Litchfield enquirer., 1868-10-22
SPEECH OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

1 Whose value none number. %
 SPEECH OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
 John Quincy Adams, Democratic candi-
 date for Governor of Massachusetts. has
 been making speech at Columbia s. C.,
 on invitation of tho Democratic central
 committee of that State, which is such 8 betterment of the usual Democratic modes | of thought and utterance, ,and tells so many 1 wholesome truths, that we take pleasure
 in making the following extracts:
 ANTT-NEGRo LEGISLATION.
 think that universal suffrage was prob
 ably forced on vOu when 1t was and as it was by the vagrant laws which several of
 your southern legislatures passe soon af- l tes the war closed. These wore instantly
 caught up at the North and constantly pa
 raded to prove that you were determined l
 to restore slavery in tho person of her sis
 ter, enforced servitnde for poverty, if not |
 yet 1t was shown that you were unfit to be
 left in charge of the freedmen. Now there
 arc doubtless grave difficulties in the prob
 lem which this vast, ignorant, and from
 want of education and training, frequently
 thriftless and vagrant population, present
 ed to you for solution. The embarrass-
 ments are also more apparent to you on the
 spot that to those unfamiliar with the sur
 rounding and preceding circumstances
 But admitting, for the sake of argument,
 that the laws were needful. humane, and
 wise, Mey acere e:cceedingiy inoppo11une aud
 uyo'tnnote .t0r you. The North was natl1-
 tally tssSssea!ny Ssnsitys v ap thp5R thS Rqiptb pttb
 your anger, or caprice, or vengeance, it
 would indeed be an indelible stain. upon
 our shield. We had become guardians of
 the freedmen, and we must be faithful to
 our trust The most calm and moderate
 men wero as clear as the loudest and most
 noisy that 1t was an undoubt,d obligation
 on our part to secure by all means in our
 power their security and happinee Do2trII had long been urged that it was imp
 to insure their safety for tho black you, except by arming them with tn ID |" "o' chlsc, and and your vagrant laws adGce of 1T theoretical deduction. Again, it w:avonr clul mently asseverated and shown by initters sho able letters from all kinds of people t4..
 their opinion, 1t would be impossible for man holding strong Northern opinions about slavery and the war to come down here and speak freely or travel without mo- iestatlOn and annoyance, or to settle here with safety. It was said that free speech was dangerous, open discussion prohibited or allowed only under protest and persecu- tion for political opinion universal It is very generally believed by us that if you had your own way you would endure no contradiction and tolerate no dissent, and 1t is published every day that even now the negro voter is freely coerced by you to vote to discuss the justice of these charges or II'' ' their validity, but state them to you clearly : to show the process which has aided in fix :. ing your present condition whether they are true or false. The fact that they were used as the most potent engines to build : up and sustain public opinion which : could sanction and support tho reconstruc- \ ton acts, discovers at once that general : belief Tn their truth was at all events con- sidered by the Radical leaders essential to ;. their pnrpose-a determination never to -' yield us peaceable possession-whic you o must overcome before you can have peace. . For Me No,N $ determined, as / beliere, 10 " 'etain and establish as he legitimate results of he acGr Mese general positions, acW oNMe log- : icM consequences necessary for Mei,' c0mueni- |, he doctrine of secession; second Ue entire ec- II |. apation of staoe7y and aN is fan,ily; My'd, q Il fair and mahampered career for Me. freedmen; !; fou'fh he elum right of eeery citizen of Me r United States 10 tracel, speah, and Hoe ia uny <, Stste so long ds he did not infringe Me qiqtts n 7 others. l do not believe that any consid- erable portion of the people would be will T ing to sacrifice any part of these acquisi- :, lions. The most effective battery against a 'he Democratic party to-day is, that they ., .' Ire willing to abandon to you some or all ' of these trophies. I:
 IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE C
 l think that even universal suffrage f. 1t was found necessary to let 1t 1 stand as it is, as choice of evils, for I cer- e alnly regard it as an evil at this time and F place, might be made compatible with good u order, good movement, and good feeling, I considering the relations which formerly t, existed between the two races, and the h great advantage which the wealthy, educa-
 ed and intelligent land owner is always | ound to possess in agricultural communi- z lies. 1 think you can hardly deprecate or Ii tread competition with adventurous stran- 4 gers upon fair field of rivalry. Your le- e gitlmate and proper influence fairly exert D 'o must prove m the long run more per-
 naslVe than that of strangers or others 2 Vho are lacking in these advantages. At 2 east, this has been the general experience Ii n other countries, but in order to secure a 6 ar opportunity even to try the experiment e IS essential that the dangerous element P ,f hostility of race should be kept out of a ne calculation. If that power once fastens G ifmly on your vitals your political future desperate, or curable only by an antidote S which cannot contemplate with calmness: g Next then to peace, think, you are bound ll' o cultivate friendly relations with the ne- oi ,roes among you. S
 To both whites and blacks would coun- N