his seat in the senate of the United States in the year 1808.

He had no sooner completed a most brilliant course of lectures on rhetoric and oratory, in that renowned institution, when he received, unsolicited, from president Madison, the appointment of minister plenipotentiary to the court of Russia.

In 1813, Mr Gallatin and Mr Bayard arrived at St. Petersburg, empowered to negotiate, jointly with Mr. Adams, a treaty of peace with Great Britain, under the mediation of Russia. The British government declined the mediation, but proposed a direct negotiation, which finally took place at Ghent, in 1814, with Mr. Adams as its head on the American side.

This event is too recent and important, to make it necessary to say any thing further in praise of the abilities and talents of Mr. Adams as a diplomatist and statesman.

At the termination of this successful mission, Mr. Adams repaired to London, and there concluded, jointly with Mr. Clay and Mr. Gallatin, a commercial convention. Our government having appointed him, immediately after the ratification of the peace of

J

Ghent, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the British court, he remained in London in that capacity, until the summer of 1817, when he was called home by president Monroe, to fill the office of secretary of state.

To give even an outline of his labours, and of the business which has been done since he has entered upon the duties of this high and responsible office, would swell this article to an immoderate size; we shall therefore content ourselves by briefly enumerating a few leading facts only. Under his instructions, a commercial convention was negotiated with Great Britain in 1818.

In 1819, he signed the Florida treaty with Don Luis De Onis, which gave to us not only the Floridas, and an indemnity of five millions of dollars for our merchants, but the first acknowledged boundary from the rocky mountains to the Pacific.

In 1822, he signed with the ambassador of France, a convention of commerce and navigation, which was unanimously ratified by the senate. In 1824, he was elected by Congress, President of the United States, to succeed Mr. Monroe, and discharged its

duties for the term commencing March 4th 1825, and ending March 3d, 1829, when he was succeeded by President Jackson.

In November 1830, he was elected a member of Congress from Plymouth district, and was re-elected to the same office, in April,

1833.

To great talent, Mr. Adams unites unceasing industry and perseverance, and an uncommon facility in the execution of business. He is an excellent classical scholar, and an erudite jurist; and speaks and writes several foreign languages. He has all the penetration and shrewdness necessary to constitute an able diplomatist, united with a capacity to perceive, and the eloquence to enforce, whatever will conduce to the welfare and interests of his country.

THE MOTHER,

AT THE TOMB OF HER INFANTS.

On rest, lovely babes! in your cold mansion lie, And heed not the tears that are shed;

Though the torrent of sorrow can never be dry,
For a mother weeps over your bed.

Oh rest, my loves, for the wild flower springs,
And o'er you the Zephyr is sweeping,

And the willow bends low and the nightingale sings,

For she feels not a mother is weeping.

Oh rest, lovely babes! yet I would that my tears From your cold, deathful slumbers could wake

you:

Once more in my arms to enfold you, my dears, Ere God to his bosom should take you.

Yet still rest, my loves, rest in your mansion of

clay,

For though here we are destined to sever;
Yet oh! in a brighter, a happier day,

I shall meet and embrace you forever.

WASHINGTON IRVING.

THIS gentleman was born in the state of New York, about the year 1782. It is to be regretted that Mr. Irving's brilliant talent should have been so long concealed, and that our transatlantic brethren should not have fostered and appreciated his very eminent literary acquirements. When 'Knickerbocker's History of New York' first made its appearance, its merits were rather generally overlooked, whether from the locality of the subject or the want of due judgment in its readers, it is difficult to determine; but the Sketch Book' was no sooner published, than as if to reward its author for previous neglect, the public became with one accord universally desirous of better acquaintance, and the interest so generally excited by this gentleman's fictitious name, 'Geoffrey Crayon,' must have been as gratifying to his feelings as it was complimentary to his talents. High as Mr. Irving's literary character stood in public estimation prior to