The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-10-03

Hon: James g. Blaine ON Hon:
Charles Francis AdamS-Seattl.
ing Review of His Political
History.
J CNcrs;sAr1, October 2.-Hon james G
Blaine was introduced on Change to-day
by Benjamin ECgleston, President Of thai
body, and made 4 brief speech. His re.
marks were devoid Of politics, but he
urged upon the members the Importance
OF the Improvement Of navigation in the
Western rivers, and the necessity Of per.
sistence at Washington to accomplish
their ends. His remarks received care
fnl attention and were warmly applauded
In speech this evening at political
gathering, he referred 10 Charles Francis
Adams as follows:
/ observe that some political letters oi
Charles Fr ancis Adams, the Democratic
candidate for Governor Of Massachusetts,
are disseminated through the associated
press and circulated as campaign tracts
among his brother Democrats in the
West. In these letters Mr.. Adams goes
out Of his way quite gratuitiouSly to
speak of myself in tone that Is per-
SonalIy offensive. l have neither the time
nor the desire to exchange personalities
with any one inthiS campaign, but there
Is very important chapter in the politi'
cal life OF Mr.. Adams which at this time
should be recalled. ! commend the facts
which I am about 10 set forth to those
voters who may be led by the sound Of
Mr.. Adams name 10 give heed to his
counsel. / shall speak from the record
and by the record. After the Republican
victory OF 1860, which resulted in
the election Of Abraham Lincoln to
the Presidency, Mr.. Adams, then
. Representative in Congress from
Massachusetts, sought with all his inau-
ence to deprive the country Of everything
that would be gained in the struggle. II
anything had been settled by that elec-
tion 1t was that slavery should be put in
the course OF extinction by prohibiting
its introduction into free territory, and
yet as soon as the Southern Democrats in
Congress began their threats Of disunion
Mr.. Adams knees smote with fear and
his tongue became palsied for any utter
ance except in support Of slavery. His
whole course during the closing session
Of the seth Congress, intervening between
Mr.. Lincoln's election and his inaugura-
tion,
WAS ONE OF TREASON
TO the cause and desertion from the cause
Of the Union. He offered every humili-
atiug concession to the South; agreed to
abandon the prohibition OF slavery in the
territories, and, as the climax Of the de-
grading and dishonoring conditions, he
offered 10 amend the Constitution Of the
United States so as to render the aboli-
ton Of slavery impossible SO long as a
single slave State should object. The
amendment was SO warmly urged by Mr..
Adams, that he declared in effect that
no amendment 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
would not be adopted except with the
consent OF every slave State. When in
1886 Arkansas applied for admission into
the Union with a Constitution which for
ever prohibited the Legislature from
touching slavery except with the consent
Of the shareholders, John Quincy Adams
declared such provision TO be Infamous
beyond the power OF expression, and
Charles Francis Adams in 1861 offered
and urged and entreated 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 in
The Arkansas Constitution OF 1886.
Every franchise you enjoy under
the Constitution Of the United States,
your right to vote, your freedom OF relig'
ious opinion, your trial by jury, your
right even to representation, were left
open to change by the ordinary process
OF amending the Constitution, but Mr..
Adams proposed to give slavery more
sacred guarantee than had ever been
given 10 liberty and to enshrine il as some
thing OF superior right, placing it beyond
the power Of ninety.nine hundredths Of
the people OF the United States to abolish
Il, unless a slave State should propose it
and every other slave State vote for it.
There is no parallel to this in history.
No course OF Roman despotism in the
darkest days Of Roman tyranny ever SO
bound It's own hands and placed beyond
TIA mower mercy and works Of righteous
ness in the future as Mr.. Adams proposal
to bind the hands OF the United States and
deprive our own government for all time
OF the power to emancipate single slave
40 long as one slave State should object.
And Mr.. Adams has never forgiven Abra.
ham Lincoln for defeating this atrocious
measure. Fortunately, by Mr.. Lincoln's
silent influence, exerted from his Illinois
home through Owen Loyejoy, Elihu
Washburne and other representative
friends in Congress, the odious PROPOSE
tion was strangled without even coming
to q decisive vote, but not until Mr.
Adams had made an elaborate plea
or it, and years after Mr.. Lincoln had
gone toa martyrs grave, a grave bedewed
with the tears Of millions, including those
negroes whom Mr.. Adams
had sought to keep in eternal bondage,
Adams took occasion, in eulogy on Mr..
to depreciate and belitIle and
DsHoNoR TIE dRANDEsr MAN
that has sat in the Presidential chair
since George Washington. MI. Adams in
this petty and paltry course was seeking
an ignoble revenge over the dead patriot
who when living could never refer to the
amendment which Mr..
Adams advocated without chill Of hor.
ror. Mr.. Lincoln, indeed, often declared
that no crisis OF the war was SO terrible,
and no possible issue Of it SO destructive,
As THE PROPOSITION OF Mr.. ADAMS
to be found in continuance Of the Union
on the remorseless, and hopeless, and
endless seryitude Of an entire race Of
men. Mr.. Lincoln did not believe that
God would permit the perpetuity Of q
nation founded upon such m atrocious
wrong and crime. In view OF Mr.. Adams'
course towards Lincoln In his grave, the
friends Of Hayes will estimate his criti-
cism Of that honored leader and true man
at precisely its Just value. But for the
honor Of New England, ! desire TO say
that Of allher representatives Mr.. Adams
stood alone, l thank God, in support
ing thus infamous proposition. Every
one Of Massachusetts representatives was
opposed TO 1t, including Hon. Alexander