The herald., 1916-02-10
UNTACTFUL ADAMS.
The Pathetic UnpopuIarity of Our
Second President.
HE WAS VAIN AND GLAD OF IT
Then, Too, He Had an Obstinate Per.
sonaIity That Endowed Him With a
Positive Genius For Putting Himself
In the Worst Possible Light.

In the Worst Possible Light.
The choleric John Adams had been
president for more than two years, but
as long as Washington lived the cOun-
try refused 10 look upon any one else
as its real head.
The way of the tranSGreSSOr may be
hard indeed, but it is path OF roses
compared with the thOrny road the sue
cessor to a popular idol must tread, and
when one reads the frankly expressed
opinion of Adams party friends and
party enemies ones sympathies 90 out
TO the man upon whom Washington'S
presidential mantle fell.
His superlluous highness" was the
title the opposition had suggested for
him in the days when discussion ragged
as to what the high officials OF the gov
eminent were TO be called. He had
great learning. great patriotism and an
unquenchable spirit. but everything and
envelOping them all was a positive
genius for doing and saying untactful
things, for appearing at the worst pos
Sible advantage.
4 member Of his cabinet once said
of him that whether he was ''sportful,
playful. witty, kind. cold, drunk. sober,
angry, easy, stiff, jealous, careless, eau
tiouS, confident, close or open" he was
almost always so in the wrong place
and with the wrong person
The kindly Franklin characterized
him as always honest, sometimes
great. but often mad" One less genial
remarked that even in his sObereSt
moments Adams was the greatest
marplot in nature" And John Ran
dOlph of Roanoke. whose tongue added
the poison of ridicule TO the bitterness
of gall. called him that political Nal
voiO."
Adams thought WashingtOn's talents
overrated and on becoming president
in his turn was ambitious to make
record brilliant enough to OvershadOw
him. IL was certainly no easy task.
even without the handicap Of Adams
obstinate personality.
He knew that he was vain. Thank
God ain So" he exclaimed. Vanity
is the cordial drop which makes the
bitter cup of life go down" But it
had its lingering after taste. and justly
proud of his recOrd-havinS, as one
of his bioGrapherS puts ii. stepped
from his little country law office and
proved himself match for the diplo-
mats of Europe" resented the
narrow margin by which he had been
elected, calling himself with some bit
terneSs THE president of three votes
only"
A vice president can be removed by
nothing short of crime or physical in
capacity. and jefferson remained, an
ever present and irritating thorn In
Adams side. Adams had found it
hard to learn and accept the passive
role demanded by the office, and he evil
IDENTIFY took some satisfaction in i'm
pressing the same uncOngenial lessons
upon his successor.
Jefferson asserted that he was never
consulted upon any question of govern
ment after Adams had been two days
in power. And he did not make the
charge in the humorous mood of a
later incumbent, who used to declare
that his chief had asked his advice
only once and that was about the
wording of Thanksgiving proclama-
ton.
II believe he always liked me-" Ad-
ans admitted in a retrospect of his
long career. but he detested Hamilton
and my whole administration. Then.
he wished to be president of the Unit
ed States. and | stood in his way. So
he did everything that he could to pull
me down. But if | should quarrel
with him fer that | might quarrel with
every one / had anything to do with
in life. Did you ever hear the
lines:
Il love my friend as well as you.
But why should he obstruct my view?
Il forgive my enemies and hope they
may find mercy in heaven. our Ma
ton In the Building" by Helen Nico-
lay. in Century Magazine.