New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-10-02
a Speech by j. @. Adams.

citizens. He was addressed by J. B. CoNGDoN,
Esq, the Chairman Of the Sclcctmen, in a high
" complimentary manner, and replied in speech
Of about twenty minutes. The New Bedford
Bulletin furnishes the following outline of the
reply Of Mr.. ADAMS:
Mr.. Adams said, if it should happen III d lew
words IN which 1t would be his happiness TO adj
dress the numerous assembIage before HIM II an
sWcr to that overwhelming issue from the heart
which he had no doubt it was--ot the gentleman
who had thus addressed him on their bchait-li
what he should say should be incohercnt. Wild
or cxtravagant, he hoped they would excuse
him. Recently. within the last three months,
accident had led him out Of his beloved State,
the State OF his nativity to the interior OF a
neighboring State which, since the settlement
Of the country. had held the first rank III COM
merc!al enterprise and activity. and had become
known, by thc consent of all, as the Empire
State. He went there he said in the pursuit of
health, and in the discharge Of his duty IN some
matters of personal and family concern; and
once beng there and behoding for the first time
her uneXampled prosperity and wealth, he was
led on to the neighboring province of Great Bri-
tain There, said Mr.. A., as in my whole
course, to my utter surprise, and | may truly
add, to my great CONSERVATION, | found myself
received in open arms by immense asscmblagcs,
and amid the cordial greetings of the people
in a word, said Mr.. a., as have been received
here to-day. A great warrior of antiquity, who
rose from obscurity to the command OF armies, on
receiving the united homage OF the people, had
| said he was astonshed to find himself so great
man. His greatness had been achieved from
| feats Of arms, battles won. Fcats Of arms, SAID
| Mr.. A., have never been nine, and | could not
but inquire what it was that produced this effect
in my favor, until | found that 1 owed the kind
expressions OF the people to my efforts in the pre-
scrvation OF the Liberties of my country. In the
course of that tour saw what the people of that
State had accomp shcdlsncc the revolution a
nation created out of thowilds of the forest, re-
claimed by the hand of MAN, mostly by the hands
| Of Yankees.
FeIlow-citizcns, have been long in the service
of nv country In approaching the age OF four
score, if there can be delight in any thing TO
man, it must be in contemplating the prosperity
of his country and in the consciousness that
he had contributed his mite TO that prosperity
i MIR. A. said he had heard Of declaration made
bv one of his countrymen, distinguished for his
| talent and elOQuence, who was once an nhabl
tant of this town, recently returned from
Europc-that III his intercourse abroad with men
of talent and deep-thinking and stores of learn
ing, they had expressed the sentiment that the
experiment of republican government IN this coun-
trv was a failure A failure. The experiment
Of Republican Government in America failure.
am not so confident, said Mr.. A, that they are
correct in this conclusion. | am not certain that
he has made this declaration, but it is so said
There are three things which must concur to the
success of government. There must be IN the
first place the action Of Provldence-there must
be the action Of the government and there must
be the action of men,--of the people Now II the
experiment of Republican Government has been
In this country failure, to what is 1t to be at
tributed Is it to God Z? God forbid Shall 1t
be said that God has not done to US his part =
No F. no never was a people more favored on the
face of the earth since the creation. But that ia
vor has not always been exhibited in the form OF
prosperity Providence deals not so with men,
Yet the blessing OF God is always upon man be-
yond his deserts. We have had desolating dis
case, cruel wars unfortunate seasons-we have
had many Ills to contend Without with all
these the blessing has never failed-it never will
fail.
came here, said Mr.. y. not to speak to you
of poIitcs--but if the question were asked Had
Government done its duty +" AIN very much
afraid we should all answer " No. But If were
asked by this assembly wherein Government has
not done its duty, think perhaps one portion
would say the failure had arisen from this, that,
or the other measure, and by the other portion
that it was owing to the very same measures that
it had not failed. Like the old painter VINO
painted pair of boots, and when his friends came
to sec the picture, he desired every person to
mark that which he considered a beauty and eX
cellence. The boot covered all over with
marks The next day he desired his vslters to
mark all that they considered as bemishes and
defects Again the boot covered with marks,
and in the very same places. We should all
agree then that the fault in the failure Of the ex-
periment--ifi it is failures in the government.
Now how far are the people esponsible-rlght or
wrong
was here eight years ago, said Mr.. A., and
then this town OF yours had not half the popula-
ton that it has now-nor half the wealth that 1t
has since drawn from the depths Of the OCEAN
/ say then that the experiment Of Republican
Government has not failed. Let the European
men of learning who have concluded that the ex
pertinent of a Republican Government II this
country is failure, let them show the spot on the
face OF the Earth which has failed so successfully
| have witnessed II heretoiore-l now witness 1t.
Mr. Adams also referred in terms of glowing
satisfaction and with cordial thanks to the gene
rous estimation with which his countrymen had
regarded his past labors they have given to me,
said Mr. A. more than justice; more than have
deserved If in the last three score years 1t had
been his good fortune to be called to devote al
most the entire portion of that period to the ser
vice of his country, he was more than happy IN
the consciousness that he had faithfully devoted
that service to the maintenance other liberties
But our liberties have been leopardized, (con-
tinued Mr.. A. from a source from which VIC
ought not to have expected danger-from within
ourselves. When saw opposition to the lber-