Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-05-16
HERAL OF THE It M E S.

hve times that number, in the hands of mem
bers from the four excluded New Eng land
states, shared the same fate.
These are not the only consequences sub.
versive Of the right of petition which have
flowed from the exclusion of slavery and the
abolition Of slavery from the consideration OF
the House. Besides the expedient Of laying
on The table by separate motions, all petitions
having such indirect reference to those sub
jccts as not to bring them within the rule Of
/ general exclusion, another practice has arisen,
OF referring petitions which could not be
excluded either by the general rule or by
separate motions, to committees which never
report upon them. And in this practice il
was openly avowed by one Of the size tray
committees appointed by the late Speaker,
that they did not hold themselves bound to
ook into, and had not looked into one Of
many hundred petitions, including resolutions
of state Legislatures referred to them by
the House.
And thus, ]. BY the gag resolution TO lay
on the table, without reading, las the rule has
been construed by the Speakcr.) debating,
printing, or any other action of The Iouse,a all
petitions, memorials, resolutions, propositions,
or papers, touching or relating TO slavery or
the abolition thereof; 9. BY the practice Of
laying OH the table in the same way, without
reading or bearing, by separate motions of
majority members, all petitions and papers
which, though having no relation to those
topics, may yet, in the opinion Of the ma ori.
ty, have an indirect bearing upon them; g.
BY the other practice of referring petitions
still more remote in their bearing upon sla.
very (sucb, for example, as the recognition Of
the republic Of llaytD to committees which
will not report upon them, nor even look into
them; and A. by the systematic dimnution
OF the days upon which petitions can be pre-
scntcd, which, at the recent session, was
reduced down to three in the whole session,
your right Of petition to the House Of Rep.
rcsentatives Of the United States, and that of
the whole people of this Union, may be con-
sidered as all but annihiluted.
| incline rather 10 consider it, to use an
expression familiar to the lawyers, as IN aLfy-
ance cannot bring myself to believe that
the people of this Union will long endure the
dbridgemcnt of this right, and to be told that
though Congress cannot do it by law, yet the
House can do it by its rules of proceeding |;
or that their right is not abridged, because
their petitions, though neither read, heard,
nor considered, are yet RECEIVED. must
believe that a House Of Representatives more
observant of the constitution which its mem
bers are sworn to support, more true to that
sacred right Of the people which ought never
to be infringed, will not only receive, but
read, hear, and consider their petitions, ,wheih-
er relating TO slavery, the abolition of slavery,
or any other subject Of great interest to the
community, or to the individual praying for
relief. believe it, because, in my Judgment,
the inevitable alternative is that the days of
al. Tf.,,A ..k al.
pie, are numbered, and will soon pass away
like scroll.
But, fellow citizens, you will not under.
stand me as affirming that this duty of the
House to receive, hear, and consider your
respectful petitions, involves necessarily that
Of complying with their demands. A sincere
and earnest desire to grant your requests Is n
duty from the representative to the constitu-
ent; but to that which yon desire, others,
equally his fellow citizens, may be equally
or more intensely adverse and the duty Of
the legislator is To hold the scales Of Justice
III even balance between you, and, consulting
the wishes of all, when they are irrcconcilea
BILE together, to grant or deny your prayer, as
justice, the constitution and prudence may
require.
1t is known to most of You that at the late
SSSo'oH VI SobSieos Icpcu'eu ucCluTuuOn
which had frequently made before, that |
was myself not prepared to vote for the i'm
mediate abolition Of slavery in the District Of
Columbia, nor in the territory of Florida nor
for the refusal TO admit that territory, as n
state, into the Union. These
were all prayers of mnittudes Of your petit.
ions which ! had presented. My opinion
upon them had never varied since first took
my seat in the House of Representatives
hut from the zeal which ! had uniformly
in support of the right of petition,
and from the perseverance with which per-
sisted in presenting abolition petitions, infer
ences had been drawn in both divisions of
the Union, not only that was confirmed
aboli,onist, but that was affecting to place
myself at the head of the abolition movement
throughout the land. Having no such amb-
,ion, and wishing to avoid all appearance of
between the parties, made the
above mentioned declaration bu, had neither
then, nor at any other time, suitable oppor-
tunity Of assigning my reasons for the opiu-
IONS which entertain upon these subjects.
This propose to do in another letter to YOU;
and in the mean time, remain, with grateful
and respectful attachment, your friend and
fellow citizen,
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.