Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. I.djvu/134

102 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS and both acts aroused more widespread indigna tion than any others that have ever passed in congress. They called forth from the southern re publicans the famous Kentucky and Virginia reso lutions of 1798- 99, which assert, though in language open to some latitude of interpretation, the right of a state to "nullify" or impede the execution of a law deemed unconstitutional. In the election of 1800 the federalist votes were given to John Adams and Cotesworth Pinckney, and the republican votes to Jefferson and Burr. The count showed 65 votes for Adams, 64 for Pinckney, and 1 for Jay, while Jefferson and Burr had each 73, and the election was thus thrown into the house of representatives. Mr. Adams took no part in the intrigues that followed. His last con siderable public act, in appointing John Marshall to the chief justiceship of the United States, turned out to be of inestimable value to the country, and was a worthy end to a great public career. Very different, and quite unworthy of such a man as John Adams, was the silly and puerile fit of rage in which he got up before daybreak of March 4 and started in his coach for Massachusetts, instead of waiting to see the inauguration of his success ful rival. On several occasions John Adams s career shows us striking examples of the demoraliz ing effects of stupendous personal vanity, but on no occasion more strikingly than this. He went