The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-09


party must stand the consequences of its own
tricks when they take the shape Of laws.
John Quincy Adams and Wade Hampton
Massachusetts and south Carolina.
General Wade Hampton, of South Carolina,
and others Of ''the State Central Committee"
(democratic) have addressed letter to John
Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts, inviting
him to come down to Columbia and address
the people Tin behalf of our common country. !"
They promise large audience, and they ask,
''what stronger reply could there be to the mis-
representations of the radicals than to hear
John Quincy Adams talk Of union and fraternal
relations on the soil of South Carolina? Would
it not be as the past speaking to the present p
They invite him Ito consultation upon living
principles Of our free Institutions" for, they
say, 'it is no longer with us question Of
party, but question of social life" They
hold that slavery is dead and that the South
wants peace, and they s'hope that God in His
wisdom may turn the hearts of those who
know the right but still pursue the wrong,
and strike the scales from the eyes Of others
who are really in the darkness Of ignorance
and therefore easily the dupes Of their better
informed hearers.
Mr.. John Quincy Adams Ga grandson of the
President that was, of the same name, and
democratic candidate for Governor Of Massa-
chusetts), in his reply, pleads that he repre-
SCENTS only powerless minority in his native
State, considered hardly less Objectionable by
the majority, though more insignificant than
Hampton and his party in South Carolina.
He pleads, therefore, that his visit to Columbia
cannot have much influence upon the North,
nor does he think he can say those things
which the South Carolina democrats would
be most delighted to hear. He then,
like Judge upon the bench, proceeds to give
his opinions to General Hampton and his com
mittee. He tells them, among other things,
that their ''fate is involved by the memorable
logic Of events in most bitter political strug-
gle; that there can be no dispassionate con-
sideration of their case till after the election
that it is declared, and, he fears, lis widely
believed, that the spirit Of secession still fires
the Southern heart and works through the
democratic party that II this party is de-
| fsated in this canvass lit is because the peo-
pie fear Its success would jeopardize the sub
stantial results Of the war; that slavery, to
be sure, is stone dead, but that ''the nasty and
inconsiderate legislation upon the subject
(negro vagrancy and the sale of negro va
grants in two or three Of your States lately in
rebellion did more to fasten universal suffrage
| Gncludng negro suffrage) upon you than any
| other one thins," that upon the plea of ne
necessity 'the Northern States pardoned the
| palpable usurpation Of power by Congress, .
and that the terms Of reconstruction imposed
| upon the South have been dictated more by
| fear and distrust of the Southern people in
volved in the late rebellion than by malice or
revenge. But still Mr.. Adams, in order to
inform himself on the true situation of affairs
down South, and to do what good he can in
behalf Of peace, says he will go to Columbia,
and he is probably there at the present time.
Now, this sort Of talk may not be palatable
to Wade Hampton, but Mr.. Adams, for all
that, deals in good and wholesome truths He
pleads that time, reason and patience can only
settle these Southern difficulties, which is true
as Holy Writ; and when he wrote that cit is
widely believed that the spirit of secession still
fires the Southern heart he doubtless remem-
bered some Of the fiery, revolutionary boast
ings and threatenings of Henry A. Wise, For
rest, Semmes Toombs, Cobb and Hampton him
self, and other Southern orators and ex rebels,
la, orl h. To-,
were entirely too fast and too wild, and the
consequence was that they killed with kindness
the ticket Of Seymour and Blair from the start
and made this Presidential canvass substan-
TALLY the battle of ls6i--a battle for the re-
suits of the war against the old Chicago fallacy
that the war was failure.
But the most curious thing In this CORE
spondence is the appeal for help from South
Carolina to Massachusetts,, from Wade Hamp-
ton, Of the old Palmetto chivalry, to John
Quincy Adams. Many of our readers will
remember the time when John Quincy Adams
the elder, on the right of petition, was the
special target in Congress Of Henry A. Wise and
oil tho Southern chivalry, and what terrible
and protracted battle 'sthe old man eloquent"
had to fight against them. Perhaps even John
Quincy Adams the younger may remember the
mission In slavery times Of Judge Hoar to
Charleston, in behalf OF the constitutional
rights of certain Massachusetts, citizens Of
color-seamcn who, on entering the city, were
taken off and locked mp in the calaboose for
safe keeping till the departure Of the vessel to
which tbcv 'beloured--and how Judge Hoar.
st his hotel in Charleston, was taken In hand
by 4 vigilance committee and packed of with
out cereuony and on very short notice. But
Time, in lhe whirligig Of politlcsp brings about