Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-12-07

! qualifications OF It's members. But
what u spectacle we here present We
degrade aud disgrace our constituents
! and the country. We do not aud cannot
organize; and why2 Because the clerk
| OF this House, the mere clerk, whom we
create, whom we employ, and whose eX
| istenCe depends upon our will, usurpS
the throne and sets us, the Representa-
tives, the vicegerents of the whole peo
pie at defiance, and holds us ia con
tempt And what is this clerk of
yours Is he TO control the destinies Of
sixteen millions of freemen? Is he to
suspend, by his mere negative, the tunC-
tions of Government He refuses to
call the roll 1t is in your power to
compel him to call IL. Here he was
informed that Mr. Garland had declared
! he would rather resign than call the
roll Well, sir, then let him resign"
continued Mr.. Adams, and we may
possibly discover some way by which
we can get along without the aid of his
all powerful talent, learning and genius
II we cannot organize in any other way;
if this clerk of yours will not consent to
our discharging the trusts contided to us
by our constituents, then let US initiate
the example of the Virginia House OF
Burgesses, which, when the colonial
Governor Dinwddie ordered it to dis
perse, refused to obey the imperiOus and
insulting mandate, and IKE men -"
The members could not contain their
enthusiasm any longer, but saluted the
eloquent and indignant speaker with
loud and deafening cheers, which SEEM
ed to shake the capitol. Every heart
expanded with an indescFlbable feeling
of pride and patriotism.
Having by this powerful appeal
brought the House to a perception of its
perilous position, he submitted a mo-
tion requiring the clerk to proceed in
calling the roll This and similar mo-
tiOns had been made by other members,
but the clerk would not entertain them.
A burst of voices demanded chow shall
the question be put }" The voice of
Mr.. Adams was heard above the tumult,
e intend to put the question myself"
That word brought order out of chaos.
! There was the master mind. AS soon
as the irrepressible enthusiasm had aba
ted, Mr.. Rhett of South Carolina leaped
upon one of the desks and moved that
Mr.. Adams take the speakers chair, and
officiate as presiding officer till the
House be organized by the election of its
constitutional officers, which was agreed
to by laundering aye, and, on motion,
| Mr.. Rhett, and Mr.. Williams of North
| Carolina, conduCted Mr. Adams to the
chair, and the House was speedily or
ganized.
This incident in the life of MIR. Adams
calls to mind an anecdote related by his
biographer. In a public address he
once quoted the well-known words of
Tacitus, "Par negotiis neque supra, ,"-ap-
plying them to distinguished man
lately deceased. A lady wrote to enquire
whence they came. Mr.. Adams informed
her, and added, that they could not be
accurately translated in less than seven
words in English. The lady replied
that they might be well translated in
fve-eqwaI TO- not abore dutg--but better
in three-JoHN QUINCY ADAMS.
! If the clerk shall decide, contrary to
the present general expectation, to place
reconstructed traitors upon the roll
| of members to. day, and attempt thereby
| to forestall the House in the matter of
| securing nrODpr ouarantepS of Derma- =
nent peace, as condition of admission,
the case would not be substantially diff
ferent from the one above related. 1t
would be usurpation of the undoubted
prerogative of the House. And if at
tempted, may we not hope there will be
found some member, who, like John
Quincy Adams, will be equal to, not
above, duty" and should it be necessa-
ry, "put the question himself"
C. c. d.