The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-05-16
A Hitherto Unpublished Letter Of
Blaine's.
His Candid Opinion efthe Adams Family,
Root and Branch, with accidental Ref.
erence to the Adams Horn Blower.


l. WASHINGTON, ID. o., Dec 10, 1875.
My Dear Friend:-I shall not lose my pa
thence with you, but another letter of same pur-
port from anyone else win certainly try my
temper, which has already been put to the test
by two similar raids upon it.
met Bowles of the Springfield Republican
few weeks since in Maine, on his return
from Moosehead Lake tour, and rode with
him for a day Bostonwards. BE improved the
occasion by assuring me that / had no chance
for the Presidency, but that might do great
thing for myself and my country by openly es-
pousing the cause of Charles Francis Adams
Shortly afterwards Charles Nordhoff wrote the
same thing in substance on both points, urging
me to see Adams at once, ally myself with
him and make myself chief of his party"
From Nordhoff, whom like, this mild non-
sense may be tolerated; but from Bowles,
whom nobody likes, it is quite uncomfortable.
replied to NordhoH in writing as I did to
Bowles in conversation, without mincing my
words, and shall do you the same favor.
assured Nordhotf that he could not have
lower estimate of my personal prospects than
had myself that IN fact the subject never en-
tered my mind as one of serious promise and
am sure told you at Saratoga ia August last
that my nomination was not within the scope
OF remote probabilities, You need not, there
fore, try so gingerly to let me down without
hurting, for really never felt that was up.
But the can't and the nonsense which Bowles
and Nordhof and yourself put forward about
Adams as the coming man both amuse and en-
ty is gone. 1t would not be Adams fall but
his rise that would ruin Us. No Adams ever
yet headed party without taking the life out
OF it-Old John-in many respects the best of
themItook tha Federal party in 1896. when it
had the talent, the character, the culture, the
wealth and the patriotic traditions and preju-
dces of the country all largely in its favor and
in four years he so entirely destroyed it that it
never reappeared, except as ghost wherewith
to trighten two succeeding generations of
statesman A 1arOA m 0f ha 0u orfa onfu
that he lived after he retired from the Presi.
dency was spent in querulouS efforts to throw
the responsibility of his failures on the friends
of'Hamilton and the eleven other contrary jury
men.
John Quincy Adams was equally unfortunate
with the Republican party of his day. When
he was inaugurated in 1925 there was no other
political organization in the country, and wise
leader of men and of parties would have found
no difficulty in harmouizing the personal fsuds
which were permitted to grow into such fearful
magnitude and acquire such destructive force.
Indeed, the administration OF the second
Adams so entirely wrecked the great Republi-
can party which Monroe left that it never was
hesrd from again except under an alias. Had
John Quincy Adams died the day he left the
Presidency, he would never have filled the
prominent place to which he is entitled in eur
n,story; ch,,d He y would simply have been known
office, no matter which party was in
power-head of an administration which
was remarkable only for its failures, su-
thor OF a diary conspicuous only for its ma
lignity, sire to son unwise enough to pub
lish it. Tne last seventeen years of his
life, spent in the House of Representatives, all
but one year in the Opposition, developed those
qualities and gave him those opportunities
which secured him his fame. 1t is in that field
alone that the present generation know him,
and Mr.. Seward when be wrote the biography
of the "Old Man Eloquent (he never was
eloquent when youneD devoted more space to
his service in the House than to all the pre-
ceding history of his official life, which may
be said to have begun about the time be was
weaned As an Executive he was as utter
failure as his father.
Don't talk to me, then, pray You, about
nominating Charles Francis Adams as our can
dlda,e for the Presidency unless you mean
death for US without resurrection. The Repub-
iican party can be beaten under some candi-
dates 10 1876 and still have a future; but If it
should win with Adams it woald never breathe
again. The day of his Inauguration would be
the day of its funeral. He is not the equal in
talent of his father or grandfather, and though
l have very slight personal acquaintance