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 negociate, jointly with Mr Adams, a treaty of peace with Great Britain, under the mediation of Russia. The Brisish 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 Ghent envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to

K

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 negociated 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.

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 ju

rist; 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.

ANECDOTE.

GREAT MIND. The following joke, says the London Law Magazine, was played off on an eminent legal writer, who is known to leave the task of Index-making to his pupils. 'C.,' said a gentleman to him one morning, in the Bail Court, 'I have just been a good deal puzzled by the index to your Reports. I saw in the Index "Great mind, see Best, J." I turned to "Best, J." and found "Best, J. see Prevarication." I turned to "Prevarication," and found at last what I was seeking for. "The bail having been guilty of Prevarication, Best, J. said he had a great mind to commit him.”

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 negociated 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.

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 ju

rist; 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.

ANECDOTE.

GREAT MIND.-The following joke, says the London Law Magazine, was played off on an eminent legal writer, who is known to leave the task of Index-making to his pupils. 'C.,' said a gentleman to him one morning, in the Bail Court, 'I have just been a good deal puzzled by the index to your Reports. I saw in the Index "Great mind, see Best, J." I turned to "Best, J." and found "Best, J. see Prevarication.” I turned to " Prevarication,” and found at last what I was seeking for. "The bail having been guilty of Prevarication, Best, J. said he had a great mind to commit him."