Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-10-01

|
erful speech, says Mr.. Adams, to which there
was no answer but the vote yeas 90 nays 10
and then he proposed to indefinitely postponed
the measure, making in that behalf zone of his
most eloquent appeals to tho feeling and reason
of the Senate" This motion, however, was neg
atiyed.
These expressions of praise show that Mr.
Adams duly appreciated and acknowledged the
| ability of tho Delaware Senator. He was quick
ly struck by the latters power as a speaker, and
believing himself to seriously lack in that par
ticular he freely analyzed and criticized his col
| leagues oratory, as the quotations we hero pre-
sent from the Diary sufficiently show. A bill
prohibiting trade with tho blacks of St. Domin-
co. was up, and the Diary says that Mr.. Bayard
| spoke
g. with his usual eloquenco But if ora
| tory be tho art Of persuasion, he has some ma
| toral defects in his practice. In copiousness,
| both OF language and thought, ho is truly adni-
| rab'e. His language is also generally elegant,
without being hglay ornamental. But he is not
| always judcious in the choice of his argu-
| montsi he ofton dwells too long upon the
week, and not unfrequontly dwells
| upon tho obviously untenable. He wants
correctness, because he wants application. His
genius is mover at fault, but his Judgment is of
hurtlul oratorical failing is the want of control
| over lis temper. The consciousness of his own
| powers is not without some percoptiblo debase-
ment of othors. Impatient of contradiction from
mon of understanding inferior to his own, ho ar
raigns their motives, aud too clearly manfestH
| hiA contempt for their characters. His manner is
| always commanding, rather than conclliatory. He
this day, in the debate on his second resolution.
| charged his opposers with SO much violence that
/ several OF them complained and retorted. He
| replied by asserting his right to mako such re-
Elections. The Vice President [Goorge Clinton,
an old man. and an experienced and inefficient
| presiding olticor said he should in future call
| gentlomen to order who indulged in reflections
| upon motivos."
And again, We make, from another page, this
extract
ellis luency is inoxhaustible He speaks
| with so much ease that ho is novor for nm
instant embarrassed himself nor suffers his
| hearers to be embarrassed for him. Ills roason-
ing il cloar, forcbo, and ovorilowing with illus
hation. But he is sometimes indiscrete by haz-
| aiding inslnuations which he cannot support, and
lis moral and political knowledge is not very
profound. His style is plain to degree of dry
ness
Tho cross purposes Of tho two were frequent
Each was positive and dogmatic, and both soem
to have boon animated by personal rivalry that
ran beyond friendly competition. Adams pro-
posed bill relating to foreign ministers, which
gave tho President authority to summariy dis-
miss any whose conduct was unsatisfactory, and
| against this Mr.. Bayard directed strong opposi-
ton, 30 that it was ultimately defeated, much to
| the chagrin of Mr. Adams. On another occa-
sion, two measures came up. To tho first Mr.
| Bayard oiforod an amendment, and to tho Sec
| ond Mr.. Adams. Each voted against the others
| proposition and .the amendments of both, by
| decisive votos, wero lost. "Aftor the aljouIl-
mont, says tho Diary, "Mr. Bayard said to me,
| Your amendment shared tho fate of mine' 1t
was very true and as 1 felt yory strong conn-
denco in tho correctness of tho principle on
which had moved for its amondment was
proportionably vexod at its failure .... Dayard
is at least moro honest than othor members who
gave wrong impressions as to how they would
vote.l lie always tells mo whom ho thinks me
wrong, aa he did on this occasion. His gratifl-
cation on finding my failure of success was nat
ural enough, on its succeeding 30 Immediately
| his own"
There were opportunities howevor, for q ro-
| turn of courtesies. Mr.. Dayard did not often
originate measures. He was in the minority, and
his usual enc was to amend or oppose. But in
February, 1907, he oiforcd rosolntion which
passed, raising special committee to bring in a
bill making grant of public lands to the Chosa-
peako and Delaware Canal Company in exchange
for sharos OF the latter's stock From tho special
cominittoo ho promptly repoi sed the bill and this
MIR. Adams resolutely opposed. 1t was debated on
| several different days. with th, and as Ad-
ans led the attack Bayard vigorously replied.
On the 23rd February, the latter, says the Diary
l fVvn ~
and on tho oath, the latter again spoke, so that
White, of Delaware Bayard, and Clay ''woro all
reused to reply to me, which thoy all did with
some acrimony." But the MD of "intornal i'm
provemonts" was contrary to Jeirersonian theory,
and finally Adams succeeded, by "a majority of
several votes, in poatponng the bill to the noxt
session. 1t was thon or afterwards passed.
President-making occupied, in that ora,a largo
part of tho thoughts of members of Congress.
Eloctioneering for tho choice to be made in 1908
began almost as soon as Mr.. Joferson's second
election, QS0i) had boon quietly dispatched and
by 1900 it was walm and active Jefferson iu-
tendod-and accomplished-tho making of his
: successor. Mr.. Madison waa tho man to whom he
meant to resign the holm, and all the personal
; following of the Administration woro devoted to
| -@ -N"'N-~''''' l'iph DAt tilo lttlluunCbH lnl-
, lanx which had set out, in 1901, to put dow j
Federalism, to bottle up the Adamses, and cir
the wings Of Hamilton, had accomplished all
those objects thoroughly, and now had tlissen
sions in its own ranks. John Randolph. aftel
''loading' the House OF Representatives by
cracking his whip ovorit in the most audacioui
manor ever attempted within ta precincts,
quarrelcd with JoiIeraon. flew of ut tangent,
denounced his Administration, and pronounced
for any man to beat Madison" Tho Virginit
Party-we mishtperhapa say 'Ring'-was brok
en Monroe loomed up as a probable candidate
! IN opposition to the Presidents choice, and OIL
March 18th, Mr. Adams records that "AIr
Bayard told Inc ho had last evening some conyer
sation with Mrs. Madison upon the presidential
eloctioneering now 30 warmly carried on, i,
which she spoke very slightingly of Mr.. Mon
: roe ~
April 3D. 1906, Mr. Dayard, as usual, obtanc,
= leave Of absence and went home. Tho session
: hstod till tho 2lst Of the month. Meanwhile
l. and after, the Presidential canvass wont on, Mr.
Adams drawing gradually nearer to tho Admins
Il tration lie approved tho measures by whicl
r defiance was with more OF less meelness oirore,
to Groat Britain, for ho drow from his father
career and indeed from his whole nativity
l. | rpu 10 Int 7.