Illustrious men of the United States . .Adams was a son of Massachusetts — almost herworthiest son. Indeed, history will assign himthat place. All the departments of honor .thatour country could confer, were in successionbestowed on him. He was in diplomatic servicealmost from his childhood, and his old age wasended in the duty of a Representative. Bornin 1707, he was of an age to remember vividlythe startling ami wonderful things of the Revo-lution; and he lived to see all the mighty chan-ges in social and physical life, now so familiarto us. All the Courts in Europe were familiarto him; and
Illustrious men of the United States . .Adams was a son of Massachusetts — almost herworthiest son. Indeed, history will assign himthat place. All the departments of honor .thatour country could confer, were in successionbestowed on him. He was in diplomatic servicealmost from his childhood, and his old age wasended in the duty of a Representative. Bornin 1707, he was of an age to remember vividlythe startling ami wonderful things of the Revo-lution; and he lived to see all the mighty chan-ges in social and physical life, now so familiarto us. All the Courts in Europe were familiarto him; and his converse with the great and theillustrious has been exceeded by few, if by anyone of the sons of earth. He was the friendand the trusted of Washington. With Franklinhe was intimate as the pupil with the instruc-tor. .\To man saw more of the movements ofEurope in the eventful period succeeding ourRevolution. He was an auditor of Burke, andPitt, and Fox, and Sheridan; and could recall,in after days, the memory of their magnificent. fil oratory. The friend of freedom ever, he battledfor it by tongue and pen — and if this centuryhas received an impress of high and honorablefeeling- from any statesman, it has from administration as President was in a periodof high partizan strife; but we transcend norule of impartiality when we say, that it hasbeen by the voice of after years pronouncedpure. So lived the Great Adams. After tasting;— nay, drinking deeply, of all the honors ofmen — after establishing a name and fame in allthat is illustrious in diplomacy — in oratory —in government — in statesmanship — in learn-ing — he died — in the overflowing love ofhis fellow-men, who bore testimony in everycommonwealth in the Union, that the greatesthad fallen. With such a life — with the pros-pect of such a death — it was not strange thathe should leave as his last words — I am content.
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