| Show Ti Th n h f m SOU C n t 1 8 i iI 1 I d YH t W By ELMO SCOTT WATSON g knows that Hint Geor George e WashIngton Wash of Ills fIls Colin Ington was the UIO Father E try but how many know that 8 aman ma man three years youn younger er than Wash WashIngton Washa Ington was the Grandfather of Ill Ills Ilia Country n Paradoxical rara though such euch a star state 1 a Fr went ment may be be yet there Is 15 some Justification for or giving that title litle a aa as asa a recent biographer o of John Adam dots does to the man who was wan born horn In 1 Mass on October 30 1735 17 i Just just 00 years ago This blob biographer calls Adams the Grandfather o of Ill Country because he be was the man man who was wa s primarily responsible for or making chIef ln chief In of the Continental army thereby starting the Virginian on the road which led JeLl to his becoming the Father Although the actual nomination of ot Washington for tor that position was made In the Continental congress by Thomas Johnson of Maryland Marland yet yett ot It t was vms Adams who developed the sentiment which caused the nomination to be ratified When congress urged thereto by Adams adopted the New England troops around Boston as a Conti Conti- Continental Continental army and began looking aroun around 1 for a ln commander chief Adams realized that the selection of an any of the New England officers for forthe forthe the post would be be certain to result In an outbreak out out- outbreak outbreak break of ot Inter colonial Jealousies So he pro pro- proposed proposed fl posed sed that an outsider be brought In and sug sug- suggested suggested ested the name of the man who as nil a major In inthe Inthe the Virginia Colonial forces had distinguished himself l during the Ill fated Braddock expedition 20 O years earlier Not only would this accomplish accomplish accomplish Its purpose of ot preventing preventing III feeling among the New Englanders but a aa a compliment to Virginia It would also guarantee guarantee more enthusiastic astl astir support of the revolutionary re movement by bythe bythe the southern brethren The history of tile the Revo Rero- Revolution lution Is ample proof of the wisdom of John Adams and what a n master stroke of ot dIplomacy his sug suggestion turned out to be But Hut his part In making i icom com com- corn ln chief In-chief was not the only factor In Justi justi- justi justifying Justifying his right to the title of Grandfather of Ills Country Another historian has hns summed up the other lither factors as follows Ills public services extended over a period of 25 years ears and In that crowded quarter of a century he contributed ns as much to the creation and development de of hIs country as ns any man of his time lie Ill was the statesman who formulated the political to blast parliamentary prerogatives es he was the courageous patriot who forced a reluctant con con- congress congress gress along the road to revolution re and defended the Declaration of Independence he was the uncompromising diplomat who brought military end financial aid to the American cause wrested miraculously favorable terms from Great Britain and stubbornly protected American interests from the supposed machinations of wily Euro Euro- European Penn an diplomats he was the solon who wrote the model constitution for Massachusetts be was the President who heroically chose peace Instead war of war with France and broke the power of the pernicious clique To this might be added these other facts facia he was among the first to recognize clearl clearly that In In dependence of the colonies was Inevitable and union essential although Thomas Jefferson did the actual writing of the Declaration of or Inde Inde- Inde- Inde Independence Independence pt It contained many of the tyre lie very prin prin- principles principles principles which Adams had been expounding day after aUer day for two years he played an important Important tant part In establishing the American navy he was one of the most I vigorous orous defenders of the Constitution after It was adopted he had a hand In giving to the nation the greatest Inter Inter- Interpreter preter of that Constitution for he as President President dent made John Marshall chief Justice of ot the Supreme court he was a prophet In forecasting the economic development of the United States and In wishing to adapt the frame rame of government go Sn in the future to that basis and the general principles of a government go for or which he stood have survived sUr to this day duy and are still showing a great degree dree of ot Influence It has become almost axiomatic that genius rarely It If ever transmits Itself and that great reat fathers seldom beget beJet great sons SODS But John Adams comes as near perhaps as any other American to being the exception which proves the rule For his son John Quincy Adams kept Dp the standard set by his father tather and even all all- ad advanced It and succeeding generations of ot the Adams line have continued to advance it It Years ago some one made the statement that Ameri Amerl can history Is all cluttered up with and a recent historian has amplified this state stale statement ment meat by declaring In America there Is one family fam fam- family ily Sly and only one that generation after genera genera- generation generation tion has consistently and without Interruption made contributions of ot the highest order to our history and civilization cI So It Is further proof of the aptness of the grandfather title that John Adams started those contributions The Adams family was established In America about aboul boul 1636 when a certain Henry Adams probably probably probably ably because of a combination of religious and economic reasons decided to to leave England and try hl his luck In the New World By lly chance he settled at a place called Braintree In Belts setta lie Ile married and had children who In la turn married and handed down the family name This went ent on for four generations without producing coy any man of ot distinction until we come to John Joho Adams a farmer and shoemaker In Braintree who married Susanna Boylston daughter of ot a family prominent In the medical history of ot the colony Then on un October 30 1 1735 i there wua born to John Adams and Susanna Boylston Adams ason a aIon son Ion to whom was given ghen his fathers father's name the fifth generation In the person of ot John Adams historian publicist diplomat President of the United States the family not only suddenly achieves oes national and International position but maintains It In 10 successive generations for tor two c centuries So writes James Truslow Adams a aVirginia aVirginia Virginia Adams by the way and not oot related to the Massachusetts clan In his book The Adams Faintly published by Little Brown and com com- puny of Boston a few years ears ago agu Was Waa Vas It due to some mysterious result from the combination ot of Adams and Boylston blood far nr beyond the ken or of science even today or to some unfathomable synchronism between the peculiar qualities o of the und and the whole social atmosphere of the next few generations a subtle Interplay of unknown forces or to mere chance hi tl a universe In which atoms rust rusL and collide chaotically 1 Faa Faa- r I 1 r t fa I F r D y ti tio o of E One Pres d n nE no her pr i a w di I Y t tI t 9 r J ee Y A I a l The of the Declaration of T r 3 Adams b the first fin figure at the left standing t I i r LI L I Y pl t t rt k fN sg Yas Sat w White House i m n 1801 gloating us Is s tin the Hie It tt Is 18 Insoluble All we shall see Is that without warning like a fault In i n the geologic record there Is s a sudden and Im- Im Immense Im Immense mense rise recorded In the psychical energy ot of the family As a matter of ot fact act there was not much In inthe th the early history of John Adams to Indicate the eminence pre eminence that was to be his Ills lie was graduated graduated from Harvard college e In li 1755 5 and for a time was principal of a n grammar school at Worcester Three years lars later he began practicing law In Suffolk coon COlin and first became outstanding amon among his hia fellow citizens when at a town meet meet- meeting meeting ing he was the author and mover mo of the notable stamp act resolutions Moving to Boston In 1763 he was chosen a representative to the general court two years cars later and In 1774 he was made one of the delegates from Massachusetts to the first Continental congress Upon his return he was made a member from Braintree to the provincial prO congress then In session and In 1775 he became a n member ot of the historic second Continental congress WithIn a year Adams who was the most outspoken ot of the advocates of ot Independence from the Mother Country became a leader lealler In bringing that about With the 6 same came me political sagacity which he be had shown In having a Virginian selected as os head bead ot of the Continental army he be Influenced another Vir Virginian ginian Richard Henry Lee to Introduce In June 1776 the resolution for the separation and he seconded that Introduction When the resolution came came up for tor debate Lee was absent and Adams was Its chief defender for there were a number of ot delegates who still were In favor avor of ot patching up the colonies dif dif dif- differences differences with England Having promoted the Idea of Independence It was only natural that Adams should be named on the committee of ot five fhe to draw up such a declaration Thomas Jefferson of Virginia was chosen en chairman of the com com- committee committee committee which was composed o of Adams Benjamin Franklin of ot Pennsylvania no Roger er Sherman of ot Connecticut and Robert R n Livingston ston of New v York NewYork According to Adams autobiography he and andI I Jefferson were appointed d by the committee to prepare a rough draft of ot the document and when Jefferson proposed that Adams write this draft he declined for the following reasons as os he gives them 1 I That he was a Virginian and I 1 a 2 That he was a southern man and I was a Q northern one 3 That I 1 hall had been so obnoxious for my early and onel constant zeal In promoting the measure that every ery draft of mine would undergo a more severe scrutiny and criticism In congress sa than of his tion composition 4 And lastly and that would be reason enough If there were no DO other I had a great opinIon of ot the elegance of his pen and none at atall all of my own I therefore Insisted that no DO hesi hesi- hesitation tation tatton should be mad made on un his part He lie accord accord- accordingly took the minutes and In a day or two pro pro- ed dUl-ed produced to his me draft So o John Adams passed up his chance to be Declaration th the author of ot the Declara thou tion of or Independence and that honor fell tell to Thomas Jefferson Among the other distinctions that belong to John Adams Is la th the rather dubious one that he hewa was the Father of the Fourth For after the Continental nW congress had adopted the th atlon of ot Independence on July 2 1770 1776 Adams wrote to his wife The day will be the most memorable epoch In the history of America I am apt to believe that It a will ill be by succeeding genera genera- generations generations generations as the great anniversary festival It ought to be commemorated as the day of ot del deliverance erance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty It ought to be solemnized d with pomp and parades with shows games James sports guns bells bonfires and Illuminations from Crom one end of ot this continent to the other r from this time forward forever forevermore forevermore forevermore more Adams part In bringing about the Declaration ot of Independence would have been enough to guarantee his Immortality If he had never done anything more But It was destined to be only the beginning of ot his service to the nation which he had hall helped establish In the same year he was made chief justice of his state but resigned the next year ear to become chairman of the board ot of war and ordnance In 1778 jiS he was appointed commissioner to I France rance to secure aid uld in the struggle for liberty and the next year he was appointed minister to negotiate a treaty with England In 1780 1730 he was sent to Holland to negotiate a loan lonn rpm that country and In the same year ear was made macJe minister to Holland with Q a special commission to sign the articles of armed neutrality Recalled to Paris In 1781 liSl the following year ear lie he negotiated a loan Joan of ot two millions In Holland and concluded a treaty of ot commerce and amity with the Dutch Next he be acted as one of the commissIoners in concluding the treaty of peace which ended the Revolution He and he became our first minister to the Court of St St James Elected to the Continental congress In liBS 1753 he was chosen en the first vice president In our history In 1753 liS and was elected re-elected when Washington was re re- reelected reelected elected re-elected elected President Finally In 1796 came the climax cli- cli cli climax ma max of ot his career when he lie became President ot of the United States After that his career was something of ot nn an climax climax anti for he proved to be a very unpopular President and was denied a second secund term After Arter the adoption of ot the Constitution and during his terms as vice lee president and President he and his friend Thomas Jefferson colleagues In the great work worl of ot writing the Declaration of ot Inde Inele- Independence Independence slowly drifted apart Adams the Fed Fed- Federalist was an advocate of a stron strong government go Jefferson the he Republican strong In his bis faith In the wisdom of the people chain phoned the cause of ot democracy and states rights Embittered b by his defeat by Jefferson during the I campaign of 1800 ISOO when he was a candidate for election forre-election election re-election Adams clattered out of Washington on that cold gray morning of March 4 1811 1801 and returned to private life me to his bis farm and antI his friends and his books Seated In an old oltI arm arm- armchair armchair armchair chair In to his well stocked library he took up again oguin his study of ot philosophy and history re- re renewed renewed re renewed his Interrupted but never Dever broken friend friendship ship with Jefferson watched the dissolution ot of the Federalist party with a certain grim satisfaction satis satis- satisfaction satisfaction faction and thought much on religion and on death Death came for him on an historic day July day July 4 18 It was the fiftieth anniversary of the sign sIgn- signing lug ing of or the Declaration of Independence and a agala agala agala gala day throughout the land The people had bad wanted Adams and Jefferson to take part In ha their festivities But Hut the tired old man he was one one ninety In Braintree Mass could not leave lea his home At 4 o'clock In the afternoon ho died Ills last words were Thomas Jefferson still urea lives lIe He did did- not know that down In Vir Ir Virginia ginia another tired old man of or three eighty bad already slipped quietly Into an au endless sleep ut- ut utter ter ter asking Doctor Is It the Fourth yet JeU It wu was then Just an no hour bour after midnight C e Newspaper U Union loll |
