334. 
aided by. the dexterous diplomacy, of Dr. 
Franklin. at Paris, enabled hex to annihilate 
the. British, troops.,, Of that illustrious 
band, the: heroes and statesmen of 1770.and 
1780, one only, now remains—the celebrated 
Marquis. La Fayette.,, He too (if report 
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS) © 
THE AMERICAN EX-PRESIDENTS, JOHN 
ADAMS, AND THOMAS JEFFERSON, ESQRS. 
The coincidence attendant on the depar- 
ture of these two transatlantic statesmen 
is very remarkable : they both died on the 
4th of July, the 50th anniversary of Ame- 
rican. independence, of which they had 
hoth been amongst the chief supporters. 
Taking the age of Mr. Jefferson at 33 
years when the declaration of independence 
was signed, and that of Mr. Adams at 40, 
which was the fact, it has been calculated, 
that the chance of their both then living 50 
years longer, and both dying at the precise 
expiration of the 50 years, was only as one 
to twelve hundred millions !— Of the political 
lives and characters of these remarkable men 
we are about to offer succinct sketches, 
commencing agreeably to priority of birth, 
and priority of Presidential honours. 
John Adams, the son of a wealthy yeo- 
man, was a native of Boston in New 
England. He appears to have been born 
in the year 1736. ‘Like his namesake Mr. 
Samuel Adams, he was educated (at Cam- 
bridge) for.the Jaw ; and so eminent were 
his attainments in that profession, that at 
an early age he was appointed Chief Jus- 
tice of the State, but he declined the office. 
Resisting the sccond attempt at taxation 
made by the mother country in 1767, nu- 
merous meetings of the inhabitants of Bos- 
ton teok place. At these meetings Mr. 
Adams, with Mr. Hancock; their great 
leader, and Mr. Samuel Adams, were 
very active in supporting the cause of li- 
berty and independence. In 1770 Mr. 
Adams ,was. teturned as a’ representative 
from Boston. ‘In the course of the same 
year an affray took place, in which the 
English soldiers fired upon the populace, 
three of whom were killed. Mr. Adams, 
notwithstanding his known political attach- 
ments, was retained as counsel for the sol- 
diers ; and, in conjunction with Mr. Quin- 
cey, he conducted the defence most ably 
and successfully. Arterwards he was 
equaily successful in his defence of Captain 
Preston. In 1774 he was elected a mem- 
ber of the Council; but the election was 
negatived by Goyernor Gage, from’ the 
part which he kad taken in politics. 
By this time Mr. Adams had. sacrificed 
his, profession, ‘and became altogether a 
eh character. _ From the year 1770 till 
1776 he was constantly engaged in all the 
measures which were adopted in defence 
of the colonies against the efforts of the 
English parliament. 
‘ 
Political Occurrences. 
In (G74, when the 
(Serr. 
speak truth) will; shertly, be Jost, to, the 
world, and thus the Jast link that binds. the 
present to the past:will be snepped, aud the: 
successful triumphs, of, Ameriea over the. 
unwarrantable slay ery of Englend. fe live 
alone in history. 
ISBTBAD & 
nad 
colonies determined to. hold a congress’ at 
Philadelphia, he was elected, with’ Mr. 
Samuel Adams, Mr. Cushing, and’ Mr: 
Treat Paine, to represent the province ‘of 
Massachuseit’s Bay. He was also one of 
the representatives of this province in the 
second ccngress.. In the memorable dis- 
cussions, of 1776, Mr. Adams and Mr. 
Dickenson took distinguished parts; the 
former for, the latter against the declara- 
tion of independence. The original mo- 
tion, by a member from Virginia, is said 
to haye been made at his suggestion: he 
seconded the motion, and supported it by 
powerful arguments. On a division, the 
cause of independence triumphed. By the 
committee who were appointed on the sub - 
ject of a separation from the mother coun- 
try, Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Adams—the 
former, it is understood, through the ‘ine 
_fiuence of the latter—were appointed a 
sub-committee to frame’a declaration of in- 
dependence. ‘The draft reported was that of 
Mr. Jefferson. From ’ this” peried’ tintil 
the peace Mr. Adams was employell in 
the same cause. On ‘the ‘capture by the’ 
English of Mr. Laurens, who ‘had been 
sent as ambassador to Holland, Mr. Adams 
was dispatched in his room, and was ad- 
mitted as Minister Plenipotentiary to the’ 
States. He succeeded also in procuring a 
loan, and in concluding treaties of amity and 
commerce. He was subsequently nomi-- 
nated, in conjunction with Dr. Franklin, 
Mr. Jay, and Mr. Laurens, commissioners 
for negotiating a peace with Great Britain. 
He joined his colleagues at Paris, and the 
preliminaries of peace were soon adjusted. 
He had the credit of insisting on ‘an ae-. 
knowledgment of independence previous 
to treating, and of securing the debts due 
to British subjects before the war. 
Soon after the signature ‘of the treaty, 
Mr. Adams had the hohour to be appoint- 
ed Minister Plenipotentiary from “the 
United States to the King’ of Great Bri- 
tain. On the adoption of the Constitution, 
in 1789, he was elected first Vice-President 
of the United States; during the whole pes’ 
riod ofthe presidency of Washington he filled 4 
the office of vice-president, and he’ Was as” 
uniformly consulted by the President on’ all’ 
important questions, as though he had been ’ 
a member of his cabinet.’ On ‘the death’ of 
Washington, Mr.’ Adams’ was: elected His!’ 
successor. He may be considered to have- 
been then at thé head’ of the federalists)” 
but at a subsequent period Of ‘his ' Tide he 
joined the republican. ranks, int Set teh 
disk 
