The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-02-21
ANECDOTAL FRAGMENTS

ANECDOTAL FRAGMENTS
s-sss''s--s--- '''s--.-- ss-~s-ss.s1.s ss-sss-..~
!oas quricl lDAls. TT
The most extraordinary man in
pnb6s hfewss Iohn Quiney Adams.
Wise expressed the truth as well AZ
the general sense Of the House
when he declared that Mr.. Adams
knew moxe than Al the other mem.
bers put together. On being asked
to explain, he said he knew every
thing that any 6ther member knew,
and many things OF which every
other member was ignorant. His
kn0wledGe Was m6sf 6xtehsiv6 ma
precise, ana hm memory singularly
tA6asclous. He. meyer spoke with
out commanding the attention Of
the House, and he always threw .
food Of light on the subject under
discussion; but he was petulant
and irascible in debate, sparing no
one in his sarcasm and denunci-
alton. Theoldest hesitated about
encoantering : man 20 thoroughly
equipped ana armed at all points.
Marshal, OF Kentucky, who was
tort of knight errant thought to
win lauYels BY running . course with.
the old gentleman. He prepared
himself with great labor, and came
into the House with long pream-
bic, ereciting certain alledged delin-
quencies of. Mr.. Adams, winding
up with : resolution Of expulsion.
Hs made q very elaborte; able and
eloquent speech in support of his
proposition, and the feeling Of the
majority of the body seemed to be
with him. He was highly compi-
mented for his brilliant effort, and
for a day or Two he felt that hisax.
gument was unanswerable.
At the proper time Mr.. Adams
arose to reply. The galleries were
crowded to sufocation, and the lob.
bies were full He commenced his
speech as follows: .s.ss
'',aMr. Speaker, when Warren
Hastings had listened to the elo-
quent foundations and powerful
arguments OF Burke, Fox, and
Sheridan, he said that he almost
felt that he must be guilty of the
crimes charged upon him. Now,
sir, I have listened to arguments
more powerful and eloquenoe moro
brilliant than ever were heard in !
the House of Lords. and never for
one moment did j feel myself guilty
Of the offence which the gentleman
from Kentucky has alleged against
me- He then proceeded with
what was probably the greatest
speech of his life. His vindication
was complete, and the effort tremen-
dous. Mr.; Marshalrs arguments
were 80 riddled that they seemed
the merest sophistry, and his dis2
play Of historical learning WAS
shown to be the driyelng of soph-.
omore. No such speech had for. q
long time been heard in the House.
The immense auditory was electri-7
fed, and Marshall's career as
legislator came to an untimely end.
At the height Of the controversy
about the acquisition OF Texas, Mr..
Adams published an extract from
his diary rehearsing q conversation
that took place At the dinner table
of Mr.. Monroe, on given day in
1919, in which General jackson,
Don Louis de Onis, the Spanish
Minister, and Mr.. Adams took .
part. The subject was the bounda-
ry line between Mexico and the
United States, and it had Q bearing
on the Texas question. General
jackson thereupon published LETT
tar in which, he said, that without
impeaching the general accuracy of
Mr.. Adams, and certainly with NO
intent to call in question his since
rity or good faith, he must say that
he was mistaken in this instance
and for this reason, that ut the time
Of the alleged conversation at Mr..
Monroes- table, Mr.. Adams and
himself were not on speaking terms;
that this fact waa known to- Mr..
Monroe, and therefore it was i'm.
possible that he should have invited
them to meet at dinner.
At this stage of the discussion I
meet Mr.. Adams IN the corridor of
the Aston house. He inquired:
''Hsve you ssen Jackson 9 letter.
eyes, Sir, and / was curious to
know how You would reply to il"
Come into my room and I'll show
you. / have it here in my breeches
pocket. sss-'.--s-
Taking ont a small rocket-book,
he handed me q note written in
General Jackson's bold, unmistake
able hand, in which he invited Mr..
Adams to dine with him the day
after they had met at the table Of
Mr.. Monroe. g a
oosstfi 4-------- ------.--s---.----
sass Whist 6pNin MUST DO.
If Spain would secure o lasting
peace she must do justice to the
downtrodden, and remove the yoke
of tyranny which has CALLED the
Cubans for more than two genera
tons. She must place the native
and the Spaniard on an equality
before the law, and give 10 the Gu
ban the same right to rule as the
Spaniard. She must break down
Al.os, r.oo;ol on1 r,nl;&;col 1,orrio,e