New-York tribune., 1842-02-05
v OF. 4.

VOL. 4.
1---
PRFsESTA1los OF PF7lTIoss.-Thc io!low:in 9
Is sketch Of the remarks made bv John Quncv
Adams in the House on Wednesday with reference
10 the resolutions he had introduced callirg for
Official documents TO bercad in his defence against
! the resolutions of ccn5ure:
Mr.. ADAMS said the evidence was eyccedingl,.
important, and he must coicss, when he saw the
votes Oh the resolutions asking tor that intorna-
ton, winch would not bc denied 10 the vilest yil-
nan In the land, that il bore on him in :. heavy
IL, what he was ~ peci from the
o the same party hereafter He thanked again
the House for allowing him 4 portion Of that In
formation which he had icques, ted, bat he ,honght
il Necessary once more 10 put the members OF The.
House in mind OF the position which they occupied
now and which he occupied
- Ono of the grounds he should take for his own
defence would be- thathc had been. neither by
himself nor by the petitioners whose petition he.
had presented gnv II any offence ag:lintf the
laws of the land wfasocvcr; and that 50 far ,s
related TO this, he was under no rr,pon visibility
having declared the time he presented the pc
ts.on and repeating now, that their petition was
Grant, And he hoped thai he should be able TO
show that. Tor attachment, this mon, he might
pni >i%iy seventy years Of public life before
almost all mankind i'll proof II there WAS one
ilcnbcro this House who had given more strong.
more clear and uncq,livoca proof, of attachment
10 The nion Of these States than the man who now
stood charged with crime Ecor" this House he did
no, know who that man wa>.Zlic hoped 10 bc
allowed IL prove that 10 this House.
He said then, far Us respected his own act,
which was the presentation of the pc,iton, here
before this House, and III presence of his God, he
did IL Undcr sense ot iYrcmi:sibtc duty. Al
the lust session q! Congress. he heard great deal
ON the sub icct of what 10 be- allowed tlIcc-
science Of the I'rcsiden, oF the ltrd States. lie
was one of those who fully allowed him the bcnci,
of the dictates of his conscience. in every tin. he
did and he now claimed before ,hi> House and the
country the right 70 have conscience ;l> we'll he.
He said, farther, that This thing 10
this country. He had been ten wears success
vcv ii Representative of portion Of In, People Of
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, aud within
| the v,rv.rst week of his holding this iolI>r,
he had presented fifteen petitions iur the abolition
OF Slavery ntlc District of Columbii and at that
time he gave notice ~ the House, the petitioners,
aud the wholrcountrv, and his constituents among
them, tiatift they SCatthetr petitions 10 hn 10 DC
presented 6rcuuSe they erpeclcd iim h1S@pport
them, Mcy must nndtrAoad from him hat they
mcrc mistnkcH. This was not rr,.> pon,ibl ac'
of his. for in his district al that time there
perhaps, more ahulitonists than now. 1t was not
then so odiouS a thing u beam abolilioni>l. The
inhabitants of this district had presented petitions
for tina, same PRAYER, winch were referred o;icom
ni,trc, and most respectable report made upon
them. Hc had repeated that sentiment time after
time, in this House, and he repeated itnow. He
said if bill were to be brought into tins House for
the abolition of slavery III the District OF Columbia
Tomorrow, he would vote against it, But from the
first day that petition WAS presented TO him on
this bicc, he had uniformly SAID it was lli> duty
to present them. He believed it the duty of the
House To receive them and consider them. Not 10
gr;n, ,hcnr--lha, would be according to the
of ,ropr@ctv of the House itself |, no,
irreSpons thing when he first took this position
in this House
At hat time, so tar il considered that he
was not iii favor Of these petitions although he did
present tlcm that most Respectable and worthy
member from Virginia came To him and thanked
him for what ne bad done, that ne had taken mp
this subject intlm House. He did notinlimaie the
slightest dissatisfaction al his having presented
these petitions. They were referred to the Com
millcc for the District of Columbia. The Char
man was a most respectable member, now no more.
from the State OF Virginia. Within the course OF
twn an three months from that time he made
short report against The PRAYER of the petitions.
SO tar was his (Mr..A.'s) conduct from being s;I-
,isllciorv all his constituents, that efforts wcr,.
made in his district nstl3ict him to present pctl-
lions OF this sort. For wears after that time, he
ncve. heard any thing OF petitions for the abolition
of slarary in the District OF Columbia OF elsewhere.
Ii was two OF three Years after before any aboll-
whcn,hcy were presented, in the session OF 1888
-31 they were not scnr lim; other members pre-
sen,cl them
An honorable gentleman from Newly Nork. now in
n distinguished Office in that State presented
mmbc! OF these petitions with great mnirudes OF
signatures and made azspccch OF !wo or three
hours in favor OF granting their prayer. Shortly
after distinguished gentleman from Connecticut.
now Governor OF that STATE presented a number
of these petitions and said h wished j, 10 be 'in-
ders,oot that he concurrrsl perfect ly=with the
views ot The petitioners. No man took /, up, or
attempted To charge him with subornntion- oi
perjury or any other crime. But, from and after
that time. efforts were commenced I" suppress al
these petitions, The question was thcn=iaken ol.
the reception ot them and the Yca- and NAYS on
| tn, journal Of this House would show that those
who no, only now voted against the reception o,
these pctlllonS. but appeared rrauN ~ VOC d 'ct-
sure upon him tor presenting them, did moi then
dare vote no, to receive them. He had presented
the petition under The obligations Of his conscience
a, i, the MAJORITY OF this House asserted thar he
wa, no, entitled this principle, he mus, go on
and defend hin,>cl;, As he could.
-a-.e-"
Who Can Resist,
nECIDEDLY THE CHEAPEST =
Fashion Plates month a.':nce Of any ooer pei.