230

decision and would say what he thought,
even though it won him enemies.

After four years of worry and care,
which were, no doubt, the least happy of
his life, he was mortified by losing the re-
election. His chagrin was so great as to
lead him to make the lamentable mistake
of refusing to remain in Philadelphia to
witness the inauguration of his successful
rival, Thomas Jefferson. This caused a
breach of friendship which lasted thirteen

years. But there was never a more pte

and consvientious administration and pos |

terity has given its verdict in approval of

nearly all his measurers.
He lived to see his own son, John
Quiuey Adams, elected President of the

 

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

United States. At the age of ninety
years, on the 4th of July, 1826, he breath-
ed his last. Just before dying, when told
that it was the 4th of July, he said, “God
bless it; God bless you all; it is a great
and glorious day.”

Although cold of manner, he had a
powerful intellect and integrity. His one
defect in character was that he lacked that
genial sympathy which binds man to man,
He commanded respect but seldom won
love. However, it is hard to find any man
to whom America is more indebted for
those constitutions which comprise the
glory and power of our country, than to
John Adams. He firmly believed that
“truth crushed to earth would rise again.”

THOMAS JEFFERSON.

THIRD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

OT HOMAS JEFFERSON was born in

| Virginia, April 2, 1743. His boy-
hood was one of wealth, luxury and cul-
ture. He entered college at the age of
seventeen and there lived expensively ,keep-
ing fine horses, and was much caressed by
gay society. Still he was devoted to his
studies and irreproachable in his morals.
Strange that he was not ruined, but in the
second year of his college course some im-
pulse caused him to discard his horses
and society. He now devotes fifteen hours
a day to his books. He entered a law

 

office at the age of twenty-one; was a great
reader and a great writer, but was never
distinguished as a publicspeaker. Shortly
after he was admitted to the bar he was
chosen to a seat in the legislature of Vir-
ginia. In 1770 his house was burned and
his valuable library, constituting over 2000
He

A slave came to

volumes, was burned in the place.
was absent from home.
him with the dreadful news. ‘Were none
of my books saved?” asked Mr. Jefferson.
‘“None,”’

of the music-loving negro grew radiant as

was the reply, and then the face