John Adams

JOHN ADAM S JOHN T. JMTORSB, JR. BOSTON . ANI NEW YORK HOTJGHTON MIFFLIN COMPAJSHT iber it e ftJ PI017GHTOTT WIF LIN COMPAlTt Copyright, 1884 and 1898, Bi JOHN T. MORSE, JR. Copyright, 1898, Br HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN CO, All rights reserved. EDITORS INTRODUCTION FOLLOWING the Revolutionary Period of our history came what may be designated as the Constructive Period. The second group of bio graphies in the present series deals with that epoch, and includes John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, John Jay, and John Marshall. On the 19th day of October, 1781, Lord Cornwallis surrendered. As a consequence, Great Britain, after fifteen months of delay and much unworthy caviling, brought herself to admit explicitly in a treaty of peace the in dependence of her ex-colonies. Yet though warfare was over, this was by no means the reaching of an end on the part of the eman cipated States on the contrary, they had not even made a beginning they had rendered it possible, but as yet this was all. It was on September 3, 1783, that our commissioners set their signatures to the definitive treaty. It was not until the autumn of 1788 that the Constitu vi EDITORS INTRODUCTION tion, which really created the national unit, the United States, was adopted. It was not until the end of March, 1789, that Washington took the oath of office, and it was already April when enough delegates had at last come together to admit the organization of Congress. The inter vening years, filled with anxious and bitter expe riences, have never formed an attractive subject of study. No great name is connected with them, and they are always hastily passed over in ordsr to come to the Constitutional Convention. That theConstitution was framed and accepted is among the wonders of the worlds history. The convention adopted, but never agreed and when the instrument was referred to the several States, many delegates in the state conventions gave yea votes without faith. One would fancy a Destiny at work to bring such a result out of such conditions. Able men were in the ranks of the-opponents of ratification, but the end of the business left them with the character of ob structionists. Therefore with them this series has no concern, save only so far as Patrick Henry had previously earned his place in our list. That patriot seems unfortunately, in these days of a new crisis, to have lost the clear fore sight, the prophetic instinct of his earlier years, and he led the fight in Virginia against ratifi EDITORS INTRODUCTION TU cation with a vehement ardor that was veiy dangerous. The men who first devised the Constitution and then made it operative, who invented our governmental machine, and who then set it at work and ran it successfully until it ceased to be regarded as a duhious experiment, these are the subjects of the second group of biogra phies in this series. Washington was chosen to preside over the convention. He had lately proved, though the fact is only of late becoming fully appreciated, that he was a great military genius. He was now about to show a not less distinguished ability in civil government K lias been a serious misfortune for Washington that he possessed so high a character, that he was endowed with such various capacities, and that he had such a power to succeed, and always honorably. Much namby-pamby moral izing, much pompous laudation, have tempted cheap wit, in reaction, to hackclumsily on his memory. Twaddle and jesting concerning him are offenses which certain classes of persons can never be prevented from committing. But his reputation cannot be seriously affected by either of these forms of misfortune, and he is sure to take permanent rank among the grandest and noblest of the heroes of all mankind. In the viii EDITOKS INTRODUCTION position of president of the convention he joined little in debate, but he exerted a great influence towards agreement...