Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1871-12-09
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,
Hs..WrItes a Letter and Endorses the
Passive POIicy-What He Thinks
of the Present Administration.

Adams, of Massachusetts,, has writ
ten letter, which will appear in
the Missouri Republican tomorrow,
in which he warmly Endorses the So
called passive policy for the Demo-
Gratis in the next Presidential cleo
ton. In the course of the letter, he
says:
81 am satisfied that such a course
would be wise and patriotic, and L
should be glad to see the Democracy
| concur in such resolution. l re-
gard the present administration
as a national calamity, continuance
ofWhich should be ayerted at almost
any sacrifice, not because it is Re-
publican in politics, but because it
is mean in character, sordid in tone,
| ignorant, corrupt and arbitrary be-
| cause more than any we have had, it
| has disappointed the hopes and
deadened the generous aspirations
of good men of all parties because
it is doing more to permanently disu-
mite the States than the government
of Jefferson Davis ever did because
| it's chief can conceive of no means OF
free government but military force,
and no motive of public action but
private profit. -Four years more OF
! such an education in family patron
age and martial law will so blunt
the keen sensibilities of popular IL
berty that our ignoble incubus
might as well remain a fixture now.
| l believe that the Democratic party
is powerless alone to relieve us. |
! think it is without hope of carrying
! the next election. l have no doubt
that if the votes of any of the States
| lately in rebellion were necessary to
| elect the Democratic candidate, they
| would be thrown out in counting a
mere majority. Even if it could be
mustered it will not be permitted
to elect a Democrat to be the next
President. Nothing will then re-
main but civil war or submission
| to a usurper, and it is difficalt to
| decide which alternative would in
flict the more irreparable injury
upon the habit of free government.
To dismiss an incompetent official
and avoid a governmental crisis, the
Missouri policy offers the only rea-
| sonable possibility which is offered.
But while l frankly avow my par
| TALLY for the project, l do think
! there are very serious obstacles to
its adoption. 1t must subdue the
pride of party, and break the bonds
of party discipline. Now, there are
| few more obstinate passions than
the sentimental devotion which men
offer to that vague abstraction, par
ty glory, and not many of the creeds
Of the clergy are as despotic as a
platform. 1t will be difficult task
to bring a party yet glowing with
the recollection of a mighty past,
and Just now burning with anticipa-
ton of great future, to yield the
head of the column and the COM
mand of the field to allies who were
Yesterday enemies. Nor is there
any strong guaranty that these al
lies will not finch at the last. Party
leaders are seldom famous for the
high moral courage which can abide
mistaken the stern pressure that
forbids the rupture of party ties,
but if they dare fling down the
gauntlet for a duel to the death with
the President, it might be possible
for the Democracy to rise to the
hight, where the humiliation OF the
partisan is lost in the satisfaction of
the patriot. But it is charged that
the sacrifice will be III vain, or,
worse, will surrender the whole
scheme of Democratic liberty, bare
and bound, to its enemies. lido not
so forbode the event. l can not be- |
lieve that the protest against die |
tatOrial government can be weaken |
ed by joining a band which deserts |
it because it is hostile to civil liber-
ty. Will the enemies of corruption |
in Office disband because they unite |
with those who have sickened and |
turned away from the sight of cor
ruption Can friends OF the Con-
stitution preserve and protect it /
more strenuously by refusing TO |
hold up their hands, who have for |
saken their own friends rather than
deface it further? IL seems to me,
on the contrary, that the strength /
of the support which this movement
would bring to the rescue of the
principles of Democracy would be
in exact proportion TO the severity
of the blow to the pride of the Dem
ocratic party, for these principles
must be dear indeed to men who
can abandon for them an ancient
and honored name and not less
precious to those who dare To fol-
low them even through the scOrn,
and obloquy which await
political treason"