orations-第1章

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Orations



by　John　Quincy　Adams







〃The　Jubilee　of　the　Constitution；　delivered　at　New　York；　

April　30；　1839；　before　the　New　York　Historical　Society。〃







Fellow…Citizens　and　Brethren；　Associates　of　the　New　York

Historical　Society：



Would　it　be　an　unlicensed　trespass　of　the　imagination　to

conceive　that　on　the　night　preceding　the　day　of　which　you　now

commemorate　the　fiftieth　anniversaryon　the　night　preceding

that　thirtieth　of　April；　1789；　when　from　the　balcony　of　your　city

hall　the　chancellor　of　the　State　of　New　York　administered　to

George　Washington　the　solemn　oath　faithfully　to　execute　the

office　of　President　of　the　United　States；　and　to　the　best　of　his

ability　to　preserve；　protect；　and　defend　the　constitution　of　the

United　Statesthat　in　the　visions　of　the　night　the　guardian

angel　of　the　Father　of　our　Country　had　appeared　before　him；　in

the　venerated　form　of　his　mother；　and；　to　cheer　and　encourage

him　in　the　performance　of　the　momentous　and　solemn　duties

that　he　was　about　to　assume；　had　delivered　to　him　a　suit　of

celestial　armora　helmet；　consisting　of　the　principles　of　piety；

of　justice；　of　honor；　of　benevolence；　with　which　from　his

earliest　infancy　he　had　hitherto　walked　through　life；　in　the

presence　of　all　his　brethren；　a　spear；　studded　with　the　self…

evident　truths　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　a　sword；　the

same　with　which　he　had　led　the　armies　of　his　country　through

the　war　of　freedom　to　the　summit　of　the　triumphal　arch　of

independence；　a　corselet　and　cuishes　of　long　experience　and

habitual　intercourse　in　peace　and　war　with　the　world　of

mankind；　his　contemporaries　of　the　human　race；　in　all　their

stages　of　civilization；　and；　last　of　all；　the　Constitution　of　the

United　States；　a　shield；　embossed　by　heavenly　hands　with　the

future　history　of　his　country？



Yes；　gentlemen；　on　that　shield　the　Constitution　of　the　United

States　was　sculptured　（by　forms　unseen；　and　in　characters　then

invisible　to　mortal　eye）；　the　predestined　and　prophetic　history

of　the　one　confederated　people　of　the　North　American　Union。



They　had　been　the　settlers　of　thirteen　separate　and　distinct

English　colonies；　along　the　margin　of　the　shore　of　the　North

American　Continent；　contiguously　situated；　but　chartered　by

adventurers　of　characters　variously　diversified；　including

sectarians；　religious　and　political；　of　all　the　classes　which　for

the　two　preceding　centuries　had　agitated　and　divided　the　people

of　the　British　islandsand　with　them　were　intermingled　the

descendants　of　Hollanders；　Swedes；　Germans；　and　French

fugitives　from　the　persecution　of　the　revoker　of　the　Edict　of

Nantes。



In　the　bosoms　of　this　people；　thus　heterogeneously　composed；

there　was　burning；　kindled　at　different　furnaces；　but　all

furnaces　of　affliction；　one　clear；　steady　flame　of　liberty。　　Bold

and　daring　enterprise；　stubborn　endurance　of　privation；

unflinching　intrepidity　in　facing　danger；　and　inflexible

adherence　to　conscientious　principle；　had　steeled　to　energetic

and　unyielding　hardihood　the　characters　of　the　primitive

settlers　of　all　these　colonies。　　Since　that　time　two　or　three

generations　of　men　had　passed　away；　but　they　had　increased

and　multiplied　with　unexampled　rapidity；　and　the　land　itself

had　been　the　recent　theatre　of　a　ferocious　and　bloody　seven

years'　war　between　the　two　most　powerful　and　most　civilized

nations　of　Europe　contending　for　the　possession　of　this

continent。



Of　that　strife　the　victorious　combatant　had　been　Britain。　　She

had　conquered　the　provinces　of　France。　　She　had　expelled　her

rival　totally　from　the　continent；　over　which；　bounding　herself

by　the　Mississippi；　she　was　thenceforth　to　hold　divided　empire

only　with　Spain。　　She　had　acquired　undisputed　control　over　the

Indian　tribes　still　tenanting　the　forests　unexplored　by　the

European　man。　　She　had　established　an　uncontested　monopoly

of　the　commerce　of　all　her　colonies。　　But　forgetting　all　the

warnings　of　preceding　agesforgetting　the　lessons　written　in

the　blood　of　her　own　children；　through　centuries　of　departed

timeshe　undertook　to　tax　the　people　of　the　colonies　without

their　consent。



Resistance；　instantaneous；　unconcerted；　sympathetic；

inflexible　resistance；　like　an　electric　shock；　startled　and　roused

the　people　of　all　the　English　colonies　on　this　continent。



This　was　the　first　signal　of　the　North　American　Union。　　The

struggle　was　for　chartered　rightsfor　English　libertiesfor　the

cause　of　Algernon　Sidney　and　John　Hampdenfor　trial　by　jury…

…the　Habeas　Corpus　and　Magna　Charta。



But　the　English　lawyers　had　decided　that　Parliament　was

omnipotentand　Parliament；　in　its　omnipotence；　instead　of　trial

by　jury　and　the　Habeas　Corpus；　enacted　admiralty　courts　in

England　to　try　Americans　for　offences　charged　against　them　as

committed　in　America；　instead　of　the　privileges　of　Magna

Charta；　nullified　the　charter　itself　of　Massachusetts　Bay；　shut

up　the　port　of　Boston；　sent　armies　and　navies　to　keep　the　peace

and　teach　the　colonies　that　John　Hampden　was　a　rebel　and

Algernon　Sidney　a　traitor。



English　liberties　had　failed　them。　　From　the　omnipotence　of

Parliament　the　colonists　appealed　to　the　rights　of　man　and　the

omnipotence　of　the　God　of　battles。　　Union！　Union！　was　the

instinctive　and　simultaneous　cry　throughout　the　land。　　Their

Congress；　assembled　at　Philadelphia；　oncetwicehad

petitioned　the　king；　had　remonstrated　to　Parliament；　had

addressed　the　people　of　Britain；　for　the　rights　of　Englishmen

in　vain。　　Fleets　and　armies；　the　blood　of　Lexington；　and　the

fires　of　Charlestown　and　Falmouth；　had　been　the　answer　to

petition；　remonstrance；　and　address。。。。



The　dissolution　of　allegiance　to　the　British　crown；　the

severance　of　the　colonies　from　the　British　Empire；　and　their

actual　existence　as　independent　States；　were　definitively

established　in　fact；　by　war　and　peace。　　The　independence　of

each　separate　State　had　never　been　declared　of　right。　　It　never

existed　in　fact。　　Upon　the　principles　of　the　Declaration　of

Independence；　the　dissolution　of　the　ties　of　allegiance；　the

assumption　of　sovereign　power；　and　the　institution　of　civil

government；　are　all　acts　of　transcendent　authority；　which　the

people　alone　are　competent　to　perform；　and；　accordingly；　it　is　in

the　name　and　by　the　authority　of　the　people；　that　two　of　these

actsthe　dissolution　of　allegiance；　with　the　severance　from　the

British　Empire；　and　the　declaration　of　the　United　Colonies；　as

free　and　independent　Stateswere　performed　by　that

instrument。



But　there　still　remained　the　last　and　crowning　act；　which　the

people　of　the　Union　alone　were　competent　to　performthe

institution　of　civil　government；　for　that　compound　nation；　the

United　States　of　America。



At　this　day　it　cannot　but　strike　us　as　extraordinary；　that　it

does　not　appear　to　have　occurred　to　any　one　member　of　that

assembly；　which　had　laid　down　in　terms　so　clear；　so　explicit；　so

unequivocal；　the　foundation　of　all　just　government；　in　the

imprescriptible　rights　of　man；　and　the　transcendent　sovereignty

of　the　people；　and　who　in　those　principles　had　set　forth　their

only　personal　vindication　from　the　charges　of　rebellion　against

their　king；　and　of　treason　to　their　country；　that　their　last

crowning　act　was　still　to　be　performed　upon　the　same

principles。　　That　is；　the　institution；　by　the　people　of　the　United

States；　of　a　civil　government；　to　guard　and　protect　and　defend

them　all。　　On　the　contrary；　that　same　assembly　which　issued

the　Declaration　of　Independence；　instead　of　continuing　to　act　in

the　name　and　by　the　authority　of　the　good　people　of　the　United

States；　had；　immediately　after　the　appointment　of　the

committee　to　prepare　the　Declaration；　appointed　another

committee；　of　one　member　from　each　colony；　to　prepare　and

digest　the　form　of　confederation　to　be　entered　into　between　the

colonies。



That　committee　reported　on　the　twelfth　of　July；　eight　days

after　the　Declaration　of　Independence　had　been　issued；　a　draft

of　articles　of　confederation　between　the　colonies。　　This　draft

was　prepared　by　John　Dickinson；　then　a　delegate　from

Pennsylvania；　who　voted　against　the　Declaration　of

Independence；　and　never　signed　it；　having　been　superseded　by

a　new　election　of　delegates　from　that　State；　eight　days　after　his

draft　was　reported。



There　was　thus　no　congeniality　of　principle　between　the

Declaration　of　Independence　and　the　Articles　of　Confederation。　

The　foundation　of　the　former　was　a　superintending　Providence…

…the　rights　of　man；　and　the　constituent　revolutionary　power　of

the　people。　　That　of　the　latter　was　the　sovereignty　of　organized

power；　and　the　independence　of　the　separate　or　dis…united

States。　　The　fabric　of　the　Declaration　and　that　of　the

Confederation　were　each　consistent　with　its　own　foundation；

but　they　could　not　form　one　consistent；　symmetrical　edifice。　

They　were　the　productions　of　different　minds　and　of　adverse

passions；　one；　ascending　for　the　foundation　of　human

government　to　the　laws　of　nature　and　of　God；　written　upon　the

heart　of　man；　the　other；　resting　upon　the　basis　of　human

institutions；　and　prescriptive　law；　and　colonial　charter。　　The

cornerstone　of　the　one　was　right；　that　of　the　other　was　power。。。。



Where；　then；　did　each　State　get　the　sovereignty；　freedom；　and

independence；　which　the　Articles　of　Confederation　declare　it

retains？not　from　the　whole　people　of　the　whole　Unionnot

from　the　Declaration　of　Independencenot　from　the　people　of

the　State　itself。　　It　was　assumed　by　agreement　between　the

Legislatures　of　the　several　States；　and　their　delegates　in

Congress；　without　authority　from　or　consultation　of　the　people

at　all。



In　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　the　enacting　and

constituent　party　dispensing　and　delegating　sovereign　power　is

the　whole　people　of　the　United　Colonies。　　The　recipient　party；

invested　with　power；　is　the　United　Colonies；　declared　United

States。



In　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　this　order　of　agency　is

inverted。　　Each　State　is　the　constituent　and　enacting　party；　and

the　United　States　in　Congress　assembled　the　recipient　of

delegated　powerand　that　power　delegated　with　such　a

penurious　and　carking　hand　that　it　had　more　the　aspect　of　a

revocation　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence　than　an

instrument　to　carry　it　into　effect。



None　of　these　indispensably　necessary　powers　were　ever

conferred　by　the　State　Legislatures　upon　the　Congress　of　the

federation；　and　well　was　it　that　they　never　were。　The　system

itself　was　radically　defective。　　Its　incurable　disease　was　an

apostasy　from　the　principles　of　the　Declaration　of

Independence。　　A　substitution　of　separate　State　sovereignties；

in　the　place　of　the　constituent　sovereignty　of　the　people；　was

the　basis　of　the　Confederate　Union。



In　the　Congress　of　the　Confederation；　the　master　minds　of

James　Madison　and　Alexander　Hamilton　were　constantly

engaged　through　th