Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-09-26
a ID N S
Letter Of Acceptance of John
Quincy Adams.
Words Of wisdom from Massa-
ChuSeItS' Gifted Son.

The following is the conclusion OF John
Quincy Adams letter OF acceptance OF
the Democratic nominate on for Governor
OF Massachusetts:
The issue which, in my mind, dwarfs
sli others is, shall the Constitution or
shall a party mandate be the supreme
law of the lsnd2 Fidelity to the COnsti
tuition should be the final test of political
utilization to-day. But to act with the
party which has ruled the country with
supreme dominion for three years past,
| must agree with them that the COnsti-
| tuition contemplated an ultimate sbsOrp-
ton nf the most important functions Of
the Executive Department by Congress;
that It's fair construction will authorize
1 that body to wTest from the judiciary
Department the jurisdiction in cases
| where its judgment upon constitutional
! questions of the first magnitude may
| possibly conf let with a majority therein
I must stand ready to fix my name to
declaration OF political faith which ex-
/ pressly makes approval of the impeach-
ment of the President test Of party fell
! lowship; and, finally, must be Die to
/ ssyi upon my conscience, that consider
reconstruction" for the sake of which
all this and much more has been done, is
wise, statesmRn-like and constitutional.
Now | have always thought with Mr..
| Seward, that the wisest way to treat the
wOuuds lett by the war was to let them
heal "by first intention" But "TecOn-
stTuctiOn " has torn them open day by
day, until they are now 3 mass Of we'll
nigh incursDie gangreDe. / believe that
true statesmBu Buship would have imposed
on the Southern Leaders the task Of bring
ing their people bEck into the Union by
frankly and confidently offering to them
the day they lard down their arms, the
right hand Of oblivion of the past and
reconciliation iD the future, which they
M gdt reject If they wished or dared
RecOnstructiOn" hSs scorEed their
protests, repelled their aid, insulted their
misery, and inflicted on them an abase-
ment which they felt to be intoleTAble, f.
in posting over them their slaves Of yes (
terdsy to secure their pledge Of submls-
sion TO the Constitution. But for this
Ubgenerous and suspicious policy / be
lieYo we might now have been a truly 4
united people, the Southern white recon- i
ciied to the Inevitable, the negro secure /
in bis civil rights, sud attaining political .
privileges as he grew ht to use them .
wisely, and the North eDnobled by
victory more noble than any feat of arms .
the conquest OF its own passions.
] will not argue the Unconstitutionality /
OF reconstruction" The almost unsni- /
nous disinciinatiOn Of the Republicans
10 Congress to allow it to undergo the I
scrutiny Of the Supreme Court, would .
seem TO confirm tue reported statement
OF the lamented Stevens, d" that only two
damned fools in the party believed the
reconstruction acts to be constitutions"
Even il they were so, l should deem
them unwlse. The Union they impose
is to my eyes no more like 8 true union
of hearts and hsnGs than 8 galvanized
corpse resembles q healthy man. All
the dOiDgs Of men are governed by the
laws OF nature. The attempt to subIrdl-
nate the trained and able classes OF white
laudhO.ders OF the South to the poor, ig-
nOrant, debssed and landless freedmen,
is one of thoss futile struggles to repel
Gods law by statute with which history
aOOuuds. II must fall, but it is Of great
moment that II should be stopped at
once. Every day Il lasts IL is enc0urag-
iuE false hopes in the negro and render
iaR q resumption of a true relation be-
tweea the blacbs and whites more diff
cuit. 1 think that neither the instincts
Dor the destiny Of this people will allow
any permanent dOmiDation 20 the Afr
can race 10 any State u the Union. But
the Republican party Is irrevOcROiy
pledged To this idea. They have stsBed
their existence Is party in its triumph
To this idol they sacrificed their consti-
tutional obligations in the past, and for
IL they must find fresh offerings Ia the
future.
The blacks must have laads and arms
and standing army to maintain them
in their false position. They are clam
oring for them now, and the United
States must furnish them. The path
NH frh (1rF,r hoo
OF no halt, and retreat is ruin. Ia my
opinion we must begin anew; taking
the Constitution for our guide aud natu-
raj laws FOR our limitations. 1t is true
that the Democratic party in success may
violate the pledges Of adversely, aud
again subvert the Orga0.c law. The
teachings and the practice OF Hsdicalism
have destroyed much Of the old rever-
ence for the precious legacy of our an
cestOrs. We may dread lest they should
do this thing, but we do certainly knew
that the Republican Dsrty has already
done it. At least it is chsnee-a last
chance of salvation. II that fails us-if
we submit to the whims of msj Jrity,
without appeal, 1t matters but little TO
me whether il rejoices in the name of
or delights in the title of
Democrat. II psrty In the nation may
constitute Itself the sole afbor OF the con
OF its own measures, then
secession was illegal only because it was
not the set Of msjOrity. The battle is
between Congress and the Constitution
For my part, L am for the Constitution.
Holding these opinions, / shall act with
the Democratic party, so long s5 it is the
party OF the Constitution.
] am, sir, with great respect.
Your friendRnd servant
JOHN Q. ADAMS.