The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-11-26
FEDERAL. TREASON.


against the leaders of the federal party, some
twenty years ago, OF plotting the dismember-
ment of the union of the States, has elected an
article on the subject from the Massachusetts,
Journal, paper edited by one who has belong |
ed uniformly to the democratic party; from
which we make the extracts below. Though
the times referred to were before we came up
on the stage of action, we were. nevertheless,
well acquainted with their history. We know
that the federal leaders were charged with such
designs, but always considered the accusation
as bug bear got up to Brighten grown chill
dren, like other electioneering Tricks, nor did
we suppose that any intelligent man believed
it. In this, it would seem, we were mistaken
To any who still entertain such belief, we
recommend the following extracts:
"That a course of policy (now acknowl-
edged on all hands to have been unwIse and
rninons to US, as it was abortlve and IN
effective, in respect to our enemies,) dId
PROSTATE the industry, depreclate and des-
troy the capital, and paralyze the active
hands of large portion OF the Northern
and commercial population of the United
States,--is history. 1t is no new conviction
nor declaration with us, that the embargo,
the restrictive and non-intercourse acts,
were perfectly suicidal. The grass grew
on our busiest wharves; hundreds OF tamil
lies to this day struggling under Iremova-
bic and hopeless poverty, date their rum
their reduction from comfort or attiuence,
to all but beggary, from these very meas
ures. Then it was, when all our Northern
'capital. and Northern hands, were employ
ed in commerce, that the Cabinet, and the
minority of Congress, (most OF those who
now talk of the unconstitutionality OF pro-
lection to home Industry deemed 1t eXpe-
dent to make very hotheds for domestic
manufactures-ay, for these very manu-
features whirh now, that our Massachusetts
and Rhode Island capital are invested IN
them, it is proclaimed at the South 10 he
unconstitutional, and dainnahle political
heresv to protect! Thus, like the poor
lamb. drink where we will, the vol lnds Il
pretext to devour us.
In the deep suffering and strong excite
ment. which ensued upon the infection OF
these unspeakahle evils, the rottlng OF ship
ping. the tnin of families, and throwing OF
thousands out of profitable employ 1t IS no
were. from individuals, hasty and imprudent
expressions, expressions which patriotism
should have Observation-Disclosures we hold
that it is the solemn and bounden duty Of
every individual and section of Union to sub
NIT to the constitutional will of the majority,
and to abstain from every act, word ana APP
pearance Of resistance, sedltlon ana renel-
lion,-but that there was any combination,
any plotting or conspiracy, or even geher-
al wish among leading federallsts OF that Pc
Rod to sever the Union, and to invite, as
must necessarily follow, the interference OF
a foreign power, we do not believe,-we
never have believed it since we were capa-
ble of examining and judging for ourselves
and we never will believe 1t on the mere
ipse Dirt, the nake,l and peremptory declar-
alton Of any man, high or low.
We must have the witnesses, the papers
and the circumstances, which produced this
impression on the Presidents mind, before
we weld our assents to the justice of his
opinions and proceedings in regard to some
of our fellow citizens, whom we have re-
spected, do respect, and will respect, for
hirh attainments, and integrity, while on
some points we have differed, and may
again, differ from them. We doubt not
that Mr.. Adams was sincere in his belief of
what he communicated to Jefferson, because
there are many others of his age, and
Younger than he is, in this city, who re-
tain the same impression respecting the
wishes and designs of the most distinguish
ed men of the former federal party but for
ourselves we say again, that we 10 not and
will not believe such thing of such men
upon vague rumors and surmises, and party
recriminations and calumuies, growing out
of the smarting and the anguish of those
wounds upon our prosperity which even
now cannot be remembered without shud-
dering, nor recounted by hundreds of fam
lilies without tears.
What, then, it will he asked, is your
opinion of the wishes and designs Of the
old Federal Party, or Of the master spirits of
it? We are prepared for the question, and
we answer without hesitation. Their de-
sign was no more nor less than to change the
Administration Wei see this thread run
ming through the whole web of their policy
from the year lS07down to theHartford Con-
Vention-wheTe it terminated. There may
have been individuals hot-headed, wrong
headed, and actuated hy base ambition, who
wished something further, something dan
gerous, something traitorous 10 the Repub-
lie; butthat the body of federalists aimed at
it, or desired it we will never believe without
unequivocal evidence," submitted TO our
setues, oculis .jfdetibus, su1jecta. five did
believe such a thing, we would denounce
them in these columns to-day. Treason had
no statute Of limitation. Yet, it was natur-
al for those in power to say, and readily be-
lieve whenit was said, that the designs of
these men were not against their rule, but
against the Constitution and Country, by
and over which they ruled for such ie-
presentation would excite deeper, stron-
ger, and more active hostility toward them.
As we said before, we can believe that Mr..
Adams. in common with many good and
able men in this part Of the country, was
honestly of opinion that their object was to
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