President-electAdamsfocusedhisinauguraladdressonunity.AdamssaidtheConstitutionandtherepresentativedemocracyoftheUnitedStateshadprovedasuccess.Thenationwasfreeandstrongandstretchedacrossthecontinent,fromtheAtlanticOceantothePacific.
Henotedthatduringthepast10years,politicalpartydifferenceshadeased.Sonow,hesaid,itwastimeforthepeopletosettletheirdifferencesandmakeatrulynationalgovernment.
Adamsclosedhisspeechbyrecognizingthathewasaminoritypresident.Nocandidatehadreceivedamajorityofelectoralvotes.SotheHouseofRepresentativeshadtomakethedecision.TheHousechoseAdamsasthenextpresident.HetoldthecrowdgatheredattheCapitolthatheneededthehelpofeveryoneintheyearstocome.
Presidents-electusedtogivetheirinauguraladdressbeforetheirswearingin.So,afterhisspeech,JohnQuincyAdamstooktheoathofofficethatmadehimthesixthpresidentoftheUnitedStates.
HistorianHarlowGilesUngerwroteabiographyofJohnQuincyAdams–"Quinzy"incidentallyishowthefamilypronouncedit.ThehistoriantellsthisstoryaboutAbigailAdamsandhersonin1775inMassachusettsduringtheRevolutionaryWar.
"Whenherfirst-bornsonJohn,JohnQuincy,wasseven,theyheardthecannonfireinthedistanceandtheywentuptothetopofthehillbehindtheirfarmhouseandcouldlookacrossBostonHarborandseetheBattleofBunkerHill.Andshetookherboybythehandandtheywentbackdowntothehouseandshestartedmeltingdownthefamilypewter,withJohnQuincyhelpingher,andmakingmusketballsfortheAmericanrevolutionarytroops."
AbigailandJohnAdamswerestrongpatriots.TheywereoneofthefoundingfamiliesofAmerica.HarlowGilesUngersaysAbigailAdamsraisedJohnQuincytoservehiscountry.
"Shetoldhersonthatifyoudonotgrowuptobeagreatleaderofthiscountry,itwillbebecauseofyourownlazinessandobstinacy.Sheandherhusband,JohnAdams,atthatpointdecidedtoraisetheirsontobethepresidentoftheUnitedStates."
HegraduatedfromHarvardandwasworkingasalawyerbytheageof23.
"Hewasabrilliant,brilliantyoungboyandman."
Forabout25years,Adamsheldmostlyappointedjobs.HewasambassadortotheNetherlands,Germany,RussiaandBritain.HehelpedleadthenegotiationsthatendedtheWarof1812betweenBritainandtheUnitedStates.Andheservedeightyearsassecretaryofstate.
Adamsspentmostofhiscareerworkinginpublicservice.HarlowGilesUngersayshecouldbeimpatient,especiallywithlawmakers.
"HedespisedmostofthepoliticianshemetinCongressbecausehefoundthemtobeignorantandself-serving,withnosenseofpatriotismandsenseofobligationtothenation."
JohnQuincyAdamsdidnotcareforpoliticalbattles.Whenhebecamepresident,hetriedtobringhispoliticalopponentsandthedifferentpartsofthecountrytogetherinhiscabinet.Hisopponents,however,refusedtoserve.And,althoughhiscabinetincludedsoutherners,hedidnotreallyhavethesupportoftheSouth.
InhisfirstmessagetoCongress,PresidentAdamsdescribedhisideasaboutthenationalgovernment.Thechiefpurposeofthegovernment,hesaid,wastoimprovethelivesofthepeopleitgoverned.Todothis,heofferedanationalprogramofbuildingroadsandcanals.Healsoproposedanationaluniversityandanationalscientificcenter.
"Thecountrywasnowsplitting.TheSouth,mostoftheSouth,hadneveracceptedtheConstitutionassuch.TheConstitutiondidawaywithstatesovereignty,butmanyAmericansneveracceptedthat,andespeciallyintheSouth."
ThepoliticalpictureintheUnitedStatesbegantochangeduringtheadministrationofJohnQuincyAdams.HisopponentswoncontrolofbothhousesofCongressintheelectionsof1826.
DemocratsneededthesupportofboththeWestandtheSouthtoelectJackson.SotheyproposedabillthatappearedtohelptheWest.
Thebillinvolvedimporttaxes.Anumberofwesternstateswanteddutiesonindustrialgoodsimportedfromothercountries.Thepurposewastoprotecttheirownindustries.
Southernstates,however,opposedtheimportduties.Theyproducednoindustrialgoodsthatneededprotection.TheyarguedthattheConstitutiondidnotgivethegovernmentinWashingtontherighttoapprovesuchtaxes.
TheDemocratsexpectedCongresstodefeatthebilltheyproposed.TheythoughttheWestwouldbegratefulthattheDemocratshadtriedtohelpthem.AndtheSouthwouldbehappythattherewouldbenoimporttaxes.
ThebillpassedinboththeHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenate.ThisleftPresidentAdamswithadifficultdecision.ShouldhesignitintolawOrshouldhevetoit
Ifhesignedthebill,itwouldshowhebelievedthattheConstitutionallowedprotectiveduties.ThatdecisionwouldcreateevenmoreoppositiontohimintheSouth.Ifhevetoedit,thenhewouldlosesupportintheWestandNortheast.Adamssignedthebill.ButhemadeclearthatCongresswasfullyresponsibleforit.
DemocratsinCongressmadeotherattemptstoweakensupportforAdams.Forexample,theyclaimedthathewasmisusinggovernmentmoney.Theytriedtoshowthathe,andhisfatherbeforehim,hadbecomerichfromgovernmentservice.
Othersaccusedhimofgivinggovernmentjobstohissupporters.Thischargewasfalse.TopadministrationofficialshadurgedAdamstogivegovernmentjobsonlytomenwhowereloyaltohim.ButAdamshadrefused.Hefeltthataslongassomeonehaddonenothingwrong,heshouldcontinueinhisjob.
Duringhisfouryearsaspresident,Adamsremoved12peoplefromgovernmentjobs.Ineachcase,thepersonhadfailedtodohisworkorhaddonesomethingcriminal.
HistorianHarlowGilesUngersaysJohnQuincyAdamswasneverabletomeetthehighexpectationsmanyhadforhim.
"Hispresidencywasacompletefailure.Hewasabletoaccomplishnothing."
ThepamphletaccusedJacksonofmanybadthings.Themostdamagingpartinvolvedthewifeofanotherman.Thatwillbeourstorynextweek.