The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-10-13
sHisreHanenus.
JAMES G.. BLAINE SCORCHES
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.
From the Circinnatia Gazette

1
nounced for last night at Richmond
and Carr Streets. but it turned out to
be enc Of more than ordinary interest.
Mr.. James g. Blaine, being still in the
city, was announced to be present, and
he delivered speech which will be
likely to create something of a stir
outside of that ward.
The meeting was organized as fol-
lows:
President William Strunk.
Vice Presidents-V. Whitney, W. NJ.
Yorston, P. j. Stryker, Geo. E. Co
brecht, NJ. Tempest, W. H. Brickel, J.
R. Won Seggern, Jacob Epply, J. G.
Thompson, H. Herbert.
Secretaries-E. C. Ellis, B. W. Blair,
n. Marchant, ]. Shredder.
Mr.. Blaine was then introduced and
spoke as follows:
observe that some political letters
of Hon. Chas. Francis Adams, the
Democratic candidate for Governor of
Massachusetts,, are being disseminated
through the Associated Press, and cir
culated as campaign tracts by his
brother Democrat is of the West. In
these letters, Mr.. Adams goes out of
his way quite gretuitously, TO speak of
myself, in tone that is personally of
fensive. l have neither the time nor
the desire to exchange personalities
with any one in this campaign, but
there is q very important chapter IN
the political life of Mr.. Adams, which
at this time should be recalled. /
commend the facts which l am about
to set forth to those voters who may
be led by the sound of Mr.. Adams
name to give heed to his counsel.
shall speak from the record and by the
record
After the Republican victory in 1860,
which resulted in the election of Abra-
ham Lincoln to the Presidency, Mr..
Adams, then a Representative in Con
sress from Massachusetts,, sought with
ell his influence to deprive the country
of everything that had been gained in
the struggle. If anything had been
settled by that election, it was that
slavery should be put in the course of
extinction, by prohibiting its introduc-
ton into free territory; and yet, as
soon as the Southern Democrats in
Congress began tiieir threats of dis
union, Mr.. Adams knees smote with
fear, and his tongue became palsied
for any utterance except in support of
slavery. His whole course during the
closing session of the Thirty sixth Con-
gress, inter vening between Mr.. Lin
coins election and his Inauguration,
was one of treason to the cause # lib
erty and desertion from the cause of
the Union. He offered every humiIia-
ting concession to the South, agreed
to abandon the prohibition of slavery
in the Territories, and as the climax of
degrading and dishonoring conditions
he offered to amend the Constitution
of the United States so as to render
the abolition of slavery impossible so
long rs single slave State should Oh
ject. The amendment so warmly
urged by Mr.. Adams declared in effect |
that no amendment to the Constitu- |
ton in any way interfering with sla |
very 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, Ar
kansas applied for admission into the !
Union, with Constitution which for
ever prohibited the Legislature from !
touching slavery, except with the con |
sent Of the slave holders, John Quincy |
Adams declared such a provision to be |
Infamous beyond the power of express
sion; and yet Charles Francis Adams.
in 1861, offered, and urged, and en-
treated, and pleaded for an amendment |
to the Constitution of the United |
States which applied to the whole |
country far more infamous principle
than was contained ia the Arkansas
Constitution of 1886. Every franchise
you enjoy under the Constitution of
the United States, your right to vote
your freedom of religious opinions.
your trial By jury. your right even to
representation were left open to ochange
by the ordinary process of amending
the Constitution, but Mr Adams pro
posed to give slavery far more sacred
guarantee than had ever been given to
liberty, and to enshrine it as some
thing of superior right-plaeing it
beyond the power Of ninety niue hun
dTeds of the people of the United
States to abolish it, unless a slave