John Adams, painted in 1792-3 when George Washington was still US President (1789-1797) and Adams was his Vice-President. Adams, a lawyer, was one of the leading figures in the American colonies’ breakaway in 1775-1783, and closely involved in the drafting of the US Constitution signed in 1776. See posts tagged American Revolutionary War (9).
Introduction
On October 11th, 1798, President John Adams told officers of a Massachusetts militia brigade that the United States’ historic Constitution (which he had helped to write) was never about centralised Power. Unlike politicians over in Europe, he said, he would not promise to conjure up order out of a selfish, thoughtless and pleasure-seeking society.
WHILE our country remains untainted with the principles and manners which are now producing desolation in so many parts of the world; while she continues sincere, and incapable of insidious and impious policy, we shall have the strongest reason to rejoice in the local destination assigned us by Providence.
But should the people of America once become capable of that deep simulation* towards one another, and towards foreign nations, which assumes the language of justice and moderation while it is practising iniquity and extravagance, and displays in the most captivating manner the charming pictures of candour, frankness, and sincerity, while it is rioting in rapine* and insolence, this country will be the most miserable habitation in the world; because we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry,* would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.* Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.*
From a speech to the officers of the first brigade of the third division of the militia of Massachusetts on October 11th, 1798. Reprinted in ‘The Works of John Adams, second President of the United States’ Vol. IX (1854), by John Adams (1735-1826). Adams was US President from 1797 to 1801.
* Simulation here means ‘pretence, dishonesty.’
* ‘Rapine’ is violent robbery.
* ‘Gallantry’ is used today to mean honourable conduct in battle or towards a lady, but in past generations it could also carry a very negative connotation, implying fashionable immorality, a dandified and self-gratifying ‘gallantry’ that was intended to flirt, flatter and seduce.
* The great Athenian statesman Solon (?630-?555 BC) made the same kind of analogy, so Diogenes Laertius tells us in his Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. “He compared laws to spiders’ webs, which stand firm when any light and yielding object falls upon them, while a larger thing breaks through them and makes off.”
* “Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws” John’s cousin Samuel Adams had written back in 1749 “will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt.” See Edmund Burke on There is No Liberty without Self-Control.
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Assign. Desolation. World.
2 Become. Candor. Justice.
3 Cord. Miserable. Moderation.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Broke.
Broken.
2.
By.
Through.
3.
Captive.
Captivated.
4.
Destiny.
Destination.
5.
Practice.
Practise.
6.
Principal.
Principle.
7.
Sole.
Only.
8.
Stay.
Remain.
9.
Through.
Thorough.
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Reason. 2 Practise. 3 Make. 4 Produce. 5 Assume. 6 Arm. 7 Net. 8 Break. 9 Remain.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
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