The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-04-22
WORCESTER:
"WEDNESDAY. APRIL as, 1929.


the 18th inst. we have been assailed in a style
0fcoarse and vulgar abuse, worthy of the per-
son who would vilify the first men of the State
as" band of unholy desperadoes.' After the
application of such language to them, it gives
+usmo uneasiness to be abused III similar style
from the same source, nor shall we engage in a
personal controversy of such character that
The who can throw the most filth is sure to be
victor. Without, therefore, replying to the
personalities of the editor, or retorting upon
him any of his uncourteous language, we would
make few such remarks in relation to his ar
ticle as will correct some of the erroneous i'm
pressions which it is calculated to give. The
editor of the Sentinel speaks of the article in
our paper of the 6th as ga gross and unlounded
assault upon the intelligence and moral princi-
pie of the people who voted for Mr.. Allen
Smile not, gentle readers, for although you
NAV not be able to understand how such a con-
clusion should be drawn from that article, yet
the editor of the Sentinel has made it out very
much to his satisfaction, and denounces against
us " a frown of disapplobation from those we so
imprudently, or rather impudently prescribe !"
He takes it for granted that all who voted for
Mr. Allen thereby gave their sanction to the
language and sentiments of the scurrilous art-
cles which he published, first in handbils, and
afterwards in his paper, and so rendered them
selves obnoxious to the rebuke administered to
him in our paper. Herein he is entirely at
fault Few, very Few, Of those who opposed
Gov. Lincoln, justify the language held toward
him in the Sentinel. Every newspaper which
has spoken Of it, has condemned it in terms of
lust Indignation We will refer to but three,
and to those, only, because they agree with the
Sentinel on the question of rail road. The
Boston Courier was the first to condemn that
language as improper and unwarrantable. The
Greenfield Gazette speaks of it in the follow
ing indignant terms:
GAS some remarks have been made in the
Boston Courier and Hampshire Gazette, from
which it might fairly be inferred that certain
handful, headed " Anti Rail Road Nomlna-
ton" was printed in this place, we owe it to
ourselves, and to the friends of Mr.. Allen in
this vicinity, to state that it was not printed in
this county and we have heard but one opln-
ion expressed respecting that part of its con-
tents, which speaks of the rail road and Gov.
Lincoln-and this opinion is that it is alike
dscreditable to the writer, injurious to Mr.. Al
len, unfair towards the friends of the rail road,
and highly indecorous to Gov. Lincoln"
The Hampshire Gazette characterizes the
language as scurrilous and abusive We
are informed by gentleman of high respecta-
bility in the north part of the county, that, in
the town where he resides, the inhabitants be-
ing opposed TO the rail road, the vote for Gov.
Lincoln was expected to be small; yet, when
the Athol handful appeared, SO strong was the
disgust it excited, that the people generally
turned out and gave to Gov. Lincoln strong,
and almost unanimous vote. Even the neigh
bors Of the editor Of the Sentinel have express
cd to us their disapprobation of the articles in
that paper, and their satisfaction at the manner
in which we had noticed them.
But, between us and tho editor Of the Senti-
mel, we wish no judge more favorable than his
own conscience. The notice we took of him
never could have excited the passion he has
displayed unaccompanied by the goadings Of
that faithful monitor. That he felt strong
computations, rests on conclusive evidence,
furnished by himself After printing his hand
bills to circulate in the towns in his own vicin-
ity, the same type was transferred directly to
the columns of his newspaper form, except that
the most Objectionable terms were omitted, and
others substituted in their places, thus evncing
that he was aware of the gross improperly Of
the language of the handful; and that, al
though he would circulate it anonymously
throughout the country, yet he was unwilling
to do it openly and upon his own responsibility,
till the language had been somewhat softened
down.
We are characterized by the Sentinel as
tho jealous advocates of rail road through
the south part of Massachusetts, to Albany"
The rail road, too, is frequently alludes to as
Worcester project, and Gov. Lincoln is called,
in the refined language of that paper, the
whole hog rail road candidate for Governor Of
this Commonwealth" The impression thus in.
tended to be given is wide from the truth We
do not recollect ever to have written word in
favor ofaral road from Boston to Albany, though
communications from correspondents, in favor
ofit,have been published in this paper; and those
on the opposite side would have been admitted
with the same readiness, if they had been offer
ed. But no article has ever appeared in our
columns giving the preference to one route
over the other. The inhabitants of Worcester,
SO far as theiI own interests are to be affected,
we believe feel very Indifferent on the subject,
or If they have choice, quite a majority
would prefer that no rail road should be made
through this town from Boston to the west
Our situation, at the head of canal navigation,
now gives us the control ola considerable trade
of which the town would only be the thorough.