Earlier than stepping into the small print of Adams’ tackle, some background about Adams and 1821 (the yr he delivered the speech) is important. John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, one of many driving forces behind America’s independence and the nation’s second president. Younger John Quincy accompanied his father in diplomatic posts in France, and later served as personal secretary to Francis Dana in Russia. Younger Adams additionally had served as his father’s personal secretary in the course of 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’s 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’s 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 “corrupt cut price” with Henry Clay, whom Adams appointed as Secretary of State).
The historic background to his July 4th oration included revolutions in South America and Central and Jap Europe, together with Greece. There was a lot sentiment in america for offering help to what have been considered democratic revolutions much like our personal Conflict of Independence. Advocates of American intervention in different nations included such distinguished statesmen as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster.
John Quincy Adams had seen this earlier than, when in the course of the Washington administration influential figures akin to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson urged U.S. help 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’s sentiments expressed in his Farewell Handle, particularly Washington’s counsel to keep away from everlasting alliances and to base American international coverage on pursuits as an alternative of sentiment.
In his temporary July 4, 1821 address, Adams acknowledged America’s instance of “the inexstinguishable rights of human nature,” the lawful foundations” of America’s authorities, and “liberty, equal justice and . . . equal rights.” The ideas of the Declaration of Independence, nevertheless, mustn’t influence America’s relations with different powers. He then set forth what has turn into virtually the bible of international coverage realism. America, he stated,
has . . . with out a single exception, revered the independence of
different nations whereas asserting and sustaining her personal. She has
abstained from interference within the issues of others, even when
battle has been for ideas to which she clings, as to the final very important
drop that visits the guts. She has seen that most likely for hundreds of years to
come, all of the contests of that . . . European world, will probably be contests of
inveterate energy and rising proper. Wherever the usual of
freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there’ll
her coronary heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. However she goes not
overseas in quest of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to
the liberty and independence of all. She is the champion and
vindicator solely of her personal. She is going to commend the final trigger
by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of
her instance. She nicely is aware of that by as soon as enlisting beneath different
banners than her personal, have been they even banners of international
independence, would contain herself past the facility of
extrication, in all of the wars of curiosity and intrigue, of particular person
avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colours and usurp the
commonplace of freedom. The basic maxims of her coverage would
insensibly change from liberty to pressure. She may turn into the
dictatress of the world. She can be not the ruler of her personal
spirit. America’s glory will not be dominion, however liberty. Her march is
the march of the thoughts. She has a spear and a defend: however the motto
upon her defend is, Freedom, Independence, Peace. This has been
Her Declaration: this has been . . . her follow.
Every time america has strayed from this smart counsel, we’ve got met with tragedy and often 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 century, the place we went overseas to destroy monsters and suffered from countless wars, tragedy, and failed international insurance policies. We seem like making the identical errors in Ukraine, the place our intervention (and NATO’s) won’t produce a Ukrainian victory however might result in a a lot wider and far deadlier European Conflict.
This 4th of July as we have a good time our independence, we should always replicate not solely on the Declaration of Independence but additionally on the smart and prudent counsel uttered by John Quincy Adams greater than 100 years in the past.
Francis P. Sempa is a daily contributor to RealClearDefense and writes the Greatest Protection column every month. Learn his newest: “Rise and Fall of American Naval Mastery.”
This text was initially printed by RealClearDefense and made out there through RealClearWire.