An administration which began in
bitterness, continued bitter and turbulent. Men's passions were aroused,
and four years later Adams repeated the fate of his father, in being
overwhelmingly defeated.
But the most remarkable portion of his story is yet to come. Before that
time, it had been the custom, as we have seen, for the ex-President to
spend the remaining years of his life in dignified retirement; but the
year after Adams left the White House, he was elected to the House of
Representatives, and was returned regularly every two years until his
death, which occurred upon its floor. He did much excellent work there,
and was conspicuous in more than one memorable scene, but he is chiefly
remembered for his battle for the right of petition. No more
persistent fight was ever made by a man in a parliamentary body and some
reference must be made to it here.
Soon after he took his seat in Congress, the movement against slavery
was begun, and one fruit of it was the appearance of petitions for the
abolition of slavery in the House of Representatives. A few were
presented by Mr. Adams, and then more and more, as they were sent in to
him, and finally the southern representatives became so aroused, that
they succeeded in passing what was known as the "gag rule," which
prevented the reception of these petitions by the House.
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