_In Retirement._ Returns to Quincy, 216; followed by slanders of Giles, 216; declines to enter into controversy with Federalists over disunion movement of 1808, 216, 217; attacked by the Federalists for his refusal, 217, 218; prepares a crushing reply which he does not publish, 218; dreads idleness, 220; unable to resume law practice, 220; his slight property, 221; reads Latin classics, 221; plans biographical and historical work, 221; writes in diary concerning his reading, 222; does not appreciate humor, 222; has difficulty in reading Paradise Lost, 223; learns to like Milton and tobacco, 223; asked if willing to be elected to Congress, 225; replies that he is ready to accept the office, 225; elected in 1830, 225; as candidate for governor, withdraws name in case of choice by legislature, 226.
_Member of House of Representatives._ His principal task the struggle with Southern slaveholders, 226; gains greater honor in this way than hitherto, 226, 227; his diligence and independent action in the House, 227; called "old man eloquent," 227; not in reality a pleasing or impressive speaker, 227, 228; but effective and well-informed, 228; his excessive pugnacity, 229; his enemies, 229, 230; success as debater, 230; absence of friends or followers, 231; supported by people in New England, 232; declares intention to be independent, 233; greeted with respect, 233; on Committee on Manufactures, 233; willing to reduce duties to please South, 234; condemns apparent surrender of Jackson to South Carolina, 234; pleased with Jackson's nullification proclamation, 235; wishes to coerce South Carolina before making concessions, 235; insists on a decision of question of nullification, 235; dissatisfied with Jackson's failure to push matters, 236; in opposition to Jackson, 237, 238; supports proposal of Jackson to take determined attitude toward France, 239; wins no gratitude from Jackson, 240; receives attempt at reconciliation coolly, 240; opposes granting of Doctorate of Laws to Jackson by Harvard, 241, 242; considers Jackson's illness a sham, 242; presents abolition petitions from beginning of term, 243; does not favor abolition in District of Columbia, 243; always disliked slavery and slaveholders, 243; not an agitator or reformer, 244; his qualifications to oppose slave power in Congress, 245, 246; hostility in Congress and coldness in Boston, 246; his support in his district, 247; and among people of North, 247; continues to present petitions, 248; presents one signed by women, 249; opposes assertion that Congress has no power to interfere with slavery in a State, 250; opposes gag rule, 250; advocates right of petition, 251; tries to get his protest entered on journal, 251, 252; savage reply to an assailant, 252; receives and presents floods of petitions, 252, 253; single-handed in task, 253; urged to rash movements by abolitionists, 254; his conduct approved by constituents, 255; resolves to continue, although alone, 255; description in his diary of presentation of petitions, 255-261; continues to protest against "gag" rule as unconstitutional, 256; scores Preston for threatening to hang abolitionists, 257, 258; defies the House and says his say, 258, 259; wishes petitions referred to a select committee, 259; passage at arms with chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee, 259, 260; taunts Connor with folly of "gag" rule, 261; holds that Congress, under war power, may abolish slavery, 261-263; attacked by Southerners, 262, 263; cites precedents, 263; his theory followed by Lincoln, 264; refers to the theory in letter, 265; opposes annexation of Texas, 265, 266; his reasons, 266 n.; presents absurd petitions, 266; presents petitions asking for his own expulsion, 268; allows matter to drop, 268; presents petition from slaves and asks opinion of speaker, 269; fury of slaveholders against, 270; resolutions of censure against, 271; disconcerts opponents by his cool reply, 272, 273; but receives new attacks and resolutions of censure, 274, 275; defended by a few New Englanders, 276; reluctance of Southerners to allow him to reply, 276; his speech, 277-279; sarcasms upon his enemies, 277, 278; presents petition asking for his own removal from chairmanship of Committee on Foreign Affairs, 280; prevented from defending himself, 280; presents petition for dissolution of Union while disapproving it, 280, 281; resolutions of censure against, 281, 282; attacked by Marshall and Wise, 283; objects to injustice of preamble, 284; defies his enemies and scorns mercy, 285; bitter remarks on his opponents, 285; helped by Everett, 286; slight outside sympathy for, 286; abused in newspapers, 286; threatened with assassination, 286, 287; willing to have matter laid on table, 287; his triumph in the affair, 288; attempt to drive him from Foreign