Evening journal., 1913-01-13
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Utica Speech Of the
"0ld Man Eloquent"
By Holland

Il have always understood that the
last public address which was made
by John Qincy Adams was one which
he delivered from the steps Of the old
Baggs' hotel at Utica, New York, in
the year l845," said ex-poetmaster
General James to me recently.
1T was my good fortune to see
the then venerable ex-president of the
United States. ] was SO far away,
on account of the great crowd that
had gathered around the front Of
Baggs' hotel, that ] was unable TO
hear very much of what Mr.. Adams
said
It was thought at the time. I re-
member that the ex-president went
to Utica for the purpose Of explain
ing his attitude upon the Oregon
question. The country had been
greatly excited by the dispute be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain over the boundary line in the
northwest A majority Of the people
insisted that this boundary line
should be along the parallel of fifty
four degrees and forty minutes north
latitude. That would have given to
the United States practically all OF
the Pacific coast up to the southern
most point OF Alaska. The interest
was so Intense that a great political
cry was raised, expressed by the
words 'Fifty-four forty or fight
Mr. Adams had made speech
elsewhere in which he declared tim
II II was necessary. old as he was,
he would shoulder a musket in de-
fense of our rights along the north
western frontier
THAT speech undoubtedly hasten
ed the compromise by which we ac-
cepted a boundary farther south than
the one originally claimed-what is
now the northern boundary of the
State of Washington.
Mr. Adams, however. did not go
10 Utica for the purpose Of explain
ing his position in this matter. A
few of his friends knew that he made
the visit because he wanted to see
his sister, Abigail Adams. who had
married a prominent citizen of Utica.
Mr.. Adams looked upon this visit as
probably the last one he would be
able to make to his sister OF whom
he had been all his life very fond.
when the ex-president appeared
he was greeted with tremendous ap-
plause. Everybody thought OF him
not as member of Congress-which
he was at that time-but as a man
who had been president Of the United
States.
''He was of such small stature that
IL was necessary to make an OPENING
around him so that the crowd could
see him. wondered, when l saw
him, whether so small a man as that
could make himself heard, but when
he began to speak found that his
voice carried TO the furthermost cir
Gle although, on account of the con-
fusion, all that he said was not heard
excepting by those who stood direct
ly in front Of him. When he finished
/ remmember that a prominent citizen
of Utica who stood near me said tc
some one who was by his side. "They
cal him the Old Man Eloquent; now
that we have seen and heard him W.
know that he is worthy of that de
scription
"As Mr.. Adams bowed his acknowl
edgment to the crowd and retired
within the hotel almost all of thosI
who had gathered still stood waiting
hoping 20 see and hear him once
more. For the belief was genera
throughout Utica that this would b'
the last public address the Old Mar
Eloquent would ever made. l believe
that it was. He made some stirrlnl
speeches on the floor of Congress aftel
that visit, but unless he spoke to hi
neighbors and friends at his hom'
in Quincy, Mass, after 1S45. am sur
that the Utica speech which I wal
fortunate enough to hear was thu
last Mr.. Adams ever made in public
Copyright, 1918. by E. j. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tel