Paul C. Nagel

It is the doom of the Christian church to be always distracted with controversy. John Quincy Adams

Adams was in a hurry and ordered his horse drawn carriage to wait for him in front of his house. The horses were spooked before he got in the carriage, and the carriage was destroyed in an accident. Pondering what could have happened to him , Adams retreated to Psalm 20's injunctions against trusting in chariots and horses.

He had to pause for his usual misgivings.

The aging Adams delightedly describes being surrounded by books on so many different subjects that interested him as "baits on fishhooks".

Because he was suffering doubts about himself and his future, Adams may have felt comfort demeaning the behavior and the character of women.

When John Quincy Adams in the Netherlands was placed with elementary students and belittled because he did not speak Dutch, either the author or John Adams accuses school authorities of "littleness of soul".

John Quincy Adams, denying his sons permission to come home for college holidays for under-performance: "I would feel nothing but sorrow and shame at your presence.

Most ardent reformers are accompanied by but equal portion of dullness . John Quincy Adams

Ambition distorts even memory itself. John Quincy Adams

Quite possibly, this depressive illness was the familiar sort that grew from perfectionist expectations.

Foolish defiance was his lifelong response to being ill.

Abigail Adams is willing to risk her son's exposure to danger in Europe so that he can be at his fathers side, at an age where he can "most benefit from his father's example and precepts.

Our religion was the religion of a Book. Man must be educated on Earth for Heaven. John Quincy Adams