use has no officers, and
the Clerk of the preceding Congress acts, by usage, as chairman of the
body, till a Speaker is chosen. On this occasion, after reaching the State
of New Jersey, the acting Clerk declined to proceed in calling the roll,
and refused to entertain any of the motions which were made for the
purpose of extricating the House from its embarrassment. Many of the
ablest and most judicious members had addressed the House in vain, and
there was nothing but confusion and disorder in prospect.

The fourth day opened, and still confusion was triumphant. But the hour of
disenthrallment was at hand, and a scene was presented which sent the
mind back to those days when Cromwell uttered the exclamation--"Sir Harry
Vane! wo unto you, Sir Harry Vane!"--and in an instant dispersed the
famous Rump Parliament.

Mr. Adams, from the opening of this scene of confusion and anarchy, had
maintained a profound silence. He appeared to be engaged most of the time
in writing. To a common observer, he seemed to be reckless of everything
around him--but nothing, not the slightest incident, escaped him. The
fourth day of the struggle had now commenced; Mr. Hugh H. Garland, the
Clerk, was directed to call the roll again.

He commenced with Maine, as was usual in those days, and was proceeding
toward Massachusetts. I turned, and saw that Mr. Adams was ready to get
the floor at the earliest moment possible. His keen eye was riveted on the
Clerk; his hands clasped the front edge of his desk, where he always
placed them to assist him in rising. He looked, in the language of Otway,
like the

"--fowler, eager for his prey."

"New Jersey!" ejaculated Mr. Hugh H. Garland, "and the Clerk has to repeat
that--"

Mr. Adams sprang to the floor!

"I rise to interrupt the Clerk," was his first ejaculation.

"Silence, silence," resounded through the hall; "hear him, hear him! Here
what he has to say; hear John Quincy Adams!" was the unanimous ejaculation
on all sides.

In an instant, the most profound silence reigned throughout the Hall--you
might have heard a leaf of paper fall in any part of it--and every eye was
riveted on the venerable Nestor of Massachusetts--the purest of
statesmen, and the noblest of men! He paused for a moment; and, having
given Mr. Garland a

"--withering look!"

he proceeded to address the multitude:

"It was not my intention," said he, "to take any part in th