Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-07-06

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
Another xetter on National ISSUES
and the Condition of the south

q, anu INC SOuuALAOu VA LAC |
From the Augusta (Ark.) BullOtin.l
Some short time since we wrote a letter to
this gentleman upon political matters, ex
pressing. among other things, the apPre-
hensiOn that, with Grants vast patronage,
most unsorupulously used, be would not
Weld the Presidential chair, even if defeat
ed before the people in 1872; and that our
Republic, hke its predecessors of old, is so
rapidly drifting into the channels of cor
ruption that the people, in despair, may
look to one military leader as the only
means Of saving them from the utter ruin
threatened by another. This was the gen
eral scope of our letter, to which the fol
lowing is a reply. 1t will be seen that Mr..
Adams, who represents the anti-radical
party Of New England, Endorses the Val
lAudigham policy and the question with
the South is, can she save herself if she
throws off her friends in New England,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the other States ?
They ''accept the situation not because it
is right and just, but because it is imposed
upon them by a iOrCe they cannot resist
Read Mr.. AdAms's letter;
QUINCY, Mass, June 5, 1871.
DEAR SIR l cannot pass over silently a
letter which gratifes me Us much as yours,
which / received to day and yet | feel shy
OF speaking TO you or any other citizen OF
the 'sublect States 1 dislike to earn the
retort, ION, it is very easy TO preach but
suffer "a we have and then tell us how you
feel, and we will listen " / do try to take
it home myself, AID | do not doubt that in
similar circumstances | should be 10 day 81
"unrepented rebel" sore, angry, beaten, anC
defiant. Aud with me It would doubles.
have bsen as it has been with you, that 9Th,
tender mercies of reconstruction had beer
harder to bear than ell The horrors of invas-
i've wsr.' Ishould have been CALLED b
Improvement, robbed by imported knaver
of the ~pittAnce which the war had spared
exasperated by wilful and persistent mi,
representation ; and cruelty condemned {
hopeless importance for the imputed gail
of cowardly crimes ! abhorred. / shout
have been condemned, too, TO hold my pei
sOnAl liberty ct the nod of q mercenar
oArpet-bsgger or the within of a miitar
bhtIhps Say huhb l. lchF 4 ooOulu nov
been an "irrsconoilable." In such q case
think should bs sulky but l know
should be silly If / Welded to the feeling
For, whence must my relief come If my los
estate is not to become worse than the FIRST
Is there u man outside an asylum who think
that by such q course the 'lost cause ca
be regAiued? BY whom, then? If by III
North, believe me that the experimen. {
secession has satisfied us that no cause
worth a civil war.
That war has confirmed, beyond a shade
of a turning, the destiny which decreed the
there shall be but one contedsrAted peopl
of the North American Union. No. he
bellious l might be but weak enough
await the resurrection Of secession I do nj
think | could be. You and l and you
friends ano ~neighbors and mine are OF on
blood we we're once ''tellOw-oitizens, " an
the old time kiudness must finger yet, /
spots. OHE fathers were 'brsEhren,' al
that must count for something. The whoI
political problem Of the future turns apo
the answer 10 the question, shall we Inv
together ~ friends or enemies q Now, IL
whole internal policy of tue present admir-
i~slrstion SAYS war. Reconstruction meal
war aud the ku.kiuE bill declared va
This Union is now hsid together by fore
ffT.TFTEe st=uSTIs 10 cast ont slave,
overthrow the Constitution, what chance
there for a free government, IL the Mort
is to rule the South? South Caroina is 70
dsyth most shameless parody On repuolioa
institutions since republican Rome bestrod
al the nations of the ancient world, pat th
sword TO their throats, stripped them tar,
and thar lankaA vunrIar .. I'D a.. 1-u.rFua
OF liberty. You cannot be subject and 70
be long free. The uutran meIled excrcis
OF locsl sslEgOverument BY the people Of sh
States ia the salt which preserves our whoi
system. Take that away and our frame q
poisy will rapidly rot into despoiism. Their,
fore IL is, thSt, not as = partisan. but who'll
as a follow citizen, / trust that al the goo
citizens Of the seeded States will frank
and honestly sccept the revolutionary cnenl
IS which have been forced upon the Const
tuition, and with them cheerfuily adopt til
new relations OF smity and political end civ
equality towards the smancipated elias
which these changes involve Aud ther,
fore l sn glad when | see the noble sDi-.
OF your letter pervsGInz the Southern peopl
esit does, despite the mElignity of a p~artisa
press, while the sterling sense Of Mr.. Val
landIRham has reformed the Northern De
mocracy. And it matters not what ma
may be chosen to lead US SO long as hi
heart Is large enough to hold this Who'll
country, his soul brave enough 20 embrac
a Confederate B. a brother, and his ~pla,forr
vide enough for every American citizen t
stand upon. To compass this end SOM,
thing Of sacrifice is required of us all; muc
of self-control is demanded of the SoutE
You aud all | hear assure me that the a
tempt will be made aud if made honestl
and IN earnest, it canust fail. Again thank
ing you for your letter, ! am, very respect
fully, your obedient servant,
]. Q. ADAMS.
To J. I. Trezevant, Esq, Augusta, Ark.