hero tales from american history-第15部分

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At　last　the　men　who　had　conquered　the　conquerors　of　Europe　had　themselves　met　defeat。　Andrew　Jackson　and　his　rough　riflemen　had　worsted；　in　fair　fight；　a　far　larger　force　of　the　best　of　Wellington's　veterans；　and　had　accomplished　what　no　French　marshal　and　no　French　troops　had　been　able　to　accomplish　throughout　the　long　war　in　the　Spanish　peninsula。　For　a　week　the　sullen　British　lay　in　their　lines；　then；　abandoning　their　heavy　artillery；　they　marched　back　to　the　ships　and　sailed　for　Europe。　



JOHN　QUINCY　ADAMS　AND　THE　RIGHT　OF　PETITION

He　rests　with　the　immortals；　his　journey　has　been　long：　For　him　no　wail　of　sorrow；　but　a　paean　full　and　strong！　So　well　and　bravely　has　he　done　the　work　be　found　to　do；　To　justice；　freedom；　duty；　God；　and　man　forever　true。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Whittier。


JOHN　QUINCY　ADAMS　AND　THE　RIGHT　OF　PETITION

The　lot　of　ex…Presidents　of　the　United　States；　as　a　rule；　has　been　a　life　of　extreme　retirement；　but　to　this　rule　there　is　one　marked　exception。　When　John　Quincy　Adams　left　the　White　House　in　March；　1829；　it　must　have　seemed　as　if　public　life　could　hold　nothing　more　for　him。　He　had　had　everything　apparently　that　an　American　statesman　could　hope　for。　He　had　been　Minister　to　Holland　and　Prussia；　to　Russia　and　England。　He　had　been　a　Senator　of　the　United　States；　Secretary　of　State　for　eight　years；　and　finally　President。　Yet；　notwithstanding　all　this；　the　greatest　part　of　his　career；　and　his　noblest　service　to　his　country；　were　still　before　him　when　he　gave　up　the　Presidency。

In　the　following　year　（1830）　he　was　told　that　he　might　be　elected　to　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　the　gentleman　who　made　the　proposition　ventured　to　say　that　he　thought　an　ex…President；　by　taking　such　a　position；　〃instead　of　degrading　the　individual　would　elevate　the　representative　character。〃　Mr。　Adams　replied　that　he　had　〃in　that　respect　no　scruples　whatever。　No　person　can　be　degraded　by　serving　the　people　as　Representative　in　Congress；　nor；　in　my　opinion；　would　an　ex…President　of　the　United　States　be　degraded　by　serving　as　a　selectman　of　his　town　if　elected　thereto　by　the　people。〃　A　few　weeks　later　he　was　chosen　to　the　House；　and　the　district　continued　to　send　him　every　two　years　from　that　time　until　his　death。　He　did　much　excellent　work　in　the　House；　and　was　conspicuous　in　more　than　one　memorable　scene；　but　here　it　is　possible　to　touch　on　only　a　single　point；　where　he　came　forward　as　the　champion　of　a　great　principle；　and　fought　a　battle　for　the　right　which　will　always　be　remembered　among　the　great　deeds　of　American　public　men。

Soon　after　Mr。　Adams　took　his　seat　in　Congress；　the　movement　for　the　abolition　of　slavery　was　begun　by　a　few　obscure　agitators。　It　did　not　at　first　attract　much　attention；　but　as　it　went　on　it　gradually　exasperated　the　overbearing　temper　of　the　Southern　slaveholders。　One　fruit　of　this　agitation　was　the　appearance　of　petitions　for　the　abolition　of　slavery　in　the　House　of　Representatives。　A　few　were　presented　by　Mr。　Adams　without　attracting　much　notice；　but　as　the　petitions　multiplied；　the　Southern　representatives　became　aroused。　They　assailed　Mr。　Adams　for　presenting　them；　and　finally　passed　what　was　known　as　the　gag　rule；　which　prevented　the　reception　of　these　petitions　by　the　House。　Against　this　rule　Mr。　Adams　protested；　in　the　midst　of　the　loud　shouts　of　the　Southerners；　as　a　violation　of　his　constitutional　rights。　But　the　tyranny　of　slavery　at　that　time　was　so　complete　that　the　rule　was　adopted　and　enforced；　and　the　slaveholders；　undertook　in　this　way　to　suppress　free　speech　in　the　House；　just　as　they　also　undertook　to　prevent　the　transmission　through　the　mails　of　any　writings　adverse　to　slavery。　With　the　wisdom　of　a　statesman　and　a　man　of　affairs；　Mr。　Adams　addressed　himself　to　the　one　practical　point　of　the　contest。　He　did　not　enter　upon　a　discussion　of　slavery　or　of　its　abolition；　but　turned　his　whole　force　toward　the　vindication　of　the　right　of　petition。　On　every　petition　day　he　would　offer；　in　constantly　increasing　numbers；　petitions　which　came　to　him　from　all　parts　of　the　country　for　the　abolition　of　slavery；　in　this　way　driving　the　Southern　representatives　almost　to　madness；　despite　their　rule　which　prevented　the　reception　of　such　documents　when　offered。　Their　hatred　of　Mr。　Adams　is　something　difficult　to　conceive；　and　they　were　burning　to　break　him　down；　and；　if　possible；　drive　him　from　the　House。　On　February　6；　1837；　after　presenting　the　usual　petitions；　Mr。　Adams　offered　one　upon　which　he　said　he　should　like　the　judgment　of　the　Speaker　as　to　its　propriety；　inasmuch　as　it　was　a　petition　from　slaves。　In　a　moment　the　House　was　in　a　tumult；　and　loud　cries　of　〃Expel　him！〃　〃Expel　him！〃　rose　in　all　directions。　One　resolution　after　another　was　offered　looking　toward　his　expulsion　or　censure；　and　it　was　not　until　February　9；　three　days　later；　that　he　was　able　to　take　the　floor　in　his　own　defense。　His　speech　was　a　masterpiece　of　argument；　invective；　and　sarcasm。　He　showed；　among　other　things；　that　he　had　not　offered　the　petition；　but　had　only　asked　the　opinion　of　the　Speaker　upon　it；　and　that　the　petition　itself　prayed　that　slavery　should　not　be　abolished。　When　he　closed　his　speech；　which　was　quite　as　savage　as　any　made　against　him；　and　infinitely　abler；　no　one　desired　to　reply；　and　the　idea　of　censuring　him　was　dropped。

The　greatest　struggle；　however；　came　five　years　later；　when；　on　January　21；　1842；　Mr。　Adams　presented　the　petition　of　certain　citizens　of　Haverhill；　Massachusetts；　praying　for　the　dissolution　of　the　Union　on　account　of　slavery。　His　enemies　felt。　that　now；　at　last；　he　had　delivered　himself　into　their　hands。　Again　arose　the　cry　for　his　expulsion；　and　again　vituperation　was　poured　out　upon　him；　and　resolutions　to　expel　him　freely　introduced。　When　he　got　the　floor　to　speak　in　his　own　defense；　he　faced　an　excited　House；　almost　unanimously　hostile　to　him；　and　possessing；　as　he　well　knew；　both　the　will　and　the　power　to　drive　him　from　its　walls。　But　there　was　no　wavering　in　Mr。　Adams。　〃If　they　say　they　will　try　me；〃　he　said；　〃they　must　try　me。　If　they　say　they　will　punish　me；　they　must　punish　me。　But　if　they　say　that　in　peace　and　mercy　they　will　spare　me　expulsion；　I　disdain　and　cast　away　their　mercy；　and　I　ask　if　they　will　come　to　such　a　trial　and　expel　me。　I　defy　them。　I　have　constituents　to　go　to；　and　they　will　have　something　to　say　if　this　House　expels　me；　nor　will　it　be　long　before　the　gentlemen　will　see　me　here　again。〃　The　fight　went　on　for　nearly　a　fortnight；　and　on　February　7　the　whole　subject　was　finally　laid　on　the　table。　The　sturdy；　dogged　fighter；　single…handed　and　alone；　had　beaten　all　the　forces　of　the　South　and　of　slavery。　No　more　memorable　fight　has　ever　been　made　by　one　man　in　a　parliamentary　body；　and　after　this　decisive　struggle　the　tide　began　to　turn。　Every　year　Mr。　Adams　renewed　his　motion　to　strike　out　the　gag　rule；　and　forced　it　to　a　vote。　Gradually　the　majority　against　it　dwindled；　until　at　last；　on　December　3；　1844；　his　motion　prevailed。　Freedom　of　speech　had　been　vindicated　in　the　American　House　of　Representatives；　the　right　of　petition　had　been　won；　and　the　first　great　blow　against　the　slave　power　had　been　struck。

Four　years　later　Mr。　Adams　fell；　stricken　with　paralysis；　at　his　place　in　the　House；　and　a　few　hours　afterward；　with　the　words；　〃This　is　the　last　of　earth；　I　am　content；〃　upon　his　lips；　he　sank　into　unconsciousness　and　died。　It　was　a　fit　end　to　a　great　public　career。　His　fight　for　the　right　of　petition　is　one　to　be　studied　and　remembered；　and　Mr。　Adams　made　it　practically　alone。　The　slaveholders　of　the　South　and　the　representatives　of　the　North　were　alike　against　him。　Against　him；　too；　as　his　biographer；　Mr。　Morse；　says；　was　the　class　in　Boston　to　which　he　naturally　belonged　by　birth　and　education。　He　had　to　encounter　the　bitter　resistance　in　his　own　set　of　the　〃conscienceless　respectability　of　wealth；〃　but　the　great　body　of　the　New　England　people　were　with　him；　as　were　the　voters　of　his　own　district。　He　was　an　old　man；　with　the　physical　infirmities　of　age。　His　eyes　were　weak　and　streaming；　his　hands　were　trembling；　his　voice　cracked　in　moments　of　excitement；　yet　in　that　age　of　oratory；　in　the　days　of　Webster　and　Clay；　he　was　known　as　the　〃old　man　eloquent。〃　It　was　what　he　said；　more　than　the　way　he　said　it；　which　told。　His　vigorous　mind　never　worked　more　surely　and　clearly　than　when　he　stood　alone　in　the　midst　of　an　angry　House；　the　target　of　their　hatred　and　abuse。　His　arguments　were　strong；　and　his　large　knowledge　and　wide　experience　supplied　him　with　every　weapon　for　defense　and　attack。　Beneath　the　lash　of　his　invective　and　his　sarcasm　the　hottest　of　the　slaveholders　cowered　away。　He　set　his　back　against　a　great　principle。　He　never　retreated　an　inch；　he　never　yielded；　he　never　conciliated；　he　was　always　an　assailant；　and　no　man　and　no　body　of　men　had　the　power　to　turn　him。　He　had　his　dark　hours；　he　felt　bitterly　the　isolation　of　his　position；　but　he　never　swerved。　He　had　good　right　to　set　down　in　his　diary；　when　the　gag　rule　was　repealed；　〃Blessed；　forever　blessed；　be　the　name　of　God。〃



FRANCIS　PARKMAN

He　told　the　red　man's　story；　far　and　wide　　He　searched　the　unwritten　annals　of　his　race；　He　sat　a　listener　at　the　Sachem's