Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-10-18
Letter of John Quincy Adams. Esq.

The following is the letter of John Quin
cy Adams, Esq, accepting the nomination
of the Massachusetts State Convention TO-
Governor
QUINCY, October 5, 1867.
Horatio g. Parker, Esq, President Of III
| Democratic COnrention, de-:
| DEAR SIR have just received your let
| ter informing me of my nomination by TIT
democrats and Conservative men O
Massachusetts to be their candidate fol
Governor of the Commonwealth at the mex
election. I pray you, as president of the
Convention, to accept, on behalf Of thai
body, my thanks for the compliment to the
name I inherit.
| Conscious that I have neither aspiration
nor peculiar fitness for the position, I had
at the first suggestion to me of such &C
| ton, requested the chairman of the Demo
cratic State Central Committee to withdraw
nv name absolutely from the consideration
| of the meeting This course having proved
Intellectual, it only remains for me now to
decide whether I have good reason to per.
sist in that withdrawal.
After having been reluctantly compelled
to differ with my friends of the Republl-
can party last fall upon grave political
questions, I wished to avoid any public &C
ton for at least two years, as [ hoped in
that period to correct or conform my Opin-
ions upon national policy, and no earlier
opportunity, for effective intervention in
national affairs would offer.
[ think, however, that in mOmentous
times any mans fellow-citizens may de-
mand from him definite expression of
opinion upon public affairs, if they think
it worth while to ask it, and no man of
ordinary self-respect can evade the call
[ regard this nomination as such call upon
me, and / wish to answer it with perfect
frankness.
l have hoped to find common ground to
stand upon with the mass of Conservative
men, whom | sincerely respect, who still
act with the Republican party; but the
recent course of that party has very much
abated my confidence in such result.
They seem very lately, at Worcester, to
have allowed their hatred of a man to sup
ply the lack of any declaration of princi-
pies on national affairs, and their dread of
strife to gag their speech on State
questions.
So far as the latter Convention, over
which you, sir, presided. thought fit to
prOmulgate official opinions, [ find nothing
in them which [ cannot adopt,
l confess that l entertain some
strong opinions upon questions which L
presume it was thought were not involved
in such purely local issue as that be-
fore us.
I am glad to see the doctrine Of State
rights, as understood and promulgated by
the founders of our Commonwealth and by
the fathers of our National Union, rescued
from unmerited obIoquy, and cherished by
you, as it must be by all, if the New Eng
land States are to retain their Senatorial
in Congress.
Upon questions of finance and taxation,
it is difficult to reconcile the incompetence
which pervades our system of imposts with
q presumption Of honest intent in the legis-
lators who framed it.
No man who assumes a capacity to make
laws at this day should dare to plead in ex-
cuse Of his blunders an abject ignorance of
the first principles of political economy,
and an utter indifference 10 the recorded
results of experience. But the intolerable
burden OF an exploded and unscientifc
plan of internal taxation, combined with
tariff, which is nothing but legalized rob-
berry, must have been saddled upon the
people by gross ignorance or fraud, and if
not speedily removed, it will furnish the
exhausted taxpayer with semblance Of
reason for Reputation.
We cannot, however, affect these national
questions by our votes at this election, fur
Their than by demanding, as is done in the
resolutions OF your convention, a rigid
economy in State expenditure ; and turn
to the practical and Immediate questions of
State policy, which only are properly be-
lore us for decision.
Upon these questions see no considera-
bic divergence between the conflicting par
baf tO
nounce what have always considered the
most essential attribute of party-an
opion upon the local question which seems
most to interest the people of the Common
wealth.
1 confess that my inclination is to an
open declaration by men and parties of
what they think upon any question of con-
siderable debate.
The course Of the Convention over which
you had the honor to preside seems to me,
therefore, to stand in very favorable con-
trast to the timorous and time serving tone
of the previous convention at Worcester.
I am the more repealed by the political
ockeying there attempted, because know
that most of the wise and conservative men
Of the Republican party justly regard these
laws as prepOsterOus invasions
by statute Of the lawful domain of morals
When called on, therefore, to take side
upon the questions touched by the resolu-
tons of the conflicting parties, [ should
meanly equivocate if [ attempted to dis
guise my hearty preference for the policy
declared by the Democratic Convention.
After this too detailed avowal of my opin-
ions, [ should feel that [ arrogated an alb
surd Importance to my personal prefer
ences if [ should still decline to stand as
the candidate of the large and respectable
body whose action you have kindly con-
veyed to me.
I am, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN @. ADAMS.
From the Charleston COurier.