\n<\/p>\n
Earlier than stepping into the small print of Adams\u2019 tackle, some background about Adams and 1821 (the yr he delivered the speech) is critical. John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, one of many driving forces behind America\u2019s independence and the nation\u2019s second president. Younger John Quincy accompanied his father in diplomatic posts in France, and later served as non-public secretary to Francis Dana in Russia. Younger Adams additionally had served as his father\u2019s non-public secretary through the negotiations of the Treaty of Paris (1783) that ended the Conflict of Independence. He was appointed by President George Washington as U.S. Minister Resident to the Netherlands in 1794. He served in that very same place in Prussia throughout his father\u2019s presidency. President Madison named John Quincy U.S. Minister to Russia in 1809, and he served in that place till 1814, because the Napoleonic Wars have been coming to a detailed. He chaired the U.S. delegation that negotiated the Treaty of Ghent which ended the Conflict of 1812 with Nice Britain, and later served as U.S. Minister to Nice Britain within the aftermath of Napoleon\u2019s defeat at Waterloo. President James Monroe appointed John Quincy as Secretary of State. In 1824, Adams gained the disputed presidential election within the Home of Representatives, the place he bested army hero Andrew Jackson. (Jackson would later declare that Adams gained the presidency in a \u201ccorrupt cut price\u201d with Henry Clay, whom Adams appointed as Secretary of State).<\/p>\n
The historic background to his July 4th<\/sup> oration included revolutions in South America and Central and Japanese Europe, together with Greece. There was a lot sentiment in the US for offering assist to what have been considered democratic revolutions much like our personal Conflict of Independence. Advocates of American intervention in different nations included such outstanding statesmen as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster.<\/p>\n John Quincy Adams had seen this earlier than, when through the Washington administration influential figures corresponding to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson urged U.S. assist for revolutionary France in its wars with Nice Britain. Adams noticed the skillful diplomacy of President Washington and Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in declaring neutrality within the European wars. Adams additionally agreed with President Washington\u2019s sentiments expressed in his Farewell Deal with, particularly Washington\u2019s counsel to keep away from everlasting alliances and to base American international coverage on pursuits as an alternative of sentiment.<\/p>\n In his temporary July 4, 1821 address<\/a>, Adams acknowledged America\u2019s instance of \u201cthe inexstinguishable rights of human nature,\u201d the lawful foundations\u201d of America\u2019s authorities, and \u201cliberty, equal justice and . . . equal rights.\u201d The ideas of the Declaration of Independence, nonetheless, shouldn’t influence America\u2019s relations with different powers. He then set forth what has develop into nearly the bible of international coverage realism. America, he mentioned,<\/p>\n has . . . with no single exception, revered the independence of \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n different nations whereas asserting and sustaining her personal. She has \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n abstained from interference within the considerations of others, even when \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n battle has been for ideas to which she clings, as to the final important<\/em><\/p>\n drop that visits the center. She has seen that most likely for hundreds of years to<\/em><\/p>\n come, all of the contests of that . . . European world, can be contests of<\/em><\/p>\n inveterate energy and rising proper. Wherever the usual of<\/em><\/p>\n freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there’ll<\/em><\/p>\n her coronary heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. However she goes not<\/em><\/p>\n overseas searching for monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to<\/em><\/p>\n the liberty and independence of all. She is the champion and<\/em><\/p>\n vindicator solely of her personal. She’s going to commend the overall trigger<\/em><\/p>\n by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of<\/em><\/p>\n her instance. She nicely is aware of that by as soon as enlisting beneath different<\/em><\/p>\n banners than her personal, have been they even banners of international \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n independence, would contain herself past the facility of<\/em><\/p>\n extrication, in all of the wars of curiosity and intrigue, of particular person<\/em><\/p>\n avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colours and usurp the<\/em><\/p>\n commonplace of freedom. The elemental maxims of her coverage would<\/em><\/p>\n insensibly change from liberty to pressure. She may develop into the<\/em><\/p>\n dictatress of the world. She could be now not the ruler of her personal<\/em><\/p>\n spirit. America\u2019s glory just isn’t dominion, however liberty. Her march is<\/em><\/p>\n the march of the thoughts. She has a spear and a defend: however the motto<\/em><\/p>\n upon her defend is, Freedom, Independence, Peace. This has been<\/em><\/p>\n Her Declaration: this has been . . . her follow.<\/em><\/p>\n Every time the US has strayed from this smart counsel, we’ve met with tragedy and normally failure. The newest examples are the interventions within the Balkans within the Nineties, and Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya (and the entire Arab Spring) within the 21st<\/sup> century, the place we went overseas to destroy monsters and suffered from limitless wars, tragedy, and failed international insurance policies. We seem like making the identical errors in Ukraine, the place our intervention (and NATO\u2019s) is not going to produce a Ukrainian victory however might result in a a lot wider and far deadlier European Conflict.<\/p>\n This 4th<\/sup> of July as we have a good time our independence, we should always mirror not solely on the Declaration of Independence but in addition on the smart and prudent counsel uttered by John Quincy Adams greater than 100 years in the past.<\/p>\n Francis P. Sempa<\/strong> is an everyday contributor to RealClearDefense and writes the Finest Protection column every month.\u00a0 Learn his newest: \u201cRise and Fall of American Naval Mastery<\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n