New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-17
CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
Worthington Fords Edition of John Quincy
Adams-Parents and Children: An Ad-
mirabe Guide-Ihe War Again

/ be Secretary Of State he wrote feeling
ly TO his father of the burden and the
menace of mlitarism TO Europe. He
wrote, too, of the need that America
should prepare TO meet threatened
storm. I'VE cannot he wrote IN Au-
gust, 1916. "be too well or too quickly
prepared for new conflict TO support
our rights and our interests What
cause there was for that warning the
record of the next few years, with the
plots of the Holy Alliance and the or
ganization Of the Russo-Spanish eX-
petition for the reconquest Of the
Americas. abundantly demonstrates.
The nation is familiar with Deca-
tur's toast at Norfolk, just hundred
years ago this spring, though it gem
orally misquotes il. Our country!
said the conqueror of the Barbary pi-
rates. "In her intercourse with foreign
nations. may she always be in the
right; but our country, right or wrong"
The nation is not so familiar, though
il should be. with Adams's comment
upon the toast and his substitute for
II. Il cannot" wrote that in
carnate New England conscience"
TO his father. task of heaven sue
cess. even for my country, in a
cause where she should be in the
wrong. Ny toast would be, May our
country be always successful, but,
whether successful or otherwise. al
ways right. | disclaim as unsound all
patriotism incompatible with the prln-
ciples of eternal justice" There is no
more Characteristic and Illuminating
passage in all his voluminous writings.
Another feature of these writings
which strikes the observant reader
with convincing force is the absolute
absence of personal or partisan con-
siderations in dealing with the eNter-
nal interests of the nation. II is often
said that that was an era Of good feel
ing in American politics. when there
were no party rivalries; but that Is not
quite true. Already there were taking
form some of the strongest partisan
and even fractional movements in Amer
lean political history. under some OF
the most ambitious, adrOit and unscru-
pulous of leaders; and of this fact
Adams had above most men cause TO
beware. since the strongest OF those
movements were directed against him,
personally. and against his steadily
waxing prestige and fame. But from
all these things he was, in his conduct
of diplomatic affairs, as detached as
though he had been a colonlst IN Mars.
We cannot conceive of him as drafting
one Of his notes to De Onis, for exam
ple. with one eye squirting at its pos
sible or probable effect upon votes at
the next election: o. of him as saying
20 a foreign minister, just after the
issuing of an important diplomatic
note. Bryan-like, Don't mind. That's
Just buncombe. for home consumption
IL was because the man meant what he
said. and made everybody else realize
that he meant what he said, that his
diplomacy was so successful-at once
so masterful and so irenic.
We have said that the contents Of
this volume are chiefly occupied with
public and especially diplomatic mat
tiers. Yet there are many letters 10 his
wife. to his father and to others which
touch upon vast variety of themes;
so that we are compelled TO admire
the versatility of his interests and OF
his knowledge no less than the author
itv of his diplomacy. He writes to Mrs.
Adams about SCOTS "Antiquary," and
marriages in the royal family; about
n cold summer and sun spots. and
about American visitors in London. He
writes to his father about the separa
ton of Maine from Massachusetts,;
about Nautilus and Franklin; about
reading the Bible; about Southey's
"Wat Tyler and about the letters Of
Algemon Sydney. lie was a many
sided man; somewhat as a block Of
Quincy granite is many-sided. There
was no side Of him that was not
profitable to his country. There is
none, now viewed through the medium
of his own disclosures Of himself. which
might not with profit TO his country
now be emulated by his successors in
the conduct of the public business
which he so honorably and so master
fully furthered We should hope that,
however great or small the circulation
of this series Of volumes, sets durably
bound, to stand much use, will be
found in the Libraries Of the White
House and the State Department.