te　until　1844。　When　the　name　of　Mr。　Adams　was　called　in　the　vote　upon　the　passage　of　the　above　resolution；　instead　of　answering　in　the　ordinary　way；　he　said：　〃I　hold　the　resolution　to　be　a　direct　violation　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　of　the　rules　of　this　House；　and　of　the　rights　of　my　constituents。〃　This　was　the　beginning　of　the　duel　between　the　〃old　man　eloquent〃　and　a　determined　majority　in　the　House　of　Representatives。　Adams　developed　undreamed…of　resources　as　a　debater　and　parliamentarian。　He　made　it　his　special　business　to　break　down　the　barrier　against　the　right　of　petition。　Abolitionists　cooperated　with　zeal　in　the　effort。　Their　champion　was　abundantly　supplied　with　petitions。　The　gag　resolution　was　designed　to　prevent　all　debate　on　the　subject　of　slavery。　Its　effect　in　the　hands　of　the　shrewd　parliamentarian　was　to　foment　debate。　On　one　occasion；　with　great　apparent　innocence；　after　presenting　the　usual　abolition　petitions；　Adams　called　the　attention　of　the　Speaker　to　one　which　purported　to　be　signed　by　twenty…two　slaves　and　asked　whether　such　a　petition　should　be　presented　to　the　House；　since　he　was　himself　in　doubt　as　to　the　rules　applicable　in　such　a　case。　This　led　to　a　furious　outbreak　in　the　House　which　lasted　for　three　days。　Adams　was　threatened　with　censure　at　the　bar　of　the　House；　with　expulsion；　with　the　grand　jury；　with　the　penitentiary；　and　it　is　believed　that　only　his　great　age　and　national　repute　shielded　him　from　personal　violence。　After　numerous　passionate　speeches　had　been　delivered；　Adams　injected　a　few　important　corrections　into　the　debate。　He　reminded　the　House　that　he　had　not　presented　a　petition　purporting　to　emanate　from　slaves；　on　the　contrary；　he　had　expressly　declined　to　present　it　until　the　Speaker　had　decided　whether　a　petition　from　slaves　was　covered　by　the　rule。　Moreover；　the　petition　was　not　against　slavery　but　in　favor　of　slavery。　He　was　then　charged　with　the　crime　of　trifling　with　the　sensibilities　of　the　House；　and　finally　the　champion　of　the　right　of　petition　took　the　floor　in　his　own　defense。　His　language　cut　to　the　quick。　His　calumniators　were　made　to　feel　the　force　of　his　biting　sarcasm。　They　were　convicted　of　injustice；　and　all　their　resolutions　of　censure　were　withdrawn。　The　victory　was　complete。　After　the　year　1838　John　Quincy　Adams　had　the　effective　support　of　Joshua　R。　Giddings　from　the　Western　Reserve；　Ohiowho　also　fought　a　pitched　battle　of　his　own　which　illustrates　another　phase　of　the　crusade　against　liberty。　The　ship　Creole　had　sailed　from　Baltimore　to　New　Orleans　in　1841　with　a　cargo　of　slaves。　The　negroes　mutinied　on　the　high　seas；　slew　one　man；　gained　possession　of　the　vessel；　sailed　to　Nassau；　and　were　there　set　free　by　the　British　Government。　Prolonged　diplomatic　negotiations　followed　in　which　our　Government　held　that；　as　slaves　were　property　in　the　United　States；　they　continued　to　be　such　on　the　high　seas。　In　the　midst　of　the　controversy；　Giddings　introduced　a　resolution　into　the　House；　declaring　that　slavery；　being　an　abridgment　of　liberty；　could　exist　only　under　local　rules；　and　that　on　the　high　seas　there　can　be　no　slavery。　For　this　act　Giddings　was　arraigned　and　censured　by　the　House。　He　at　once　resigned；　but　was　reelected　with　instructions　to　continue　the　fight　for　freedom　of　debate　in　the　House。　In　the　campaign　against　the　rights　of　freemen　mob　violence　was　first　employed；　but　in　the　South　the　weapon　of　repressive　legislation　was　soon　substituted；　and　this　was　powerfully　supplemented　by　social　and　religious　ostracism。　Except　in　a　few　districts　in　the　border　States；　these　measures　were　successful。　Public　profession　of　abolitionism　was　suppressed。　The　violence　of　the　mob　was　of　much　longer　duration　in　the　North　and　reached　its　height　in　the　years　1834　and　1835。　But　Northern　mobs　only　quickened　the　zeal　of　the　abolitionists　and　made　converts　to　their　cause。　The　attempt　to　substitute　repressive　state　legislation　had　the　same　effect；　and　the　use　of　church　authority　for　making　an　end　of　the　agitation　for　human　liberty　was　only　temporarily　influential。　As　early　as　1838　the　Presbyterian　Church　was　divided　over　questions　of　doctrine　into　Old　School　and　New　School　Presbyterians。　This　served　to　forestall　the　impending　division　on　the　slavery　question。　The　Old　School　in　the　South　became　pro…slavery　and　the　New　School　in　the　North　became　anti…slavery。　At　the　same　time　the　Methodist　Church　of　the　entire　country　was　beset　by　a　division　on　the　main　question。　In　1844　Southern　Methodist　Episcopalian　conferences　resolved　upon　separation　and　committed　themselves　to　the　defense　of　slavery。　The　division　in　the　Methodist　Church　was　completed　in　1846。　A　corresponding　division　took　place　in　the　Baptist　Church　in　1845。　The　controversy　was　dividing　the　country　into　a　free　North　and　an　enslaved　South；　and　Southern　white　men　as　well　as　negroes　were　threatened　with　subjection　to　the　demands　of　the　dominant　institution。
  CHAPTER　VI。　THE　SLAVERY　ISSUE　IN　POLITICS　Some　who　opposed　mob　violence　became　active　abolitionists；　others　were　led　to　defend　the　rights　of　abolitionists　because　to　do　otherwise　would　encourage　anarchy　and　general　disorder。　The　same　was　true　of　those　who　defended　the　right　of　petition　and　the　free　use　of　the　mails　and　the　entire　list　of　the　fundamental　rights　of　freemen　which　were　threatened　by　the　crusade　against　abolitionists。　Birney's　contention　that　unless　the　slave　is　freed　no　one　can　be　free　was　thus　vindicated：　the　issue　involved　vastly　more　than　the　mere　emancipation　of　slaves。　The　attack　made　in　defense　of　slavery　upon　the　rights　of　freemen　was　early　recognized　as　involving　civil　war　unless　peaceable　emancipation　could　be　attained。　So　soon　as　John　Quincy　Adams　faced　the　new　spirit　in　Congress；　he　was　convinced　that　it　meant　probable　war。　As　early　as　May；　1836；　he　warned　the　South；　saying：　〃From　the　instant　that　your　slaveholding　States　become　the　theater　of　war；　civil；　servile；　or　foreign；　from　that　moment　the　war　powers　of　the　Constitution　extend　to　interference　with　the　institution　of　slavery。〃　This　sentiment　he　reiterated　and　amplified　on　various　occasions。　The　South　was　duly　warned　that　an　attempt　to　disrupt　the　Union　would　involve　a　war　of　which　emancipation　would　be　one　of　the　consequences。　With　the　exception　of　Garrison　and　a　few　of　his　personal　followers；　abolitionists　were　unionists：　they　stood　for　the　perpetual　union　of　the　States。　This　is　not　the　place　to　give　an　extended　account　of　the　Mexican　War。*　There　are；　however；　certain　incidents　connected　with　the　annexation　of　Texas　and　the　resulting　war　which　profoundly　affected　the　crusade　against　slavery。　Both　Lundy　and　Birney　in　their　missions　to　promote　emancipation　through　the　process　of　colonization　believed　that　they　had　unearthed　a　plan　on　the　part　of　Southern　leaders　to　acquire　territory　from　Mexico　for　the　purpose　of　extending　slavery。　This　discovery　coincided　with　the　suppression　of　abolition　propaganda　in　the　South。　Hitherto　John　Quincy　Adams　had　favored　the　western　expansion　of　our　territory。　He　had　labored　diligently　to　make　the　Rio　Grande　the　western　boundary　of　the　Louisiana　Purchase　at　the　time　of　the　treaty　with　Spain　in　1819。　But　though　in　1825　he　had　supported　a　measure　to　purchase　Texas　from　Mexico；　under　the　new　conditions　he　threw　himself　heartily　against　the　annexation　of　Texas；　and　in　1838　he　defeated　in　the　House　of　Representatives　a　resolution　favoring　annexation。　To　this　end　Adams　occupied　the　morning　hour　of　the　House　each　day　from　the　16th　of　June　to　the　7th　of　July；　within　two　days　of　the　time　fixed　for　adjournment。　This　was　only　a　beginning　of　his　fight　against　the　extension　of　slavery。　There　was　no　relenting　in　his　opposition　to　pro…slavery　demands　until　he　was　stricken　down　with　paralysis　in　the　streets　of　Boston；　in　November；　1846。　He　never　again　addressed　a　public　assembly。　But　he　continued　to　occupy　his　seat　in　Congress　until　February　23；　1848。　*　See　〃Texas　and　the　Mexican　War〃　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。　The　debate　inaugurated　in　Congress　by　Adams　and　others　over　the　extension　of　slave　territory　rapidly　spread　to　the　country　at　large；　and　interest　in　the　question　became　general。　Abolitionists　were　thereby　greatly　stimulated　to　put　into　practice　their　professed　duty　of　seeking　to　accomplish　their　ends　by　political　action。　Their　first　effort　was　to　secure　recognition　in　the　regular　parties。　The　Democrats　answered　in　their　platform　of　1840　by　a　plank　specifically　denouncing　the　abolitionists；　and　the　Whigs　proved　either　noncommittal　or　unfriendly。　The　result　was　that　abolitionists　organized　a　party　of　their　own　in　1840　and　nominated　James　G。　Birney　for　the　Presidency。　Both　of　the　older　parties　during　this　campaign　evaded　the　issue　of　the　annexation　of　Texas。　In　1844　the　Whigs　again　refrained　from　giving　in　their　platform　any　official　utterance　on　the　Texas　issue；　though　they　were　understood　to　be　opposed　to　annexation。　The　Democrats　adroitly　asserted　in　their　platform　their　approval　of　the　re…annexation　of　Texas　and　reoccupation　of　Oregon。　There　was　a　shadowy　prior　claim　to　both　these　regions；　and　by　combining　them　in　this　way　the　party　avoided　any　odious　partiality　towards　the　acquisition　of　slave　territory。　But　the　voters　in　both　parties　had　become　interested　in　t