Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-03-31

strated that the institution and proceedings of
the Hartford Convention, whatever were its
objects, were attended with no detriment to
the nation-Certainly none for which the
State or Convention are responsible. will,
in the course of this letter, attempt to arrange
the multitudinous charges included in the
speech, under such general heads as NAV en-
able me TO refptc them without particular
ity Of detail, that would forbid the expecta-
ton of engaging the attention to a subject,
upon which more are ready TO decide, than
are patient to examine.
10 those, however, who wish for short am
swer> and to all who are the protested advo.
Gates of State wrights, the suggestion ought
to be conClusive1 hat the charge OF a - COM
bination" as preferred against Free and In
dependent state, or its constitutional Gov.
eminent, or (Which is the same thing) its ape
proved Agents, is in itself prepoaterous and
not practicable OF such a State.
There can be no limitation but its own.
discre ton, to the right of each of these Unit
ed States, 10 consult with any other State, up
on subjects Of joint interest, and upon the ma
ture and extent and the mode Of performing
its duties to the Union, as also upon the
means Of causing those due to itself to be res.
pected. II may be very inexpedient to ex-
ercise this right upon light occasions !; but of
this the State must of necessity be exclusive
~ the judge and neither Can it nor its Agents
be justly chargeable with any species of Of
fence tor holding such consultation, the pow
er to do 1t having never been rtlinquished and
| consequently reserved to the State
II Mr. Burke had lived in these times, he
would have been relieved from the difficulty
which he found in drawing up an indictment
against "a whole people by the precedent now
afforded. He would have also learnt, that
whole people. (not merely subjects Of colo.
ny, but constituting an Independent Stafe).
might be guilty OF a "combination''-And
what must have appeared to that great man,
more extraordinary novelty, would have
been the discovery that the passing of an act
by Legislative body with open doors. the
appointing Of o committee for constitutional
| inquiry into the state ofpubic grivances, and
the sitting OF such COMMITTEES with closed,
doors, were ipSO .fdc-O, without any overt ac:
or proof of evil intention, evidence Of such
( combination; notwithstanding the result OF
such private deliberation, should, when pub
lished TO the world, he free from all color Of
crjminality. 1t Is not believed that Mr.. Burke.
from the eShaustless storehouse Of his memo
ry and with his uuwearied patience Of re.
search, could have produced narrative Of any
plot or combination, real Or fabricated, which,
had excited public sensation and obtained
credit, (and there is no history oil a war, for.
elgn or domestic, without one) that was not
countenanced by evidence true or false Of
some fact, proving either intention or orert
act. In those periods OF English history wher.
the scaffold has been drenclted with blood
shed IN punishment constructive treasons, the.
impute crime was always fixed by evidence
of some Gcf denmcd rrin.ipal ~ L.,
the accused party. At one period ur,fine
was considered as an overt act-(seribsre est.
agere) But even then the public accuses.
was held to prove that the criminal matter,
was IL the hand wrtttng Of the eulpyjt. Until
this point was established, Sydney could not
be sacrificed upon account Of writings found
IN his closet. The Popish plot, the standing
reproach OF the credulity and bigotry of a.
great nationin an enlightened age, was. attempt.
ed to be snbstantated by purjured witnesses
testliying to ialsehoods in the furm of facts
Had there been no allegation of facts what.
ever, nothing but mere outcrY Of plot po.
perry, combination, without pretext or fact
to uphold it, that impostuFe would not proba.
bly, have run like wild fire over England.
In the days of witchcraft and dcmonologYs
the victims to the prevailing dclusion were
not hanged, without charge of some magic
al or internal ect done by them, and proved.
Ivy at least one witness-Somebody was pinch.
cd or tormented--The color faded--1he flesh,
rotted-Ihe speech failed, or the senses were
benumbed. The weird sisters or brothers
were always proved to the satisfaction of the
Jury to have occsisned 'toil and trouble
in some mode or other. II was not essential
to have very clear conception Of their met
en'PSgchoS'S, or mode oftravelling through the
air, or process Of iucantaton--buts still there
was formal accusation of witchcraft and
witnesses to prove it.
he Hartford case out-herods all these
The accusers are agreed neither III reg ard t.
the offenders nor the crimes. His Exc ellen
cy includes IN HI. Indictment, first, 1.-THE State
-ncxt, the legislature who authorized the
p" combinations" and OF course the combina-
r ton itself. Others (wrters from whoa his
Excellency catches his enthusiasn) affect 10
discriminate between the whole body of Fed
erallsts in the Legislature, and the few who
were supposed TO draw the 4" Leyiathan with
a hooks Some regard all the members Of
the Convention as ia ''pafi dgiicfo.n Others.
pick out the speckled birds by their own sa-
) gacity. One cssayist of distinguished prolix-
, ty,who is thought by his partzans 10 have ez-
hausled the subject, acquts the members
from Connecticut, Gas | am credibly an forR,,d
having never read his numbers) bccausc they
were restrained by their instructions from dis
loyal enterprises against the Union; but COZ.
demns those OF Massachusetts, whose instrRc.
tons (doubtlcse not then read by hirn) Wsre %
The same tenor.
In Essex, the established character ofNir.
Dane for moderation and Probity being in
their way, The Salem Iapers excepted him
i from the general charge, ar admit that he
consented TO serve in the Convention mere
ly to control the evil propsnsities Of Others.
This attempt in Uses, to make converts
OF the : rising generation" by excepting Mr..
Dane from tie consI.iators, reminds me oil an
Anecdote in he.men,oirs Of Madame de Main
tenen' think, which quote rom memory.
voting lady, Of the luguenot persuasion,
was compelled To become a Cathoiic. and n