This speech by John Quincy Adams, former President of the United States and then a congressman, is a powerful defense of the people's right to petition the government and express their opinions freely. Adams argues against a series of resolutions that sought to limit or suppress the voices of those who disagreed with the government's policies. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.