Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-10-31

agree spirit with them nor voice tina, will NO, ioin IN
singing them to the tune of Auid Lang Syne The whole
audience probably al least fifteen hundred in number then
sung the following
WELCOME TO JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
We come. no warrior meet,
No chief with sword and shield
Returning home with bOod-siain feet
From some great battle field
we come the FRIEND TO greet
The Hero who hath stood
misunderstanding retreat
When slavery threatened blood.
We come to render homage due
from freemen TO that ONE,
Who foremost of the brave and true
Is Freedoms champion.
We come TO hear the fearless voice
Long raised in freedoms cause
And from the statesman Of choice
Learn how TO guard her laws.
Thou than Hsro-Patriot, Sage.
Shield of the rights Of man
Thy name shall shine on Hstorys page
y light 10 guide and warn
And when our in future DAYS
Shall meet round freedoms shrine
Thy name shall mnge with their laws
OF love for "AULD Lang SyNE."
Mr. Adams who appeared to be in excellent health tho,
addressed the audience from the pulpit He spoke for two
hours IN very eloquent manner and in firm voice that
gave little indication OF age or lnhrmy. He read from his
noe ana from the printed documents whcl he referred
without using spectacles He listened To with silent
attention. except when occasionally. the enthusiasm of his
hearers would Involuntary burst long and repeated
applause.
He referred to similar meeting which he had about
year ago with his constituents Brantree, and TO tie
change which had been made in our delegations in On
grS by which Massachusetts had been defrauded OF two
sXus OF her representation. change brought about sole
~ by mat Tunous system Of compromise which was NJ the
root OF all the changes and all the policy the country from
the INST adoption OF the Constitution the present dav
lie alluded TO the formation OF the Constitution in = hch
acaue was inserted giving the southern states the night 10
MAINTAIN slavery, and denounced that clause aqanst tn,
laws OF God and dwet upon the wckcdness the impocy
ana the injustice OF II At length He showed by
statistical facts mat the people OF the North ovorrued
N nose OF INT South IN consequence of representation
based upon property valuaion-ihat this property basis
Of representation unequal and unjust that the South
mad majority on almost all subjects Congress- because
OF that single bond OF Union-a property representation
owing 10 their owning slaves and counting those slaves as
so many persons His argument show that slaves were
property, instance, in the Constitution and nersons
IN another very forcible
lie referred 10 the Constitution of the state of Massachu
se' winch had been altered from time time which
glnaly recognized in the construction OF its Senate and
House OF Representatives the property basis of representa-
uon but which has abolished all such distinction and
said hn we exhibited the anomaly OF people denying
any such distinction among ourselves but acknowedgng
and submitting 10 1t as part of confederucy.
1t was his submission the compromise made original
" IN the formation OF the Constitution which occasioned
the continual change of policy the country and which
gave the South at ell times such great preponderance over
the North ON all subjects OF vital importance.
Mr. Adams dwelt for long time upon tins subject and
defended ms vote OF 1897 against aboshng the slave trade
the ground that he had sworn To suppo and he Govern
ed by the then constuon-that that constitution provided
s Congress should pass any law restricting the slave
trade under twenty years-hnt the twenty wears did not x
piFe until 1905 Mr.. Adams said that wicked and crin
nal a this clause IN the constitution was he had sworn 10
sustain H. and he did sustain by his vote because he would
not violate compac-hat the laws of God were inpern
i've, but that there which the laws Of God
were set NJ naughi by human compsc Of which this was
one tic was IN the minority, however and strong was
the odum against slavery that time tina; large ma
Jory Of Congress voted previous 10 the time they were
authorized TO do so by the constitutions to prohibit the fur
iher introduction OF slaves into the United States after
gfrfa m date He
prompted him. aud he had always ever since acted upon
the same conscientious principle.
II was on this principle that he had stated long since his
opinion that Congress had night abolish slavery IN the
District of Columbia Such net would be a violation of
the compact IN the constitution; and he read some resou
tons which he offered IN Congress 1882 but which were
rejected by that bodyo rather which that body had rtf
sed to receive-in which he proposed amendment the
Constitution by which, after certain time, Slavery would
be entirely abolished in this county.
One of the evils of this prcpondeancc of slave influence
OF the inequality between the slave states and the free
saies-was the denial OF the night of petition This CON-
promise, originally made IN framing the constitution by
which the shareholders secured liberty was that hey
should be allowed carry the slave trade in defiance OF
the laws OF God and the odium attached to II by man
throughouthe civilized world, for twenty years on condition
that at the end Of ~ years they should virtue and
henccascto practice IT, But the property basis of
continued and consequence othis the slave
holding Sntes-slaycV-held the prcponderuncc-sayery
had more than majority ofhe representation and suverdc
MED the night Of petition lie referred the course Dur
sued IN Congress by which single petition was first reject
cd, then number killed IN committee and finally 10
was voted and the principle a fixed one in Con
gress that petition, whatever, the SUBJECT was allow
ed % be received az al.
lie alluded TO the stand taken by the Of South Caro
Ina 90 dc;ying the Constitutions standing upon her s've
rcgny, passing laws repuguant 10 the agreement by which
she had become member Of the Union and refusing
against rrmonsrauce and argument change local laws
lie quoted the opinion OF Judge Johnson IT the Supreme
Court ut the L. States, iu referred him, boo which
that learned ust had decided that the Of South Carroll
was unconstitutional admit Of argument and
Mt Adams read portions of correspondence between him
SELL when Secretary Of Sute and Judge Johnson in which
the latter stated the fact Of the unconsuonay Vt the
laws II South Carolina under which British subject had
been imprisoned aud the total OF power % compel her
to submit and succumb
Mr. Adams also read, from the documents before him.
the substance Of an order passed athc las, session o Con-
gross, calling upon the President u the T. s. furnish tho
correspondence alluded and the Of President "
Ter On which the latter said that the President had no know
ledge Of any such decision Of Judge Johnsonand vet ssd
Mr.. Albums, that decision Is now standing law u Ire
land,
The subject Of the annexation Of Texas was alluded 70
as one Of the vsHcd questions arising Of the inequality
Of representation, snd this subject no was eloquent
snd he stated many facts Of much interest As par, Of
the duty he was called upon 10 perform this address n