eir loyalty to the man or the party in power." He not only would not replace his political enemies; he would not condemn them for their wrong doing towards him. "Self-defense or countercharge was out of the question: refusing to sink to the level of his opponents, Adams remained tight-lipped, retained his dignity, and was soundly beaten. "The sun of my political life," he confided in his diary, "sets in the deepest gloom." He remained a man of high moral standards and strong conviction. His integrity was worth more to him than a second term. " He appears to have contemplated his forthcoming political disaster reflectively, fortified by his conviction that the path he had taken was the moral one." Adams lost the following presidential election. He had given up a good part of his life to serve his country. Unfortunately it seemed neither neither he nor the country realized his important contribution. " I should of been one of the greatest benefactors of my country.... But the connective power of mind was not conferred upon me but by my Maker, and I have not improved the scanty portions of His gifts as I might and ought to have done." His presidency was judged a failure due in a large part to the presidential scandal he seemed unable to overcome. His rivals were responsible for keeping it alive in everyone's minds. They never let the public forget his "Corrupt Bargain" with Clay. They also doomed almost every piece of important legislation he had tried to pass. Adams' own integrity allowed his rivals free reign. His own high standards about refusing to abuse his office resulted in his rivals retaining their positions of power. The scandal, political rivals, and his own integrity doomed his presidency to failure. ...
