The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-17

sentative of the fourth generation of American
patriots who aided in bringing into existence
the Union and the Constitu ion, from which
sprung our own constitution which has now
the decisions and Sanctions OF poFer.
| 1t is true that we are fallen and PROSTATE who
extend this hospitality. 1t is equally true that
the Union and the Constitution which the
elder Adams helped to establish have been
subverted, but that cannot take away from you
Your historic character. am sure and know
that the gentleman comes mere TO speak wnat
| tn saw will be the truth. I here endorse the
opinions which he has already given 10 US, and
say in advance that what he is about to say
is the truth. For the last throe years, and you
know it fellow citizens, have believed that it
was the policy of South Carolina. and Dclicvo
of the whole South to abstain from nlingling
in politics-that the less heard OF Southern
men and of Southern ideas the better it would
he for us. the more certain, sale and sure
wonld be the deliverance Of the South. have
never hesitlted in ut. cring this opinion. re-
neat it here. and will repeat it on all suitable
occasions. When this opinion OF mine was
perfectly understood. on what they bene7cd 10
be an occasion OF extreme nced, tho people or
this Stale placed mo in the highest position
known to them-eavc mo the greatest gilt it
was in their power to confer. They then sought
INV counscs. and whether those cJunsels were
wise or unwise, will never be known; whether
it would bave been better that those counsels
should have been acted on Oh not, ls among
those things that must ever be hidden.
This much. however, will say for myself, that
indebted as am to the old Commonwealth OF
Massachusetts for my birth. I feel thatl is
creater honor to haze been the last senator ct
the old and free South Carolina than to have
the highest distinction that MASSACHUSETTS,
nov with all her greatness, power and wealth
II. ,,ol, and iY,cn
by such sentiments, I tell you, fclow-citz .ns,
that the gentleman you arc about to hear, NJ
though heretofore opposed to US is now true
TO the best interests Of South Carolina. Ii you
listen to him, and you will listen to him, for it
has never yet been recorded in the bistoly OF
this State that her people refused to give re,
spectful hearing to stranger, and, Illuminated
as The State now is, with Der Judiciary removed
and her government in the hands OF men OF
whom the best that can be said that they have
no record and no character, and yet, with all
this. YOU will give an attentive, instructive and
useful listening to the Hon. John Quincy
Adams. Of Massachusetts, gentleman who
has como here to learn the truth and to speak
what he believes TO be the truth. And now
leave Mr. Adams IN tho hands OF the gentleman
whose distinguished honor 1T is to intro duce
him to you.
Mr.. Adams then appeared on the stand, con-
Quoted by James NJ. Eason, Esq, and Hon. AL
fred Huger. Mr.. Eason said:
Fello,r-caizens: As executive officer OF the
Democratic organization in Charleston, IL BE-
comes nv pleasant duty on this occasion to IN
troduce to YOU our illustrious fellow-country-
man, Hon. John Quincy Adams, OF Massachu-
sets.
SPEECH OF NIL. ADAMS.
MIR. Adams, with great ciearness of tone and
evident self-possession, spoke as follows:
Nh President and mn Fepo,r-ciiztns Of South
Carolina: I come here tonight to speak to
YOU, somewhat appalled,, confess, by. the
ma sses OF faces, the masses OF Carohnlans
the masses of men who '::ttle thought would
have clrCd to come here to hear the lew words
which I will have to say on tho questions
whlcl now excite the country. IL ID due to
myself to say that came at no mstlga' ION OF
my ovn. In your days OF prosperity, OF me-
of vitality, / never came here. Inc othef day
however, while ] WAS i'll Massachusetts, very
busy in our small affairs OF o.ltic5, recolvcd
n letter from gentleman whose ua.no Will Affect
YOU, as his presence does me, with sympathet-
ic aomlration-Gen. Wade Hampton-(checrs)
TO come down here, to come TO this State. with
out any political purpose, TO learu With my
own G, es and cars the feeling and condition OF
the people of this State, aud to tell what
learn TO toe people Of Massachusetts. Well, /
hc -, come, not to tell you what you don't
III ", but to find out what you want, TO dis
covr the best manner OF rest ring South Ca
ro 70 and Massachusetts to the Old frlondly
relations OF revolutionary days.
Now. q man who IS invited, who COMES to
place by request is not in the same position
as one who comes by his own volitloD, and
especially if he has advice to give, but partlcu-
larly good advice. for that IL always disagree
able, tho most d.sngrccabie advlce possible. As
expect to learn from you. will toll you IN my
turn what il the feeling Of the country, the
North-the Northern halt OF tho countryIon
the Great matters which now occupy the public
mind. But in order that you may understand
exactly what I mcau-in order that there may
be no misunderstanding between us, will tell
vou exactly my political history. In the old
days anterior to the war was q Freesollcr.
Afterwards was II mem cr of tho Republican
party and supporter of alr. Lincoln. was
supporter OF the war from first to
last. and during the war Was L.
favor of the abolition Of slavery. an
ways believed that the institution OF slave
nv would sooner r ,a,er be the destruction OF
the Union. therefore / come before you to-
night, frankly and fairly, Ill order that there
may be no misunderstanding between us.
have told you my position ur to tho close OF
the war. But the day That the waf closed
the day the South lay down her arms-thc
filth. that they gave mp what they fought for
believed that the lime mad come to say to the
South. YOU shall aL ohco be rcadinttcd; hat the
trmo had c, luo when, if the S Juth asked for
fayors, the government .i'ould grant ten times
more. And that was the position at that time
of MANY, # not most, of the best Republicans
They thought and felt so: they knew in heir
hearts that the Union could have been re-
stored at that time upOl. that basis. But
It was not You know what followed. First came
the thirteenth amendment 10 the constitution
tho amendment which ab0llshes slavery. AS you
all know that amendment was submitted to
nil the formerly rebcllou5 States. then Gel tain
ly peaceful and perfectly unrebellious States,
and was formally ratified by each OF thom. II
there were any necessity for saying SO upon
this occasion, I could say with my hand upon
nv heart that there has been no act OF the
States sInco the adoption Of the constitution
upon which couli moro sincerely call down
the blessing of God. believe that it was the
best, the wnoesomest and the most thorough
medicine that the country could have taken
at that time. But after that came
another amendment-the fourteenth amend
ment to tho constitdtion-an amendment
That might be divl led into two parts.
The first norton which said that there
should be no representation for any portion OF
the population debarrcd from the privilege of
voting, was all fair and proper enough. But
what was the second portion? II was that the
whole people OF the South, the people that
fought in the war, the people who believed IN
the war. sh hould disfranchsc tho mon who had
lead them through the struggle, should dis
franchise thc, leaders i'll the camp and in the
Senate, the men whom they had trusted and
believed in from first to last. That provision
T