ered. The
Senate adopted a like edict. The State authorities approved. Slavery was
not less strongly entrenched behind the bulwark of precedents in the
courts of law than in the fixed habits of thought and action among the
people. The people even in the free States denounced the discussion of
slavery, and suppressed it by unlawful force. John Quincy Adams stood
unmoved amid the storm. He knew that the only danger incident to political
reform, was the danger of delaying it too long. The French Revolution had
made this an axiom of political science. If, indeed, the discussion of
slavery was so hazardous as was pretended, it had been deferred too long
already. The advocates of slavery had committed a fatal error. They had
abolished freedom of speech and freedom of petition to save an obnoxious
institution. As soon as the panic should subside, the people would demand
the restoration of those precious rights, and would scrutinize with
fearless fidelity the cause for which they had been suppressed. He offered
petition after petition, each bolder and more importunate than the last.
He debated questions, kindred to those which were forbidden, with the
firmness and fervor of his noble nature. For age

Had not quenched the open truth
And fiery vehemence of youth.

Soon he gained upon his adversaries. District after district sent
champions to his side. States reconsidered, and resolved in his behalf. He
saw the tide was turning, and then struck one bold blow, not now for
freedom of petition and debate, but a stroke of bold and retaliating
warfare. He offered a resolution declaring that the following amendments
of the constitution of the United States be submitted to the people of the
several States for their adoption:

From and after the fourth day of July, 1842, there shall be, throughout
the United States, NO HEREDITARY SLAVERY, but on and after that day every
child born within the United States shall be FREE.

With the exception of the Territory of Florida, there shall, henceforth,
never be admitted into this Union, any STATE the constitution of which
shall tolerate within the same the existence of SLAVERY.

In 1845, the obnoxious rule of the House of Representatives was rescinded.
The freedom of debate and petition was restored, and the unrestrained and
irrepressible discussion of slavery by the press and political parties
began. For the rest, the work of emancipation abides the action, whether
it be slow or fast, of