He here wrote
his Davila, as a supplement to the former work, and his election to
the Presidency confirmed him in his errors. Innumerable addresses too,
artfully and industriously poured in upon him, deceived him into a
confidence that he was on the pinnacle of popularity, when the gulph was
yawning at his feet, which was to swallow up him and his deceivers. For
when General Washington was withdrawn, these _energumeni_ of royalism,
kept in check hitherto by the dread of his honesty, his firmness, his
patriotism, and the authority of his name, now mounted on the car of
State and free from control, like Phaeton on that of the sun, drove
headlong and wild, looking neither to right nor left, nor regarding
any thing but the objects they were driving at; until, displaying these
fully, the eyes of the nation were opened, and a general disbandment of
them from the public councils took place.
Mr. Adams, I am sure, has been long since convinced of the treacheries
with which he was surrounded during his administration. He has since
thoroughly seen, that his constituents were devoted to republican
government, and whether his judgment is resettled on its ancient basis,
or not, he is conformed as a good citizen to the will of the majority,
and would now, I am persuaded, maintain its republican structure with
the zeal and fidelity belonging to his character. For even an enemy has
said, 'He is always an honest man, and often a great one.
Pages:
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758