WALTON ON THAMES (england), Nov. 23,1859.
MY DEAR SIR: — Very long after the date, — 29 January, 1859,
— which you were so kind as to write, together with your honored name, in the
blank leaf of the copy of your admirable life of John Quincy Adams, did the
volume reach me. It has been in my possession, indeed, but a very few weeks;
but I have already read it through carefully once, besides studying many
passages of it many times.
I thank you most sincerely for your goodness in presenting
me with the book. To have known and venerated its author from my
earliest youth, I shall always consider one of the great privileges of my life.
I esteem myself still more fortunate in being able to find sympathy with my own
political views, and with my own convictions as to the tendency and aspects of
the American commonwealth, in one of so large and elevated a mind, and so wide
an experience, as yourself. This is an epoch in which, both in Europe and
America, the despotic principle seems to be uppermost, in spite of all the
struggles of the oppressed to free themselves. . . . .
At home, the battle between the Slave Power in alliance with
the Mob Power, and the party which believes in the possibility of a free
republic, governed by the laws of reason, and pursuing a path of progress and
civilization, is soon I hope to be fought out, without any compromise. The
party of despotism is, I trust, at the next Presidential election, to be fairly
matched against the party of freedom, and one or the other must go down in the
conflict.
I ought to apologize for making this digression from the
topic of my letter; but knowing your sentiments on the great subject of
liberty, it was impossible for me to say less; nor was it easy, in thinking of
John Quincy Adams, the very breath of whose existence was the love of freedom,
not to speak of the great object of his pure and illustrious career. I was much
struck with a brief analysis which you give, on pages 374, 375, of his view of
our government. ‘The Constitution neither of the United States nor of Massachusetts
can, without a gross and fraudulent perversion of language, be termed a
Democracy. They form a mixed government, compounded not only of the three
elements of democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy, but with a fourth added
element, confederacy. The Democrats are now the most devoted and most obsequious
champions of executive power, — the very life-guard of the commander of the
armies and navies of this Union. The name of Democracy was assumed because it
was discovered to be very taking among the multitude; yet, after all, it
is but the investment of the multitude with absolute power.’ . . . .
It seems to me that human liberty, and its result, human
civilization, have not been in so great danger as now for many years. Men have
grown so familiar with the ugly face of despotism, both in Europe and America, that
they really begin to love it. It is for this reason that — especially at this
epoch — your life of Mr. Adams is most welcome. I wish it could be made a
text-book in every public school and college in the Free States of America. It
is a statue of gold raised by most worthy hands to him who most deserved such
an honor.
Allow me to say, that, from a literary point of view, your
work seems to me remarkably artistic and satisfactory. The portraiture of the
just man, with his solid, unshaken mind, tenacious of his noble purpose in the
midst of the “civium prava jubentium,” is a very finished one.
I never had the honor of his personal acquaintance, but I
have always felt — without being thoroughly aware of my reasons — that he was
among the small band of intellectual, accomplished, virtuous, and patriotic
statesmen, not only of our country, but of all countries.
There are always plenty of politicians in the world, but few
statesmen; and there are sometimes eloquent patriots who are sadly deficient in
culture, and others still more lamentably wanting in still more important
endowments. But here was a scholar, — a ripe and rare one; a statesman trained
in the school of Washington; a man familiar with foreign courts and laws and
tongues; a life-long student, ever feasting on the nectared sweets of divine
philosophy, and yet a busy, practical, and most sagacious administrator of
political affairs; a ready debater; an impetuous and irresistible orator; and a
man so perfect in his integrity that it was as impossible for him to be
intimidated, as to be cajoled or bribed. The wonder is, not that such a man
should have lost his re-election to the Presidency, but that he ever should by
any combination have arrived at it at all.
But this is not a pleasant reflection. Would that he were to
be the candidate of the Republicans in 1860. It would almost be a triumph to be
defeated under such an indomitable chief.
“Et cuncta terrarum
subucta
Prӕter atrocem animum
Catonis.”
I must once more thank you most warmly for the noble
portrait you have given us of the patriot, philosopher, and statesman; and for
yourself pray accept my sincerest wishes for your health and happiness.
Believe me, my dear sir, most respectfully and truly yours,
J. Lothrop Motley.
SOURCE: Edmund Quincy, Life
of Josiah Quincy of Massachusetts, p. 523-5
