Hey, remember that time during John Quincy Adams' presidency when he advocated for the abolition of the slave trade?
Or how about the time he vetoed a bill to reauthorize the Second Bank of the United States because he believed in limited government intervention in business affairs?
Or hey, what about that period when he strongly pushed for the independence of Spanish colonies in Latin America?
Or what about the time he proposed a "Monroe Doctrine" which essentially stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring U.S. intervention?

Adams mostly stuck to his principles, but also, it could be argued that there were times when his decisions weren't entirely beneficial to everyone.