship of State, and for
four years was master of the new
Craft sailing untried seas among
older and larger Ships, some of
which were envious and bitter to-
ward the little fast sailing Yankee
Clipper, whose guidance was the
bright and rising Star Of Liberty.
He was the oldest son of John
and Suzanna (Roylston) Adams
and was born in B,ainlree, in the
part that is now Quincy, Mass ,
Oct. 18th, l735 Gold style.) his
birthday occurring October aOth
under the present calendar.
Being of Puritan descent it is
not surprising that when he be-
came old enough to have thought
of his fulure he preferred an edn-
catio rather than his share Of his
fathers properly and accordingly
was sent To Harvard COLLEGE,
where he graduated in l755, low
the middle ofhis class; for in "those
good old days" the Harvard stud.
ents were ranked, not according Ia
merit, but according to the social
standing of the parents. After
graduation he Taught school short
time at Worcester, Mass, while he
considered the question of becom
ing u clergyman, as his family had
fondIy hoped, but which was con
trary to his own inclinatiJns; or a
lawyer, which Was more to his
liking, but finally deciding in favor
of the law be began the study OF it
at Worcester while still teaching
school.
After his admission to the bar he
began the Practice of his profess
sion in his native town, though fbl
lowing the courts on the circuit, as
was the custom in those days.
Besides his scholarly at ailments
and natural abilities he had the
Gift of confidence and ready ora
tory, and it was not long before he
bad Il wide and profitable practice.
October 25th, l76l, he was mar
rird to Abigail Smith Of Weymouth
Mass most excellent young lady
twenty years of age and of Il social
position higher than his own, and
Ills with the fact of his being a
lawyer did not exactly suit the
congregation of her father, who
was minister; for in those old
Puritan days much preJudice ex-
listed against lawyers
A few years after his marriage
they moved to Boston. whore his
law practice became still more
widely extended.
John Adams early took his
stand with the patriots against OPP
prcssions from England toward
her American Colonies and in
1865 when the Stamp Act was
passed he took great interest in
the affair and opposed the use OF
stamps, and wrote many able ar,
ticles on the questions of the d'y,
in one of whicr, in stating what
part the colleges should take, he
wrote 81 ct the public disputatlons
become researches into the rounds,
nature. and ends Of government,
md the means Of preserving the
good and demnIiShing the evil.
Let the dialogues and all the eX
crciscs become the instruments OF
imrressing on the tcnder mind and
of spreading and distributing far
and wide. the ideas # right, and
the sensations of freedom" Thus
his views and abilities becoming
known from these articles, rs well
as in other ways, he became so
prominent in h @ cause that
he was appointed delegate
10 the first Coniinenta Congress,
having for his colleagues John
Hancock and Samuel dams
There he did good work for the
cause Of liberty and was returned
10 the second Continental Congress
where he did n very wise and
pnlitio service by nominating
Washington for Commander-in.
Chief Of the Continental army,
Also in 1776. John Adams was
instrumental in passing the reso,u
tinns recommending the colonies
to form independent governments,
thus better preparing them for the
great Declaration which soon fol
lowed. aud in which glorious event
in the history of the world he per-
formed services second only to
those of the author Of the DeoIara-
iion himself
Adams was the Hercules Of the
DEBATE in favor Of the Declaration
Of Independence and with frrccfuI
oratory he struck the heaviest and
most effective blows for its pass
age