Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-10-19

.''iS uratct as PRESIDENT oil Tie u mtcu States
no evidence whatever appears that, while "a
! ,Toad, he took any part in the controversies OF
the two political parties al home. On the con-
trary, the early volumes of the Port FoiiO bear
ample testimony, in the journal of tour through
Siie,ia, the translation from the German Of Blu
lows travels, and numerous athcrarticlcs known
to be from his pen, that most of the time, which
could be spared from his diplomatic dutlcs was
devoted TO the more agreeable and most useful
pursuits ofgcneral literature, history, and sci
| ence 1t Is as unnecessary, as ii would be I'M
Just, to venture upon conlccturcs, in relation 10
! the party which Mr. Adams would p,oJubiX
have espouset, had hc been within the United
States, during the rancOrGus and bitter contest
which ended i'm the establishment ola rcpubli-
can administration. IL is sufficient that he was
MT here to spouse either party; and that he had
| not previously committed himself by the avowal
of any sentiment hostile to the spirit of our con-
stitution or government.
In the autumn of 1901, Mr.. Adams returned
to the United States, and was very soon after
wards elected a member of the Senate of his
native state. do not mean TO DENY that he was
elected by the Federal party, who at that time
had the ascendency in the state, and who no
doubt elected lin under the expectation thai
he would prove an able and willing auxiliary.
But the following anccdotc will show, that they
counted too securely upon his aid, and that his
principles were too liberal to suit tho character
| of n partiZan. If the truth of the anecdotc
should be doubted, il can be substantiatcd bv
the most unqucstionable testimony. The SEN
ate OF Massachusetts consists of f0itY members
from among these, the constitution requires that
nine shall be chosen, by Joint ballot of both hou-
scs tolorrn the Council to the Governor. Ifthc
senators so chosen shall accept their appoint
ments, their seats in the Senate rtn,uin cacuuf,
! and that body then consists but of Miyfy-0nc
members. From this peculiar feature in the
constitution Of Massachusetts, it will he readily
seen, that when parties happen to be nearly of
equal strength, the satisfaction of Ei8e members
from either, might give asccndcncy To the o.he,.
1t IS an important pccc of policy, therefore
on such occasions, TO determine, IN Cauc,ls, yelo
| shall he nOnnacd and TO take especial care
| that the nomination shall lead to no loss of
numbers. Soon after Mr.. Adams lad taken
his seat in the senate, lie was invited to-
and attended, such caucus oil the Federal
party; and after some little discussion of the
subject, he arose, and in Il speech. the liberal
sentiments of which astouuicd the ESSEX Ivata
and Ni,IfOrd COnccntion politicians OF the dav.
proposed HntHe Council ShouiiJe Seiectcd GUm
b0h Y'arhes IN pfoportiOn Ia their rcspcct,rt
numbers IN he Legisit0urr. lie contcndcd that
rs the Council was P"blic body, provided BY
the constitution for the benefit of the ,choie pea
pie, and not To serve the purposes of party i
was their solemn duty To- consult the wishes o
) the wishes of n part only. This truly re
publican proposition was of course rejected an,
its author was stIgrGatIZcd as McOriSt, not We
: initiated into the mysteries of p0,fy p0i;fics
, From that moment, the isqders of the Fedora
party looked upon Mr.. Adams with eyes of sls
; picOn and dlstrust and five or six years after
: ward, when all their hopes and efforts to attacl
him TO their cause had failed; this anecdote was
related to a most rcspccta bic gentleman, now ;
member of Congress, by one of the chicfsof III.
Esser Junht, TO sfiew tie party had long regard
ed Mr.. Adams rs belonging to the Jeifersoniar
school OF politics.
One other occasion only occurred, during the
year that hc was n member of the Senate o
| Massachusetts, of further cvincn@ his regard
tor the interests OF the Peopc, and his determine
ed opposition to all oppressive rnonopoIics, and
arstoCratc combinations. | alludc To the
question oichartcring new banking institution;
! which had been got up by the rnoncycd capital
isis oi Boston Tor purposes of speculation. and
to which many members of the Tcgi Stature had
| been induced largely to subscribe, b. promise
from its founders that their shares should be Ia
| ken from them at q considerable advance. TIL
evil tendency of such institutions was not thcr
as well understood as IT is now; but the great bo
dy of the ycomanry saw and felt, that IT was an
ASSOCIATION lii which Hey could take no part
n combination of the rich against the poor, con
trary TO the spirit of equality in nlch our 20
vcrnrncnt had originatcd-and they looked a
its establishment, therefore, as an attempt &
crnbarrass and Cypress them. Mr.. Adams die
not hesitate an instant to take the popul0r side
on this occasion, in opposition to all the wealth
of Boston, and would perhaps have succeeded
had all the repubticaasi in the sanate been equal
Is incorruptlblc IL is hardly necessary to add
that this dsintcrcsted and noble conduct, on the
part of MIR. Adams excited a powerful Glamour
against him among the rich Spectators, and
tended still further to ALLEVIATE him from the
confidence of the Federal parts. FELL.
LITTER III.
To he Editors IF The american
GENTLEMEN The principles which were