“There was no incident in the birth, the life, the death of Mr. Adams, not intimately woven with the history of the land.  Born in the night of his country’s tribulation, he heard the first murmurs of discontent; he saw the first efforts for deliverance.  Whilst yet a little child, he listened with eagerness to the whispers of freedom as they breathed from the lips of her almost inspired apostles:  he caught the fire that was then kindled; his eye beamed with the first ray; he watched the day spring from on high, and long before he departed from earth, it was graciously vouchsafed unto him to behold the effulgence of her noontide glory. * * * * * * *

“He disrobed himself with dignity of the vestures of office, not to retire to the shades of Quincy, but, in the maturity of his intellect, in the vigor of his thought, to leap into this arena, and to continue, as he had begun, a disciple, an ardent devotee at the temple of his country’s freedom.  How, in this department, he ministered to his country’s wants, we all know, and have witnessed.  How often we have crowded into that aisle, and clustered around that now vacant desk, to listen to the counsels of wisdom, as they fell from the lips of the venerable sage, we can all remember, for it was but of yesterday.  But what a change!  How wondrous! how sudden!  ’Tis like a vision of the night.  That form which we beheld but a few days since, is now cold in death!

“But the last Sabbath, and in this hall, he worshipped with others.  Now his spirit mingles with the noble army of martyrs, and the just made perfect, in the eternal adoration of the living God.  With him “this is the end of earth.”  He sleeps the sleep that knows no waking.  He is gone—­and forever!  The sun that ushers in the morn of that next holy day, while it gilds the lofty dome of the capitol, shall rest with soft and mellow light upon the consecrated spot beneath whose turf forever lies the patriot father and the patriot sage!”

The following resolutions were unanimously passed by the House of Representatives:—­

“Resolved, That this House has heard with the deepest sensibility, of the death in this capitol of John Quincy Adams, a Member of the House from the State of Massachusetts.

“Resolved, That, as a testimony of respect for the memory of this distinguished statesman, the officers and members of the House will wear the usual badge of mourning, and attend the funeral in this hall on Saturday next, at 12 o’clock.

“Resolved, That a committee of thirty be appointed to superintend the funeral solemnities.

“Resolved, That the proceedings of this House in relation to the death of John Quincy Adams be communicated to the family of the deceased by the Clerk.

“Resolved, That the seat in this hall just vacated by the death of the late John Quincy Adams be unoccupied for thirty days, and that it, together with the hall, remain clothed with the symbol of mourning during that time.