The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-10-28
The Republicans Ready TO Help the
Southern People.

From Evansville Courier, Oct. 1Sth.]
GREAT SPEECH OF JOHN QUINCY
ADAMS.
In another place will be found the
great speech of John Quincy Adams,
of MASSACHUSETTS, delivered at Co
lumbia. South Carolina, on the 18th
inst. We especially commend It to
the careful attention of the extremists
of both parties, as a calm, d~ignlhed,
able and statesman-like review of the
situation. His ~utterances are frank.
manly and dispassionate, and if the
people would but be governed by his
wise counsels, peace, harmony, fra
ternity, commercial prosperity, and
Union would be restored to the ma
ton.
Read the speech, and then hand it
to your neighbor.
The following collation. of the utter
ances of Mr.. ADAMS is made from his
speech as It appeared IN tho Courier,
and is here presented as an evidence
of progress in that paper. 1t will be
noticed that the Courier pronounced
the speech sta~tesnsanliike, frank, manly,
di~spassionote, calm, dignitfed, and aoise.
Verify, the world moves.
/. I was an ardent though humble
supporter of Mr.. Lincoln; a hearty
friend of his administrations; always
10 favor of an energetic prosecution
of the war while it lasted, and that /
hailed with gratitude the abolition of
slavery.
2. That principle, "a constitutional
Democl acy) seems to me a recogni-
ton of equal rights of all men under
| the law, or, stretch it as broad as pos
sible, the right of every man to think,
speak and act as he wishes, provided
he does not, by so doing, infringe the
equal right of his neighbor.
3. You were guilty of it (political
intemperance) when you did all In
your power to rupture the Union by
force.
A.. You began the war down here al
fend yourself as an independent State.
8. You had allied yourselves with
other seeded States, and formed a
confederacy which claimed an equal
rank among the nations.
g.. You proclaimed slavery its cor
ner stone.
z. In the stress of conflict, as a wal
measure, justified by the emergency,
and as a mean of distressing you,
your slaves were proclaimed free.
s. You claimed to be a sovereign
State, and on your.own showing we're
by the laws of war, subject to any
terms the victor might impose.
9. 1t did not lie in your mouths
therefore, to demand anyrights in the
Union you had broken, or any rene
dy from the Consequences of your owl
acts under the Constitution you haC
renowned.
10. If you were to accept your owl
theory of action you were alien enc
mics, and your land conquered terri
tory, and so subject to the naked
hands of war alone.
IL. The fact is that distrust, sus
picion, fear have more to do will
your sorry plight than anger or NAL
ice. l have always thought so, but
have thought of late there was Ger
tainly a feeling of soreness, a ris.
ing of the gorge ut the thought o
the temperance of your old lead
ers in conspicuous places.
II. | think that universal suffrag,
was probably forced On you when i
was, and as it was, by the vagran
laws which several of your Southern
Legislatures passed soon after tn
wal closed.
Ii. The North was naturally ex
ceedingly sensitive on this point. TIL,
slaves had been manumitted by us foI
49, oo11 oA1 20 xua LA
posed to your anger, Oh caprice, Of
vengeance, it would indeed be an in.
delible stain upon our shield.
IA. We had become guardians o
the freedmen, and we must be faith.
full to our trust.
Is. The most calm and moderate
men were as clear as the loudest anC
most noisy that it was an undoCbteo
obligation on our part to secure by
all means in vi power their security
and happiness.
Is. 1t had long been urged hat il
was impossible to insure safety foI
the black among you, except by arm :
ing them with the franchise; and
your vagrant laws added the practical
proof, which was alone needed to de-
eide the theoretical deduction.
IL. Again, 1t was vehemently asser-
waited and shown by in~numerable let.
ters from all kinds of people. that in
their opinion it would be impossible
for a man holding strong Northern
opinions about slavery and the war n
come down here and speak freely or
travel without molestation and annov.
ance, or to settle here with safety.
IS. 1t was said that free speech was
dangerous, open discussion prohibit.
ed, or allowed only under protest anC
persecution for political opinion uni
versal.
10. 1t is very generally believed by
US that if you had your own way yOJ
would endure no contradiction anC
tolerate no dissent, and it is published
every day that even now the negro
voter is freely coerced by you to vote
against his conscience.
20. For the North is determined
as L bellve, to retain and establish al
the legitimate results of the war these
general positions, with all the logical
consequences necessary for their con.
venient enjoyment; first. the inter re.
nunciation of the doctrine Of seces.
sion; second, the entire extirpation NJ
slavery and all its family; third, a fan
and unhampered career for the freed.
men; fourth, the equal right of every
citizen of the United States to travel
speak and live in any State so long a:
he does not infringe the rights of 9th.
ers.
q. [ do not believe that any con
siderable portion of the people would
be willing to sacrifice any part O.
these acquisitions.
Y. The most effective battery
against the Democratic party to- day
is, that they are willing to abandon