The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-12-26
MIR. ADAMS.

MIST in debate--an ugly customer; but the veiy
qualities which make him so, are wholly incom-
palibIe with true eloquence, and thus, in spite
of his talents and learning, he is without iniu-
ence for good as an orator or advocate HI
head is always busily at work his heart very
seldom. He has womanish tact in discovering
the weak points Of an adversary, and singing
him to frenzy by his taunts and sarcasms, while
he himself, Notwithstanding apparent ebuli-
lions Of temper maintains perfect self-posses-
sion. He keeps strict watch over the aberra-
tons and inconsistencies Of Others; in fact, he
is walking chronicle Of the foibles, false steps
and tervigersations of all the public men of the
country, since the foundation Of the Govern
ment; and nothing delights him more, when a
poor devil opens his mouth, in fancied security,
and is declalming in apparent triumph, to con-
found him by the quotation of some forgotten,
or never learned fact, or some strangely over
looked lruism, neither of them perhaps having
any essential bearing on the subject in debate.
He is very successful in raising the evil passions
of his hearers, but cannot excite their good feel
iDgs. He can divide, but not unite; destroy bu,
not create. He brings TO the councils Of the
nation, the spirit of an old tabby at a tea table,
and takes an irritating and aggravating view Of
every subject introduced.
He has also wonderful proficiency in small
logic-what may be called the petty man9u-
vres of reasoning, as distinguished from its
strategy. He loves to puzzle, and is dabster
at paradox. No doubt, when a child, the mys-
terry of an apple-dumpling tickled him exceed
ingly, and great was his triumph when he dis
covered, by his own ingenuity, how the apple
came to be snugy ensconced in jacket
without seam or opening AS boy, his favo.
rite toy was reel in bottle; and he soon
learned in what part of the world it was that
oysters grew on trees. AS coegian, he took i'm
mense delight in the sorites and logical puzzles
handed down from the solemn trHers of antiqui-
". such as the saying Of the native of Crete
that no Cretan ever spoke the truth. Now, if
he lied, what he said might have been true but
if he spoke truth, he must have lied, &c. &c.
1t appears to us that this is very small bust
/. ness. Who can imagine any Of Mr.. Adams
predecessors in the Presidential chair Wash
ington or Madison, for instance-endeavoi
To attract the admiration Of the People by such
displays Of mere ingenuity! We should as soon
fancy them exhibiting their powers of mind in
game Of sll-iours, or push-pin.
But Mr. Adams chief power in deAte pro-
ceeds from his duplicity. We do not mean to
use the word in an offensive sense, or as imply
ing criminal or ungenllemanly falsehood. But
he arogates to himself the privilege Of acting at
the same time two paris, inconsistent with each
other, and when he is hard pressed in one, he
takes refuge in the other. He claims The right
TO play Ebony or Topaz, just as it suits him.
For instance, large majority of the People
Of the United States are firmly persuaded that
Mr.. Adams is an Aboitionist Of the deepest dye:
and upon what is their conviction founded, but
his own acts and speeches. He has been
for many years inveighing against Southern sla-
very he has been the ready channel through
which the great mass OF incendiary petitions or
the subject Of slavery have been presented e.
Congress- he has been most active in exciting
the indignation Of the Northern People at the al
leged denial of the right Of petition; he has head
ed list Of twenty -one members of Congress
violent disruption of the Union in the event o
the annexation of Texas he ba, villifed tn,
Constitution, declaring il to be fraud, and thai
the trainers had made "a compact with Luci-
fer;" and he has publicly professed his will
lngness that abolition should be effected "by
blood"
Yet, when charged with all this, which b,
- Il.
nevertheless, he is no disunionist or Abolition
ist; that no man is a more ardent friend of th
Union that he would not give his vote for Abo
lition; that he disapproves Of the course Of tn,
Abolitionists, and they have severely denounced
him and that he is no more an Abolitionis
than Thomas Jeffersos was.
Now, it is possible that if Mr.. Adams wer,
tried before court upon the charges brough
against him, he mi ght, after patient and labo
rious investigation, and much learned and re
fin, argument, be acquitted Of any Overt act O
Abolitonism or treason. But it is the duty of
public man To recollect, when he addresses him
sell to the People topics Of an exciting ma
ture, that il is the misfortune Of the mass Of tn
People not TO be profoundly educated that the
have their work {. attend to, and cannot vast
much time in discovering minute shades Q
meaning in the language addressed to them, bu
must Judge by the general scope and temper of il
They cannot be expected to do what, perhaps
patient and candid observer in Congress OF Nj
Adams course could not do, pronounce whs
were hs'resl or preponderant feelings or opin
ions on the subject Of Abolition. 1t is not
therefore the fault Of the Pc cpe il they misun
derstand Mr.. Adsms-it is the consequence o
his being too learned and knowing for them.