Having, by this powerful appeal, brought the yet unorganized assembly to a perception of its hazardous position, he submitted a motion requiring the acting Clerk to proceed in calling the roll.  This and similar motions had already been made by other members.  The difficulty was, that the acting Clerk declined to entertain them.  Accordingly, Mr. Adams was immediately interrupted by a burst of voices demanding, “How shall the question be put?” “Who will put the question?” The voice of Mr. Adams was heard above the tumult, “I intend to put the question myself!” That word brought order out of chaos.  There was the master mind.

As soon as the multitude had recovered itself, and the excitement of irrepressible enthusiasm had abated, Mr. Richard Barnwell Rhett, of South Carolina, leaped upon one of the desks, waved his hand, and exclaimed: 

“I move that the Honorable John Quincy Adams take the chair of the Speaker of this House, and officiate as presiding officer, till the House be organized by the election of its constitutional officers!  As many as are agreed to this will say ay; those—­”

He had not an opportunity to complete the sentence—­“those who are not agreed, will say no,”—­for one universal, deafening, thundering ay, responded to the nomination.

Hereupon, it was moved and ordered that Lewis Williams, of North Carolina, and Richard Barnwell Rhett, conduct John Quincy Adams to the chair.

Well did Mr. Wise, of Virginia, say, “Sir, I regard it as the proudest hour of your life; and if, when you shall be gathered to your fathers, I were asked to select the words which, in my judgment, are best calculated to give at once the character of the man, I would inscribe upon your tomb this sentence, ‘I will put the question myself.’” [Footnote:  In a public address, Mr. Adams once quoted the well known words of Tacitus, Annal. vi. 39—­“Par negotiis neque supra”—­applying them to a distinguished man, lately deceased.  A lady wrote to inquire whence they came.  Mr. Adams informed her, and added, that they could not be adequately translated in less than seven words in English.  The lady replied that they might be well translated in five—­Equal to, not above, duty—­but better in three—­John Quincy Adams.—­Massachusetts Quarterly Review.]

CHAPTER XIV.

MR. ADAMS’ FIRMNESS IN DISCHARGE OF DUTY—­HIS EXERTIONS IN BEHALF OF THE AMISTAD SLAVES—­HIS CONNEXION WITH THE SMITHSONIAN BEQUEST—­TOUR THROUGH CANADA AND NEW YORK—­HIS RECEPTION AT BUFFALO—­VISITS NIAGARA FALLS—­ATTENDS WORSHIP WITH THE TUSCARORA INDIANS—­HIS RECEPTION AT ROCHESTER—­AT AUBURN—­AT ALBANY—­AT PITTSFIELD—­VISITS CINCINNATI—­ASSISTS IN LAYING THE CORNER STONE OF AN OBSERVATORY.