Henry Admas: Politician and Statesman

Abstract

T HERE is little doubt that Henry Adams, despite his frequent disclaimers, longed most of his life for a position of power in politics. It was in his blood-his great-grandfather a President, his grandfather a President, his father the ablest New England member of Congress and later one of our greatest representatives at the Court of St. James. It is not surprising that as early as 186o, we find Henry Adams exclaiming in youthful enthusiasm, is the place my education has fitted me best for, and where can be of most use.' In 187o, after his valuable experience as secretary to his father in London, we find him back in Washington up to the roots of my hair in politics,2 and actively engaged in the organization of the ill-starred Liberal Republican Party. I had a dozen of the leaders at a meeting in my rooms the other night and we effected a close alliance. The next week will prove whether we can control Congress.3 In July, 187o, there appeared Adams' masterly criticism of the Grant administration in the North American Review,4 an article that attracted nationwide attention, and was considered important enough to be reprinted and circulated widely by the Democratic National Committee in the next campaign.5 The article aroused the ire of the regular Republican politicians, and Senator Tim Howe of Indiana called Henry Adams a begonia. The Liberal Republican Party held its convention at Cincinnati on May 1, 1872, ostensibly to nominate for the Presi-