John Adams

A few months ago Momma Mooselet sent me the biography John Adams, by David McCullough. I am ashamed to say that despite being from the same state as the second US President, and despite as a teenager walking past his house, now a museum and historical landmark, more times than I can remember, I knew next to nothing about him other than he was the second US President.

I finally finished it after many weeks of squeezing in readings in between everything else I'm doing. The book was very well written and was easy to read - in fact, it was fascinating. John Adams was a prolific writer - he wrote to just about anyone who wrote to him, wrote letters to newspapers, essays, legal briefs as well as keeping a journal. The vast majority of his writings have been preserved, from his courtship letters to his future wife Abigail to his post-President correspondence. He was a typical New Englander - pragmatic, practical and tight with money - but was also incredibly intelligent. He also possessed a keen insight into humanity, and some of his comments could have taken place today and not limited to the 17th century.

I offer some quotes from the book that I found either interesting or relevant. I have put the page in my copy (see the picture) in which the quote appears - if you have this book it may vary by a page or so:

Unfaithfulness in public stations is deeply criminal [he wrote to Abigail]. But there is no encouragement to be faithful. Neither profit, nor honor, nor applause is acquired by faithfulness... There is too much corruption, even in this infant age of our Republic. Virtue is not in fashion. Vice is not infamous. (pg 160)

I believe there is no one principle in which predominates in human nature so much in every stage of life, from the cradle to the grave, in males and females, old and young, black and white, rich and poor, high and low, as this passion for superiority. (pg 170)

There are persons whom in my heart I despise, others I abhor. Yet I am not obliged to inform the one of my contempt, nor the other of my detestation. This kind of dissimulation ... is a necessary branch of wisdom, and so far from being immoral ... that is a duty and a virtue. (pg 208)

If there is one central truth to be collected from the history of all ages, it is this: that the people's rights and liberties, and the democratical mixture in a constitution, can never be preserved without a strong executive, or, in other words, without separating the executive from the legislative power. If the executive power, or any considerable part of it, is left in the hands of an aristocratical or democratical assembly, it will corrupt the legislature as necessarily as rust corrupts iron, or as arsenic poisons the human body; and when the legislature is corrupted, the people are undone. (pg 375)

[To son Thomas] Public business, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be dome by somebody or other. if wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not. A young man should weigh well his plans. Integrity should be preserved in all events, as essential to his happiness, through every stage of his existence. His first maxim then should be to place his honor out of reach of all men. In order to do this he must make it a rule never to become dependent on public employments for subsistence. Let him have a trade, a profession, a farm, a shop, something where he can honestly live, and then he may engage in public affairs, if invited, upon independent principles. My advice to my children is to maintain an independent character. (pg 415)

There is nothing I dread so much as a division of the Republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader and converting measures in opposition to each other. (pg 422)

Mankind will in time discover that unbridled majorities are as tyrannical and cruel as unlimitied despots. (pg 443-4, on the execution of King Louis XVI)

Is the present state of the national republic enough? Is virtue the principle of our government? Is honor? Or is ambition and avarice, adulation, baseness, covetousness, the thirst for riches, indifference concerning the means of rising and enrichng, the contempt of principle, the spirit of party and of faction the motive and principle that governs? (pg 588)

Our electioneering racers have started for the prize. Such a whipping and spurring and huzzaing! Oh what rare sport it will be! Through thick and thin, though mire and dirt, through bogs and fens and sloughs, dashing and splashing and crying out, the devil take the hindmost. How long will it be possible that honor, truth or virtue should be respected among a people who are engaged in such a quick and perpetual succession of such profligate collisions and conflicts? (pg 591)

This country has done much, I wish it may do more, and annul every narrow idea in religion, government and commerce. (pg 631)

You are not singular in your suspicions that you know but little. The longer I live, the more I read, the patiently I think, and the more anxiously I inqure, the less I seem to know... Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. This is enough... So questions and so answers your affectionate grandfather [to granddaughter Caroline]. (pg 650)

The mini-series that was made from this biography will be on Foxtel, on Showcase, and I'm looking forward to watching it as it was nominated for a bucketload of Emmy's. Although with my schedule of late I may purchase a copy and watch it on my own schedule as I had to do with the series The Tudors.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, regardless of your interest in history or nationality as I have found people are people no matter what country they live in. If any local Aussie's want to borrow my copy let me know and you're welcome to it. My only warning would be if you are a fan of Thomas Jefferson - the third US President and much better known - then this book will give you fits. Jefferson is not presented in the best light, and I was left wondering why Jefferson gets a memorial in Washington D.C. and Adams is forgotten.

I can only hope yellojkt will start counting biographies in his NationalJustReadMoreNovels months as this book beats a lot of novels out there.