JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
Custom has sanctioned certain funeral honors on the de- cease of a man who has been President of the Republic, which, like the salute given to a military officer, affords no evidence of respect for his personal character. The honors paid to the memory of Adams were the outpour- ings of the heart of a great nation. The strife of faction was stilled, the voice of party was dumb, and the whole American people acknowledged and deplored the depart- ure of a PATRIOT. It is interesting, and may be useful, to inquire into the cause of this wonderful and universal at- testation, in the midst of high poUtical excitement, to the merits of a public man.
Mr. Adams had long been in public life ; but his career, for the most part, had not been calculated to win the affections of the people. It was commenced in the Fede- ral party. He incurred the deep hostility of that party by abandoning it at a critical and important juncture, and exposed his motives to suspicion by accepting office from his late opponents. The democratic party, which had welcomed him into its bosom, and had abundantly rewarded what was deemed his apostacy, he abandoned in turn, and, as a Whig, became its active and zealous foe. Much of his life was passed at foreign courts ; an'd, a] - though always able, he gathered no unusual laurels in tht field of diplomacy. Having never borne arms, no mili- tary halo encircled his brow. In 1824, at a period of singular party disorganization, he was one of four candi- dates for the Presidency. He received -fewer votes than one of his competitors, but, as neither had a majority of the whole number, the election devolved on the House of Representatives. By that body he was chosen President by the smallest possible majority, and the vote of one of the largest States was decided in his favor by a single ballot. Instantly the whole country resounded with