The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-12-05

candidate, you gave me hopes Cor you
promlsed) that you would divide your
votes betwixt US ?" BY this russe de gu
ere he cajoled more than one, and rails
ed such a spirit of peace and Of concilia-
tom as procured him many votes.
|. Before ! left the town where the
election occurred, BY way of seeing all
the humours'of the place, | went to an
open house of the opposite side; for |
wore no ribbons nor distinctive badge,
and being neither citizen nor freeman,
wasnot an object ofjealousy to any par
ty Here L saw large assemblage of
voters and' others, engaged in political
discussion,
"Gentlemenf (cried a bricklayer to
the assembly, we are ruined by the
crown and the church interest, by the
aristocracy and the preponderance of
placemen. Intolerance, bigotry and SUI
perstltlon, the sacred rights of kings,
and the influence of the clergy, undo us.
Have we not all our senses, as we'll as.
our senators and bishops {? Have we not
as good sound judgments as our preach
ers and our rulers? Is not the book of
knowledge open TO all of us. who can
read? And why should not you and |,
gentlemen, interpret our laws, both civ
il and divine, just as correctly as chan
cellor or an archbishop? Cloud APP
plausel Fair plays a jewel: Is a pad
lock to be set on our minds, and a muz.
zle to be clapPed upon our mouths ?
(No, no, from all sides Then, are we
not all fit to- represent our fellow-citi-
zens, without being noBlemen or cler-
gy" Loud cheering,)
"a apprehend' (quoth a Scotch farm
er, who was settled ameng them,) that
we're no juste Ga very elongated word)
sac fit to legislate as some of they folk
which the honorable member wha
sPak last im-a-gines. Dye think, mails
ter Brickdust, that the dukes turnkey
(tootman) there could build house as
fast and as weelas yoursel ?" mo, be-
cause have given all my time to it,
$ Weel, then, we ken sac has the parson
geen "a his time to the gospel, and the
minister to Studying the constitution.
Ana apprehend that some of US wad
make as awkward figure in the puwpit
or in the Hoose of Commons, as bull
wud at concert, or a bear in ball
ROOM" CRoars oflaughter, mixed with
Kisses. Our northern orator proceed
ed, but under such unfarourable circum-
stances that he could not be heard.
know left the assembly, deeply i'm
pressed with the truth of the Scotsman's
argument, and regretting much that the
tide was so high against him. Linquir-
ed into his. character, and | found he
had made money, and had purchased a
freehold that, although he was not con-
sidered as publiok speaker, his opin-
ion was often taken in matters of busi-
ness. Most of the assembly had little to
lose; but Sandy used to say, that he
" did nae ken how far reform might
gang; andSwhether it'might nae reform
the little fortin he had been scraping to-
getker with.so much industry for SO long
space of time.,'
Lforgot to mention that the assem-
bly, was held at the Society called the
Friends of the Constitution. Freedom
of Debate was written over the door;
and the first regulation in writing was,
/" Every gentleman to pay three pence
for his admission card, charge of to-
bacco, and pipe!" This was my first
and last visit to any society of the kind.
1t had its novelty; but it had no other
attraction, except Sandy's lesson, for