“Though aged, he was so iron of limb,
   None of the youth could cope with him;
   And the foes whom he singly kept at bay,
   Outnumbered his thin hairs of silver grey.”

Nor was Mr. Adams without encouragement in his trying position.  His immediate constituents, at their primary meetings, repeatedly sent up a cheering voice in strong and earnest resolutions, approving heartily his course, and urging him to, perseverance therein.  The Legislatures of Massachusetts and Vermont, rallied to his support.  In solemn convocation, they protested against the virtual annihilation of the right of petition—­against slavery and the slave trade in the District of Columbia—­gave their entire sanction to the principles advocated by Mr. Adams, and pledged their countenance to all measures calculated to sustain them.

Large bodies of people in the Eastern, Northern, and Middle States, sympathized with him in his support of the most sacred of privileges bestowed on man.  Representative after Representative were sent to Congress, who gathered around him, and co-operated with him in his holy warfare against the iron rule which slavery had been enabled to establish in the national Legislature.  With renewed energy he resisted the mighty current which was undermining the foundations of the Republic, and bearing away upon its turbid waters the liberties of the people.  And he resisted not in vain.

The brave old man lived to see his labors, in this department of duty, crowned with abundant success.  One after another the cohorts of slavery gave way before the incessant assaults, the unwearied perseverance, of Mr. Adams, and the faithful compeers who were sent by the people to his support.  At length, in 1845, the obnoxious “gag rule” was rescinded, and Congress consented to receive, and treat respectfully, all petitions on the subject of slavery.  This was a moral triumph which amply compensated Mr. Adams for all the labors he had put forth, and for all the trials he had endured to achieve it.

Yes; he “lived to hear that subject which of all others had been forbidden an entrance into the Halls of Congress, fairly broached.  He lived to listen, with a delight all his own, to a high-souled, whole-hearted speech on the slave question, from his colleague, Mr. Palfrey—­a speech, of which it is not too high praise to say, that it would not have disparaged the exalted reputation of Mr. Adams, had he made it himself.  Aye, more, he lived to see the whole House of Representatives—­the members from the South, not less than those from the North, attentive and respectful listeners to that speech of an hour’s length, on the political as well as moral aspect of slavery in this Republic.  What a triumph!  At the close of it, the moral conqueror exclaimed, ’God be praised; the seals are broken, the door is open.’” [Footnote:  Rev. S. J. May.]

If anything were wanting to crown the fame of Mr. Adams, in the Last days of life, with imperishable honor, or to add, if possible, new brilliancy to the beams of his setting sun, it is found in his advocacy of the freedom of the Amistad slaves.