The Coolidge examiner., 1935-10-25

\. inxfon was the -Cranafa,hcr Of his
R ! II" !. !. !. s !" J. !. / !. !: ! !. ! !
- \ Coautfy"7
IG%At Faradoriral though such q state
~ = HS mrnt may be. jet there is some
IAE@h Justification for giving that tide. as
w recent bioErapber of John Adams
4 do,-. 90 Tie man who aas born 10
- Eraiutrve. Mass. October 81. 1915
just 50 years ago This bog.
rapheT calls Adams the ~Grandfather ~ His
Country beeaus- BE- was the who was
primarily responsible FOR making Washington
commander iu-chlcf of the Continental army.
thereby starting the yirElaian on The road which
led % bis becoming The Father"
Although the artunl nomination Of Washington
Tor that position vas made In The Continental
congress by Thomas Johnson % Maryland set
Il Adams Who developed the sentiment
which caused tae nomination 10 be ratified. when
congress. urged thereto By Adams adopted the
NeN England troops around Boston as a Cont
Mental army and began looking around Tor
commauder-in-chiey Adams realized that The
selection Of ans % thc New England officers for
the post would De- certain TO result Ia an oct.
break % inter-culouial Jcalousies So be pro
posed that an outsider De brought 10 and sug.
Ecsted the name - the man who as a major IN
the Virginia Colonial forces. had distinguished
himself during the Inflated rraddock expedition
- years earlier. Not only would this accom-.
pllsh it's purpose % preventing lll.fcelinE among
TIRE New EnEiandcrs. but as a compliment TO
Virginia. it would also guarantee more enthusl-
as,ie supper, of the revolutionary movement by
the southern brethren The history Of the Revo.
luton s ample proof % the wisdom of John
Adams and shat master stroke of diplomacy
his suggestion turned out 70 be.
But his part IN making Washington com.
unander in-chlef Was not the only factor In justl.
fyinE bis right TO the title of Grandfather Of
lis Country Another historian has SUMMED up
the other factors a. fellows Ills public services
extended over q period - - years aud iu that
ruvded quarter - a century he contributed ~
much 90 the creation and Development of his
country as any mau of hls time Tie Vas the
statesman Va ha formulated the political theories
e. blast parliamentary preraEafives. he wns the
courageous patriot uho forced reluctant con.
eress along fhc road 90 revolution and defended
thr Declaration ~ independence he was the
unvomprumising diplomat who brought military
and financial aid 90 th. American cause wresfed
m.racuiansiy favorable terms from Great Britain
and sfubboruly protected American interests
from the supposed Vaccinations 81 wily Euro
Issau diplomats. be- vas the solon who wrote the
model constitution for Massachusetts,. be vas
The President who herocally chose peace Instead
az war with France. and broke the power of the
pernlcouS Hamlionlan clique
To this might be added these other facts: he
was among the first 10 recognize clearly that ~in.
dependence % the colonies Inevitable and
union essential. although Thomas jefferson did
the actuai writing Of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. Il contained many of ~the very prin.
cipes which Adams had been cxponnding day
after day for two years: he played an lmpor-
tani part 10 establishing the American navy
he 81 the most vigorous defenders Of
the Constitution after u was adopted: be had
Ia H. efgf - ha ~ fha frfs
prefer of that Constitution. for he ms Presi.
dent made John Marshall chief justice of the
supreme court: he was prophet Ia forecasting
the economlc development ~ the United States
sad In wishing 10 adapt the frame of government
IN the future 90 that basis: and the general
principles % a government for which be stood
have survived To this day and are stll showing
n great degree Of Influence
Il has become alm0s, automatic that genius
rarely. n ever. transmits Itself and that great
fathers seldom heget great sons But John
Adams comes near. perhaps. as any other
American 10 being the exception which proves
the rule. For his son. John Quincy Adams kept
up the standard set by his father and even ad.
vanced Il. and succeeding generations OF the
Adams line have continued 90 advance H. Years
age some one made the statement that "Amerl.
can history Is all cluttered up with Adamses"
and recent historian has amplIhed this state
ment by declaring. in America there is one fam.
SIS. and only one. that generation after genera.
ton has consistently and without interruption.
made contributions of the highest order 10 our
history and civilization" So II Is further proof
% the aptness OF the grandfather title that
John Adams started those contributions
The Adams family established In America
shout 1895 when n certain Henry Adams. prob.
ably because ~ a combination OF religious and
economic reasons. decided 10 leave England and
try hls luck 10 the New World By chance he
settled at place called Bralntree In Massachu.
setts- lie married and bad children, who In turn
married and handed down the family name This
went on Tor four generations without producing
any man of distinction until we come 10 John
Adams. farmer and shoemaker in Braintree
who married susanna Boylston daughter OF a
family prominent In the medical history OF The
colony
Then On October ~ 1875, there was born 10
John Adams and Susanna Boylston Adams
son 10 whom was given his fathers name with
the nfth generation in the person OF John Adams.
Historian. publicisi. diplomat President OF the
United States. the family NOT only suddenly
achieves national and International position. but
maintains IL In successive generations for two
centuries So writes James Trusow Adams "a
Virginia Adams by the way. and not related to
the Massachusetts clan) In his book. The Adams
Family fah1 ShaA hv f..r..