Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-08-03
SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
Thursday, Aug. 8, 1871.
Views of Hon. John Q. Adams.

lllal lllc oplHloH VI OHS vi thO u'a'''
guishcd leaders OF the Democratic party
Of the country-llon. John Quincy
Adams--upon the leading issues of the
day will interest our readers more than
anything else we can publish, We
trus; all will read and digest the mat
ter carefully. 1t is worthy Of just such
treatment -
A reporter of the Boston Post has
had talk with John Quincy Adams
on the general political condition Of tho
country.
Rcportcr--'I'o speak of platforms, l
suppose You give your adhesion to the
so called new departure of our friends
in the Western and Middle States ?
Mr. Adams-Why, yes, SIR but the
new departure is n very old departure
with me. think it was two years ago
that we Democrats in Massachusetts at
Worcester "lcpartcd.' remember
making speech there which is doubt
less dcscrvcdly forgotten of which the
only part can recall was in express
acceptance of the situation. The rcso-
lulion<, if do not mistake, were cX-
plicit in that sense. In fact see moth
inc in the amendments themselves,
apart from their procurement, which
need distress any Democrat. The fair
purport and upshot Of them is merely
to give equal civil rights and impartial
political privileges to all men irrcspcc-
tive of color.
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
Rcportcr-You don't, then, consider
giving the blacks equal privileges with
the whites as vi democratic?
Mr. Adams-No sir. When the
war closed upon our cnfranchiscd black
pcople-irccd, you must remember, by
a stress of circumstance brought on as
much by their masters as by us-we
had either to accept them as citizens or
hold them in some nondescript con-
dition of pupiIage. The latter would
have resulted in a far more dangerous
extension of the pOIornal powers of
government than anything in these
amendments. Besides which, it was
more consonant to Mr.. Jeilcrson'a
iavoric definition of democracy, "thc
right of each to pursue happiness in his
own way, provided only he respected
his neighbours equal right
Reporcr-But you do not consider
the negroes fit for suffrage?
Mr.. Enthusiastically not; and
was very sorry that it was forced upon
the poor creatures in the wholesale way
it was 1t cndangers their losing i,
altogether. The disagreement in the
Southern States is fearful impeach
mcnt of the attempt to found republican
government upon undiluted ignorance
But it has been done, and | would no
undo it. | would modify it.
THERE'S TIE RUB.
Reporter-But there's the rub. VIII
not acceptance Of the amendment
prevent any modification
Mr.. Adams-Why, no, | think not
1t must be applied impartiolly, but an,
reform in that regard which is po'sibl
at all is as possible with as withou
them. We in Massachusetts disfran
chisc, they tell me, fifty thousand vol
crs by constitutional prerequisites
such as taxpaying and reading an
writing. Surely such requirement
"abridge" very seriously mans rigI
to vote Their adoption in Sout
Carolina would reduce the constituent
there TO very manageable shape,
can tell you. Their adoption in an
slavcholding State would insure goo
government. Now, in the last sessio
of our Legislature Massachusetts n
fused to modify her Constitution in tt
respect | have indicated, although
was urged that these two qualification
were infractions of the FOu.teent
Amendment, and it must be presume
that Legislature which had on
about forty disloyal men in it, mu
have so acted only because the par
that made the Fourteenth Amendme,
did not think that either of these +
quiremcnts in our Constitution at &
infringed its provisions.
Mr.. Adams dcnounces the Ku.Klr
and Election laws, and says :-"lndee
as bald truth, and between us, Il
Election bill and the Ku-Klux bill t
gether actually place in the President
hands every legal power that any m'
who had the will could desire to raj
himself to. empire. Control over Il
army to regulate elections, and a
solutc power to imprison by militia
force without haJeas corp~s,is supren
and unlimited despotism. |
thinks that no party need be great
distressed about any amcndmcnta to Il
Constitution which have yet been pas
ed, for by any fair construction thu
need never be known by any Sta
which would be content to deal wi
absolute impartiality between man a
man. And that IS democracy"
TIE TRUE DEMOCRATIC POLICY.
Reborter-But what would be yo
policy toward the ncwly-cnfranchis
race of the South?
Mr.. Adams.-The Democratic pal
should nave no negro policy any me
than German policy or an lri
policy. There can be but one Den
cratic policy-the United States polio
and that should be equal and ext
justice to every citizen.
GEN GRANr'S pENnNINATION