The Coolidge examiner., 1935-10-25

alton OF Independence on Juiy =. 1916 Adams
wrote 20 hls wife.
THE day will be the most memorable epoch
in The history ~ Amer.ca- ! am apt 10 believe
that IL viii be celebrated by succeeding genera.
lions as thc great anniversary festival. II ought
to be commemorated as The day of deiyerance
by solemn acts 81 devotion 10 God Almighty. II
ought 10 b. solemnlEed with pomp and parades
with shows games. sports guns bells bonires
and iiuminatlons from one end 81 this continent
to the other from this time forward forever
more
Adams part Ia bringing about the Declaration
of Independence would have been enough 10
guarantee his Immortality II be had never done
anything more. But Il was destined 10 be only
the beginning OF his service TO the nation which
he had helped establish In the same year he
was made chief justice of bis state but resi- gned
the next year 10 become chairman of the board
% war and ordnance. In l7Ts BE was appointed
commissioner 10 France 10 secure aid in the
struggle Tor liberty and the next year he was
appointed minister 10 negotiate a treaty with
England in 1880 be was sent 10 Holland to
negotiate a loan from that country and In the
same year was made minister TO Holland with
special commission 20 sign the articles ~ armed
neutrality.
Recalled TO Paris IN 1871. the following year
be negotiated "A loan Of TWO millions In Holland
and concluded q treaty OF commerce and amity
with the Dutch. Next he acted as one OF the
commissioners In concluding the treaty OF peace
which ended the Revolution and he became our
first minister to the Court OF ST. James Elected
10 the Continental congress In l7ss. he was chosen
the FIRST vice president In our history In 1883
and was reelected when Washington was re-
elected President Finally In 1896 came the eli
max OF his career when he became President OF
the United States.
After that his career was something OF an
antI-clImax, FOR be proved 10 be a very unpopular
President and was denied second term. After
the adoption OF the Constitution and during his
terms as vice president and President. he and
his friend. Thomas jefferson colleagues In the
great work OF writing the Declaration OF Inde-
pendence, slowly drifted apart Adams. the Fed.
eralist advocate OF a strong centralized
government Jefferson, the Republican. strong
In his faith In the wisdom of the people" cham.
pioned the cause OF democracy and states rights
Embitiered by his defeat by Jefferson during the
campaign OF 1900 when he was a candidate for
reelection. Adams "clattered out OF Washington
on that cold gray morning OF March 4. 1901, and
returned TO private life TO his farm and his
friends and his books. Seated In an old arm.
chair In his wellstocked library, he took up
again his study OF philosophy and history re-
newed his interrupted but never broken friend
ship with Jefferson, watched the dissolution OF
the Federast party with a certain grim salts
faction and thought much on religion and on
death"
Death came for him on an historic day-July 4,
1926 II the hftieth anniversary of the sign
ing OF the Declaration OF Independence and a
gala day throughout the land. The people had
wanted Adams and Jefferson TO take part In
their festivities. But the tired old man (he was
ninety-one) in Braintree, Mass, could not leave
his home. At O'Clock In the afternoon he
died His last words were Thomas Jefferson
still lives" He did not know that down In vir
ginia another tired old man Of elghty-three had
already slipped quietly into an endless sleep af
ter asking. Doctor, is it the Fourth yet?' It
was then just an hour after midnight
eWestern Newspaper Uaie>