Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-10-07
Mr.. Blaine on Charles Francis
Adams.


Adams.
The following is the speech of Mr.. Blaine, de-
livered in Cinci naii, in reply TO the iet'er oi
Charles Francis Adams aludlng to MN. oo
serve that some political letters of the lion. Cnas
Francis Adams the democratic candidate III uoN
vernon of Massachusett-, ave beiLg uissehlua'eu
through the Associated Press, anu circulated as
campaign tracts by his brother Democrats Vi 'he
West In these letters Mr. Adams goes out oil
his way quite gratuitousy to speak oil myseIi, IN
a tone that is personally offensive have netnei
the time nor the desire 10 exchange personalities
with any one in tins campaign. but there Is very
i'm poltunt chapter 10 the polite al life OF MIR.
Adams which at this time should be recalled. L
commend the facts which / am about to set forth
to those voters who NAV be led by the sound oil
Mr.. Adsms's name to give heed 10 his counsel.
shall speak from the record and by the record
After the republican victory in 1860. which re-
suited in the election of Abraham Lincoln to the
Presidency, Mr.. Adams, then representative III
Congress from MASSACHUSETTS, sought with all ms
Influence to deprive the country OF everything
tina, had been gained IN the struggle IL any
thing had been settled by that electon 1t wa. that
slavery should be put in the course OF extinction,
by prohibiting its introduction into free territory
| aud vel, as soon as the Southern democrats IN
| Congress began their threats of disnnon. Mr..
Adamss kne es smote with fear, and his tongue be-
| came pasi, Tor any utterance except IN support
of slavery. Ills whole course during the closing
session of the Thirty-sixth Congress, intervening
between Mr. Linooln's election and his Inaugural
ton, was one of treason to the cause OF liberty
| and desertion from the cause of the Union lie
offered every Illuminating concession to the South,
agreed to abandon the prohibition OF slavery IN
| the Territories. and as the climax of degrading
and dishonorine conditions, he offered to amend
the Constitution of the United Sta es so rs to rem
der The abolition Of slavery impossible so long as
q single slave State should object. The amend
me mt so warmly urged by Mr.. Adams declared IN
effect that a Gdment to the Constitution in any
way interfering with slavery in the States should
| ever be even so much as proposed, except by one
| of the slave States, and should not be adopted
except with the consent of every slave State.
When, in 1886, Arkansas applied for admission
into the Union, with constitution which forever
prohibited the Legislature from touching slavery,
except with the consent Of the shareholders.
| John Quincy Adams declared such a provision to
| be infamous beyond the power Of expressions and
| vet Charles Francis Adams, in 1861, offered asd
| urged, and entreated, and pleaded for an amend
ment to the Constitution of the United States,
which applied to the whole country far more
| infamous principle than was contained in the Ar
kansas Constitution of 1886. Every franchise you
enjoy under the Constitution of the United States,
your right to VOTE freedom Of religious opinions,
your trial by jury, your right even to representa-
| tion were left open to change by the ordinary
| mode of amending the Constitution, but MIR.
Adams proposed TO give slavery a much more sa-
cred guarantee than had ever been given to lber-
ty, placing it beyond the power of ninety nine
hundredths of the people of the United States to
abolish it, unless a slave State should propose il
and every other slave State vote for it. There is
no parallel to this in history. No ukase of Rus
sian despoism in the dreariest days of Romanoff
tyranny ever so bound its own hands and placed
it beyond its own power to do mercy and work
| righte in the future as Mr.. Adams propos-
| ed TO bind the hands of the United States and de-
prive our own Government for all time of the
power to emancIpate single slave so long as one
slave State should object.
Mr.. Adams has never forgiven Abraham Lin
coin for defeating this atrocious measure. Fortu-
nately, through Mr. Lincons silent influence, ex-
erted from his Illinois home, through Owen Love
! joy, Elihu Wasbburne and other representative
friends in Congress, the odious proposition was
stiangled without even coming to a direct vote,
but not until Mr.. Adams had made an elabor-
ate plea for IT. Aud years after Mr.. Lincoln
had gone to martyrs grave-a grave be.
dewed with the tears Of millions, including those
emancipated negroes whom Mr. Adams had sou ht
to keep 10 eternal bondage, Mr.. Adams took &C.
casioo, in eulogy of MIR. Seward, to depreciate,
and belittle, and dishonor the grandest man that
has sat in the Presidential chair since George
Washington. Mr.. Adams, in this petty and paltry
course, was seeking an ignoble revenge over the
dead patriot who, when living, could never refer
| to the Constitutional amendment which Mr.. Adams
advocated without thrill of horror. Mr. Lincoln
indeed, often declared that no crisis of the war
was so terrible and no possible issue Of it so des-
tructive as the proposition of Mr.. Adams to found
tue continuance OF the Union on the remorseless
aud hopeless and endless servitude of an entire
| race of men. Mr.. Lincoln did not believe that
God would permit the perpetuity of Union
founded on such atrocious wrong and crime In
view Of Mr.. Adams course toward MIR. Lincoln in
his grave, the friends Of Governor HAYES will es-
| timate his criticism of that honored leader and
true man at precisely its Just value. But for the
honor Of New England, desire to say that of all
her representatives, Mr.. Adams stood alone |
think, in supporting this infamous proposition.
Every other Massachusetts representative wa, OPP
posed to it, including the Hon. Alexander H. Rice,
the present republican governor of that State, and
candidate .or reelection against Mr.. Adams. In
deed from all New England, as have said in that
hour OF supreme trial no other republican proved
false to her principles and her teachings save only
he whose inheritance should have made him the
foremost defender of the right. And after Mr..
Adams had made this fearful offer Of the eternal
permanence OF slavery to the ranting democratic
disunlonists of the South, he superadded TO it,
in formal speech, the ntimaton that if it was
not acceptable to the South, he might himself ia
vor some scheme of disuniou, if il could be of a
peaceful character. And now, with this record,
Mr.. Adams naturally and properly supports Til
den. And the lengths he would go to conciliate
the rebel democratic element may be inferred from
the extent to which he was willing TO go in 1861
when he was ready and eager, on the heels of a
National republican victory, TO concede more TO
the slave interest than its EXTREMIST eating adj
yocate had ever demanded in Congress. Imagine
# you can-tel me if you will-one possible con-
dlhon the South would impose on the legislation
of Congress that Mr.. Adams would not gladly
support-one possible exaction the rebel demo-
Gratis could make that Mr.. Adams would not glad.
y conceie. Would he hesitate at ANYTHING A
''solid South" would demandi Would he inter.
pose his influence against the payment of apy
amount Of rebel claimsf Would he, | ask in ali
sincerity, ever enter a word against taking the
right of suffrage from the colofed men, whose
hopeless and endless enslavement he so lately ad
vocated! When Massachusetts forgets the re.
publican teachings of John Quincy Adams, she
will elect his son governor of the proud old com.
monweath. have said that have no time and
no desires for personalities If | had | might
readily indulge myself at Mr.. Adams's expense
The personal and political goss p at Washington,
in 1861, was busy with MIR. Adams name,
and II was currently said that he obtained
the mission to England in a manner and by
means which he wond now consyn to
oblivion, and which his children would blush to
have repeated. ] have no disposition to indulge
in that line of gossip, and prefer to confue INV
criticisms to Mr.. Adams's record on public cues
lions. Nor have had any wish to comment on
his utter disregard of the difference OF princples
between the two great political parties, standing
as be has for years ready to accept the nomination
of either. Still less do desire to rehearse the m