FFQF: John Adams Goes to Spain

See what’s up with today’s FFQF at Meet the Founders blog

Hands down, I think the venerable John Adams was the most humorous of the founding fathers. Adams had a deliciously dry and wry wit which seemed to ooze from his masterful brain out of his pen onto the parchment. He was perceptive, extremely thoughtful, terribly critical, and ferociously funny. Reading his writings is so much fun!

Adams visited Spain during the Revolution, when he crossed through the country on his way to serve as the American commissioner in France. A little background: He and his young son, John Quincy, has survived a harrowing journey across the Atlantic, during winter. Their ship had been attacked by the British (scary for a person whose head was wanted) and a terrible storm had damaged the ship. The ship, unable to continue to France directly, had landed on the Spanish coast. John and his son and the rest of the passengers and crew had to travel through Spain on wagon and on donkey to France. Adams told his tale in the form of a journal, which is rich in stories and history. Adams, a staunch Protestant Congregationalist, was quite detailed of what he found in Catholic Spain.

So this is what he wrote that I find so humorous!

1780 January 6. Thursday.
We went to see the Cathedral Church at Leon which though magnificent, is not equal to that at Astorga, if it is to that at Lugo. It was the day of the Feast of the King and We happened to be at the celebration of High Mass.

We saw the Procession of the Bishop and of all the Canons, in rich habits of Silk, Velvet, Silver and gold. The Bishop as he turned the Corners of the Church spred out his hand to the People, in token of his Apostolical Benediction; and those, in token of their profound gratitude for the heavenly Blessing prostrated themselves on their Knees as he passed.

Our Guide told Us We must do the same. But I contented myself with a Bow. The Eagle Eye of the Bishop did not fail to observe an Upright figure amidst the Crowd of prostrate Adorers: but no doubt perceiving in my Countenance and Air, but especially in my dress something that was not Spanish, he concluded I was some travelling Heretick and did not think it worth while to exert his Authority to bend my stiff Knees. His Eyes followed me so long that I thought I saw in his Countenance a reproof like this “You are not only a Heretick but you are not a Gentleman, for a Gentleman would have respected the Religion of the Country and its Usages so far as to have conformed externally to a Ceremony that cost so little.”

Now if that isn’t knee-slapping funny, I don’t know what is! Read it aloud in an aristocratic British accent and laugh even more!

FFQF: The Hilarious John Adams

See what’s up with today’s FFQF at Meet the Founders blog

The theme for this month is Humor. This is going to be a fun one! Did you know that America’s founding fathers were quite the cut-ups? Indeed! They were not like the stodgy, stuffed-shirt, two-faced fuddy-duds that fill our halls of legislation today, nay!

John Adams and Alexander Hamilton stand out as some of the funniest guys. For this week, I want to quote two of John Adams’ statements. Adams was from humble parents in a humble little area of the coastal northeast, Braintree, Massachusetts. He was not of noble or wealthy heritage, not like the aristocrat Thomas Jefferson (with whom he compared himself) or like the European princes and nobles he mingled with when he served as ambassador for America. And Adams was quite aware of his “lowly” state in the affairs of men— but he could govern, think, and write better than most of them. And he was a master in the art of humorous self-deprecation. I’ve read a book of the letters he and his wife Abigail wrote to each other during his years away from home, and they are filled with wit and stunning wisdom– a really great read!

Here he is, mocking his elegant stature as king of the manure pile, at his humble farmhouse in rural Massachusetts (after having rubbed elbows with the dukes and nobles of Europe). This is to his younger son, John Quincy Adams:

“You may call me the monarch of Stoney Field, Count of Gull Island, Earl of Mount Ararat, Marquis of Candlewood Hill and Baron of Rocky Run.”

And here is Adams, sardonically jabbing at Jefferson’s noble mansion-building project, in a letter to Richard Rush, November 18, 1814:

“Mr. Jefferson lives at Monticello, the lofty mountain. I live at Montezillo, a little hill.”

HA! Those are just mere tidbits of the marvel of John Adams– that guy sure could tell a story and make point, and make you crack up at the same time. I hope to have more of funny John Adams in the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to seeing what Hercules Mulligan at Meet the Founders has for today!

FFQF: The Heroine

See what’s up with today’s FFQF at Meet the Founders blog

We’re continuing the theme of “the importance of motherhood” for the month of November. Not being as informed and educated as the illustrious Hercules Mulligan of The Foundation Forum, I have had to work more on this topic than anything in a long time! But at long last, I found a wonderful portion of a discussion between John and Abigail Adams.

John Adams spent many long years away from his family in Massachusetts, to serve in various positions during America’s fight for independence. He and his wife Abigail exchanged bookloads of letters. Their letters have been preserved, and it is a very delightful hobby to read through them. John and Abigail were so witty and strong-minded and smart. The letters are far from dull! I found a small section of their conversation about women’s roles in society.

Abigail wrote, complaining to John that she was not educated enough to teach her four children. She bewailed the condition of a woman’s education in general.

…with regard to the education of my own children, I find myself soon out of my depth, destitute and deficient in every part of education. I most sincerely wish that some more liberal plan might be laid and executed and that our new Constitution may be distinguished for encouraging learning and virtue. If we mean to have heroes, statesmen, and philosophers, we should have learned women. …If much depends, as is allowed, upon the early education of youth, and the first principles which are instilled take the deepeest root, great benefit must arise from literary accomplishments in women.

Her husband John wrote these encouraging words back:

Your sentiments of the importance of education in women are exactly agreeable to my own… In reading history, you will observe, when you light upon a great character, whether a general, a statesman, or philosopher, some female about him, either in the character of a mother, wife, or sister, who has knowledge and ambition above the ordinary level of women, and that much of his eminence is owing to her precepts, example, instigation, in some shape or other.

I have to wonder exactly where Abigail thought she was “deficient” in educating her own children, because they grew up to be brilliant scholars. Her eldest son, John Quincy Adams, knew over 6 languages fluently and at age 14 served as secretary to the American ambassador to Russia! Of course, he later grew to be our sixth president, but he also served in Congress and many other positions. I think Abigail did a marvelous job. She is a true “hero” in my book of mothers! And when John Quincy Adams grew up and was asked the secret of his success and of his Christian integrity, he said, “All that I am, my mother made me.”

What a testament to the power of a godly mother!

FFQF: Man’s Lust for Power

See what’s up with today’s FFQF at Meet the Founders blog

One reason why I love the founding area of my country is because during this time, the country was filled with wise, honest, perceptive, and influential men. When I read what men like Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Rush, and Jay had to say, I am blown away by their multifaceted grasp of human nature, history, and judging the events of their time.

John Adams is especially a favorite. He was a virtuous man, and although vain and cranky (he was a Yankee, after all), he was incredibly insightful. I love reading his letters and essays. Here’s a snippet he wrote about man’s lust for power– particularly the man who has acquired some measure of authority and influence in government.

“[D]emocracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man’s life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few.” John Adams (An Essay on Man’s Lust for Power, 29 August 1763)

I think this quote is very appropos at this time, when government “leaders” are giving billions of dollars to rich bankers (rich bankers who line the government leaders pockets, by the way), yet allow the American taxpayer to wither away under the weight of heavy taxation and their own debt. I can’t believe we Americans are allowing Congress and the president to do this.

And of course this bailout, combined with the numerous other things that have been going on in Washington, are merely evidences of the immoral and unvirtuous government we now have: that they have the right to vote perks for themselves and their buddies to retain power and influence, but “the people” are mere labor units for the political and Federal Reserve banking machine. THEY have perks and rights; WE are monitored, surveilled, and manipulated.

Here’s an extra:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. –a proverbial statement attributed to Edmund Burke