The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-12-27
MIR. ADAMS,

mist in debate-an ugly customer; but the veiy
qualities which make him so, are wholly incom-
patbe with true eloquence, and thus in spite
of his talents and learning, he is without infiu-
ence for good as an orator or advocate. His
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 ebui-
tons 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 foihles, false steps
and tervgersations of all the public men of the
country, since the foundation of the Govern
ment; and nothing delights him more, when
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 trusm, 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
ings. He can divide, but not unite destroy but
not create. He brings to the councils of the
nation, the spirit of an old tabby at tea table,
and takes an irritating and aggravating view of
every subject introduced.
He has also wonderful proficiency in small
losic-what may be called the petty maneu-
vres Of reasoning, as distinguished from its
strategy. He loves to puzzle, and is dabster
at paradox. No doubt, when child, the mys-
terry Of an apple-dumplng tickled him exceed
ingly, and great was his triumph when he dis
covered, by his own ingenuity, how the apple
came to be so snug ly ensconced in jacket
without seam or opening. AS a boy, his favo-
rite toy was reel in a bottle; and he soon
learned in what part of the world it was that
oysters grew on trees. AS a colegian, he took i'm
mense delight in the soriteS and logical puzzles
handed down from the solemn trfers of antqui-
", 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-ende voring
Ia attract the admiration of the People by such
displays of mere ingenuity We should soon
fancy them exhibiting their powers OF mind =" a
game of all-fours, or push-pln.
But Mr. Adams chief power in debate pro-
ceeds from his duplicisy. We do not mean TO
use the word in an offensive sense, or as imply
ing criminal or ungentlemanly ialsehood. But
he arrogates to himself the privilege OF acting at
the same time two parts, inconsistent with each
other, and when he is hard pressed in one, he
takes refuge in the other. He claims the rIsh'
TO play Ebony or Topaz, just as it suits hir''
For instance, large majority of the People
of the United States are firmly pers'aueu tha'
Mr. Adams is an hbolitonist of thedeepest aye:
and upon what is their convictici founded, but
his own acts and speeches lie has been
for many years inveighing a"'ns' oou'nefn sla-
very he has been the roy chanhei through
which the great mass elncenuiary peuuons on
the subject of SLAYER have been presented to
Conoress. he has cen most active IN exciting
49, ;,1;,,n,,;or ~ die Northern People at the al
coed denial Of e right Of petition; he has head
cd , Gst Of ,,enly-one members of Congress,
s;~,ora or manifesto, urging the People TO a
FL, Upton Of the Union in the event Of
H. cation of Texas he has v6ed the
g., stion, declaring it to be a fraud, and that
H. liners had made "a compact with Luc-
g. and he has publicly professed his will
sgness that abolition should be effected "by
blood"
Yet, when charged with all this, which he
does not, and cannot deny, he declares that
nevertheless, he is no disunionist or Abolition
ist; that no man is more ardent friend of the
Union that he would not give his vote for Abo-
liton; that he disapproves Of the course of the
AboIitionists, and they have severely denounced
him; and that he is no more an Abolitionist
than Thomas Jefiersos was.
Now, it is possible that if Mr. Adams were
tried before court upon the charges brought
againsth him, he mis- ht, after patient and abo-
rious investigation, and much learned and re-
fined argument, be acquitted of any overt act of
Abolitionism or treason. But it is the duty of
public man to recollect, when he addresses him
self to the People on topics of an exciting ma
turc, that it is the misfortune of the mass of the
People not to be profoundly educated, that they
have their work to attend to, and cannot waste
much time IN discovering minute shades of
meaning in the language addressed TO them, but
must Judge by the general scope and temper oft
they cannot be expected to do what, perhaps
patient and candid observer in Congress oil Mr.
Adams course could not do. pro nounce what
were his real or preponderant feelings or opin-
IONS on The subject OF Abolition. 1t is not,
therefore, the fault of the Pc cpIe if they msun-
derstand Mr.. Adams-it is the consequence Of
his being too learned and knowing for them.
1t appears to us that MI Adams, himself is
not very accurate in detecting shades of differ
ence when he declares that he is an Aboitioni.t
onIv in a. s,psc ,b NJ JoNer.or