Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-01-01
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS ON THE CONsTITU-
TON AND UNION.


We take the following pregnant extracts from
the 'MEMoIR OF THE LIFE OF JouN Quincy ADAMS,
by JosIAn'QuiNcY, LII. D. Let them be carefully
read and pOndered. Referring to the pro,slavery
excitement that prevailed at Washington when the
proposition FOR the admission of Missouri into the
Union was pendins, and to the mastery speeches
made by Rufus King on the side Of freedom, Mr..
Adams says
AT our evening parties. We hear Of nothing but
the Missouri question and Mr.. Kings speeches.
Tho Shareholders cannot hear of them without be.
ing seized With the cramps. They call them Sc.
ditious aud in~fammatory, which was far from be.
ing their character. Never, since human sen,i
ment and human conduct were Influenced by hu.
man speech, was there a theme for eloquence like
the free side Of this question, now before the Con.
gress of the UrHon. By what fatality does it hap
pen that all the most eloquent orators are on its
slaVish side? There is a great mass Of cool judg.
ment and of plain sense on the side of freedom
and humanity, but the ardent spirits and pass.
ions are on the side of oppression. o! if but one
man coulo arise with a genius capable Of oompre.
bending, a heart capable Of supporting, and an
utterance capable Of communicating, those eternal
truths which belong TO the question, to lay bare
in all its nnkedness that outrage upon the good,
ness of God. human slavery now is the time
and this ie the occasion, upon which such a man
wonid perform The duties of an angel upon earth,
About this time, Mr.. Calhoun remarked to Mr..
Adams, that he did no! think tho slave question.
then pending in Congress. would produce a disso.
luton OF the Union, but, if it should, the South
would, from necessity be compelled to furm an al
lance, offensive and defensive, with Great Bril-.
all. Mr.. Adams asked if that would not Le re.
farming to the old colonial state. Calhoun said
ys', pretty much. but it would be forced upon tLem.
NJ, Adams asked whether he thought, if by the
sf,ct Of this alliance, offensive and defensive, the
population Of the North should be cut of from its
natural outlet upon the ocean, it would fall back
spon its rocks. boubd hand and foot, to starve or
whether it would retain its power Of locomotion to
move soathSard by land, Mr.. c replied, that in
The Latter cTeat. it would be necessary for the
Ssath 20 make their communities all military
Mr.. Adams pressed the conversation no further,
bot remarked If the dissolution of the Union
should result from the slave ~qussiion. it is as OBJ
vious as anything that can be foresesn of futurity;
thatI Il must shortly gfierpards be .foLoped by an
"ntosfsds eMdHcfpdtfO" ~ nc stdteS' a more re-
mote. but perhaps not less certain consequence,
vanh be the sxtirpation of the African race in
tLis sss,insni. by the gradual bleaching process
Of intermiS.sie. where the white is already SO pre-.
dominant. aaa By the destructive process of eman-
dpasiou which. like all great religious and polii.
reformstions. j. terrible in its means. though
happy and glorious in it's end. Slavery is the
great and foul stain on the American Union. and i
. . contemplation worthy Of the nost exalted soul,