Vermont Watchman And State Journal

A SKETCH OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

John Quincy Adams was born at Braintree, Mass. on Saturday, July 11th, 1767. Towards the close of the year 1777, John Adams, his father, was appointed Joint Commissioner, with Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee, to the court of Versailles.—John Adams sailed from Boston for France in February 1778, and took with him his son, John Quincy Adams, then in his 9th year. During his stay in France, about 18 months, young Adams was kept in a French school studying the French language and the classics. The diplomatic arrangements having been brought to a fortunate close, the father and son returned to America. They arrived in Boston on the 1st of August, 1779. Three months afterwards John Adams was despatched to Europe again by Congress, and he took his son, John Quincy, with him. The frigate they sailed in was commanded by Col. Tucker. When on the voyage it was pursued by a British man-of-war. All hands were piped for action. It was on this occasion that John Adams, casting aside his diplomatic character, stationed himself with the sailors by the side of a cannon, resolved to fight to the last, rather than to suffer the ship to be taken. The American vessel escaped, and having sprung a leak, they were forced to put into a port in Spain, and from thence John Adams and his son pursued their journey by land to Paris. From Paris they went to Holland. The younger Adams was placed in a school in Paris, afterwards in Amsterdam, and finally in the University of Leyden.

In July, 1781, Francis Dana, (father to the poet, R. H. Dana,) who was Secretary to the Embassy of John Adams, was commissioned as Plenipotentiary to Russia, and he took with him John Quincy Adams, then only 14 years of age, as his private Secretary. His letters thus early, displayed a marked intelligence and power of observation. He remained in Russia till 1782, when he left St. Petersburg and returned alone through Sweden and Denmark, to Holland, spending the winter on the route, and stopping some time in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Hamburg. In Holland he stopped some months, and left with his father for Paris, where he was present at the signing of the treaty of Peace in 1783, and from that time till 1785 he was with his father in England, Holland, as well as in France.

While in England he had frequent opportunities of being present in the British Parliament, and of listening to the eloquence of Burke, Pitt, Fox, Sheridan, and other British orators of that day, whose wonderful talents adorned the British nation. In his 18th year, he returned to his native land, and entered Harvard University, and graduated in 1787 with distinguished honor. He then entered the office of Theophilus Parsons, at Newburyport. After completing his profession, he commenced the practice of law in Boston, and remained there four years. In the summer of 1791 he wrote a series of articles which appeared in the Centinel, under the signature of Publicola, containing remarks upon the 1st part of Paine's Rights of Man. These pieces were reprinted in England. In April, 1793, before Washington had published his proclamation of Neutrality, or it was known he contemplated doing so, Mr. Adams published three articles under the signature of Marcellus, taking strong ground that the United States ought to assume that ground His motto was, 'Union among ourselves, and Independence of all entangling alliances with foreign powers.' In the winter of 1793-4 he published another series of papers, vindicating the course of President Washington in reference to Genet, the French Minister.

In 1794 he was appointed by Washington, Minister to the Netherlands. This was done without the knowledge of his father. It is said that Mr. Jefferson was one who recommended the appointment. From 1794 to 1801 he was in Europe, in diplomatic missions to Holland, England and Prussia, and concluded an important treaty with the latter power. At the close of his father's Administration he returned home, landing at Philadelphia in September, 1801.

In 1802, he was elected to the Massachusetts Senate, and soon after was elected by the Legislature a United States Senator from the 4th of March 1803. While a Senator in Congress, he was appointed Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory in Harvard University. His lectures were published in 2 volumes. They were delivered during the recesses of Congress. He resigned his seat in the U. S. Senate in 1808. In 1809. Madison sent him Minister to Russia. While in Russia he wrote a series of letters, which were published in the Port Folio. entitled 'Journal of a tour through Silesia.' They were re-published in England, reviewed in the leading journals of the day, and afterwards translated into French and German.

By his instrumentality, the Emperor of Russia was induced to mediate for peace, between Great Britain and America. President Madison named him at the head of the Commissioners to negotiate a treaty which brought the war of 1812 to a close. This celebrated transaction took place at Ghent in December, 1814. His colleagues were Henry Clay and Albert Gallatin. Mr. Adams was then appointed Minister to England. In 1817 he was called home by President Monroe, to be in his Cabinet, as Secretary of State. This was the close of Mr. Adams' career as a foreign Minister. It was perhaps the most brilliant, as it was the most varied, portion of his life. No representative of our Government has at all approached him in the length and variety of his services, or the importance of those services to his country.

The Department of State was held by Mr. Adams the whole of Mr. Monroe's Presidential life, eight years. Mr. Adams was one of the four candidates for President in 1824. There was no choice in the Electoral College. Gen. Jackson had 99 votes, Mr. Adams 84, Wm. H. Crawford 41, and Henry Clay 37. The election devolved upon the House of Representatives. They were to select from the three highest candidates. Although Gen. Jackson had received more electoral votes than Mr Adams, yet Mr. Adams had received as large a popular vote as Jackson. Thirteen States were necessary to a choice by the House. The ballots were thrown, and Mr. Adams was elected President of the United States. He received the votes of the six New England States, with New York Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Louisiana—thirteen in all.

Mr. Adams was President four years. He retired from the White House in 1829, to make room for the hero of New Orleans. For the first time in 36 years, he retired to private life. In 1831, he was elected by nearly an unanimous vote, a member of Congress, by the voters of his native district, which post he has continued to hold and to adorn, unto this day.

We have thus briefly sketched, from an article in the American Review, a few of the prominent points in the career of this illustrious statesman and patriot. Mr. Adams is the most wonderful man of the age. His career as a statesman, commenced with the Revolution, and has continued with but a short period of repose, until now. What immense stores of knowledge he must have garnered up in the vast treasure house of his mind. He has been great from the beginning of his career. Great in the period in which he has lived; great in the services he has rendered to his country; great in his youth, his manhood, and his old age; great as an orator and statesman, and great in the purity of his private character. Massachusetts has given birth to a race of great and good men; but to no one greater or better than John Quincy Adams.