The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-19
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
His Letter Accepting the Democratic
Nomination for Governor.

Nomination for GOvernOe.
A despatch to TEE EVENING TELEGRAPH yes
terday gave extracts from the letter of Hon.
John Quincy Adams, accepting the Democratic
nomination for Governor of Massachusetts. In
addition to these, he comments on our national
currency and the Reconstruction acts of Con-
gress as follows:-
This dishonored paper which we are all COM.
as money. is not only standing disgrace to the
nation. but 1t is destroying the ancient habits
Old. % .fasSioSed T honest IDEAS by The constSnt Snt
spectacle and example OF an tnsolvent Govern
ment 1t lays upon the poor man burden
dustry, and all productive industry each year
moro than the whole sum OF doubtful gain
BY promises to pay which we do not redeens'
II persisted In think II must result In repudi-
alton and ban1lkruptcy 1l " In In -! that event the re-
which made the notes and then refused, when
they had the power, to make them good, and
next with the Democracy, Il they are tempted
to follow that bad lead. 1t is with peculiar
pleasure therefore, that read your demand
If 1 differed with you on this subject, and
for our present depiora6ie financial condition,
regard the second or vital question of such mo.
ment, that any political action would be gov.
erned by the attitude of the opposing parties In
mind, dwarfs all others is. Shall the ConsLitu-
tion or shall party mandate be the supreme
law Of the land? Fidelity to the Constltution
day. But to act with the party which has ruled
the country with supreme dominion for three
that the Constitution Contemplated an
ultimate absorption of the most important
Congress; that its fair construction will ari.
thorize that body to wrest from the Judiciary
Department the Jurisdiction Ia cases where
its Judgment upon constitutional questions of
the first magnitude may possibly conflict with
that of a majority therein; must stand ready
aith whisn sRpsessy mates S1 OF Se
impeachment of tho President a test of party
upon my consciencs that consider "recon-
struction," )" for the sake of which all this and
iHe uen and p consiitntions I Row @ SS have always
thought with Mr. Seward that the wisest way
70 treat the wounds left by the war was to let
struction" has torn them open dayby day, until
they are now a mass of well. nigh incursble gan.
creme. believe that true statesmanshtpw would
have imposed on the Southern leaders the task
OF bring their people back into the Union
tSe ny fa daY thew @ isid down ther arms o 'ne ths
right hand of oblivion OF the past and recon-
ciliation In the future, which they might reject
scorned their protests, repelled their aid, in
suited their misery, and inflicted on them an
abasement which they felt to be intolerable, in
posting over them their slaves of yesterday TO
secure their pledge OF submission TO the Con
cious policy believe we might now have been
a truly united people. the Southern white re-
conciled to the Inevitable. the negro secure in
his civil rights, and attaining political privi-
leges as he grew 1T to use the m wisely. and the
North ennobled by q victory more noble than
any feat of arms-the conquest of its own pas
sions. will not argue the uuconstitutionality
of reconstruction" The almost unanimous
disinclination of the Republicans in Congress
to allow 1t to undergo the scrutiny of the
Supreme Court would seem to confirm the re.
ported statement Of the lamented Stevens
THAT only the ID fools in the party be.
lieved the Reconstruction acts to be constltu-
tional." Even II they were SO, should deem
them unwise The Union they impose is to
my eyes NO more like q true union OF
hearts and hands than galvanized corpse re-
sembles o healthy man. All the doings OF men
are governed by the laws OF nature. The attempt
to subordinate the trained and able classes OF
white landholders at the South to the poor,
ignorant, debased, and lRndless freedmen, is
one of those futile struggles to repeal God's
law by statute with which history abounds II
must fall but 1t ts of great moment that II
should be stopped at onc9. Every day 1t lasts
1t is encouraging false hopes Ia the negro and
rendering resumption of a true relation be-
tween the blacks and whites more difficult.
think that neither the instincts nor the destiny
of this people will allow any permanent domi-
nation to the African race In any State of the
Union. But the Republican party is irrevocably
pledged to this idea. They have staked their
existence as q party on Its triumph. To this
idol they sacrificed their constitutional obliga-
tions In the past, and for 1t they must fad fresh
OF ffarf N