Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1830-02-09

ciiiation might, after all, be the best.
but ne hoped the time was not very far
distant when this ancient commonwealth
would assume the enviable and imposing
attitude of former days-when she would
no longer lie in this humble position of a
mendlcant. He did not believe she
would gain any thing by remaining in
snch Posliion-even though she contnu.
ed her importantly till the morning Of the
second resurrection.
Mr.. Saltonstall, of Salem, said he
thought the sentiments and feelings OF
the Governour had not been perfectly un.
derstood. He referred to the Message a,
the opening of the June session, to which
the Governour in his late Message had
directed the attention Of the Legislature,
and read the passage in which the claim
was alluded TO- The language he said
was not Of the weak and passive charac.
ter, which some gentlemen had supposed.
He agreed with the gentleman from
Lanesboro, that firm and manly tone
would be better in the resolutions, and il
should have been made to correspond, in
some measure, with the tone adopted by
the executive. He found on referring ia
the Message that he had much reason to
be pleased with the tone of it, and he
thought it tone which would please the
gentleman from Lanesboro'. If he and /
said Mr. S. had formed these resolutions
they would, no doubt, have spoken diff
ferent language but as they had passed
the Senate, it would perhaps be as well
not to obstruct their passage through the
House.
Mr.. Shaw acknowledged he had not SO
recently read the Executive Message as
his friend from Salem had, and he was re.
Jolced to perceive that the GOVERNOR had
assumed style more becoming the urgen-
cy of the case than he had imagined, when
ne made his previous remarks. He now
saw an additional and very strong rea-
son, why the resolutions should be express
ed in stronger language. He was now
furnished with another argument. Would
it not be at once said that the legislature
were not ready to second the views of his
Excellency, and would not those opposed
to the claim, in Congress, raise an argu-
ment against it, from this discrepancy
Would it not be said that the people were
not convinced of its Justice 7 Already had
certain politicians alluded to some incl
dents in our political history, for the pur-
pose of exciting division. To order that
the House might have time to reflect on
the subject, and to consider what might
grow out Of this remarkable discrepancy,
to the prejudice of the claim, he would
move that the resolutions be laid on the
table.
MIR. 6. Blake concurred entirely in the
views of the gentleman from Lanesboro'.
1t had been his lot to be in Washington
for several successive years, and to be
present at the discussions in Congress
when the Massachusetts claim had been
brought up. His impressions had always
been that the hesistancy of the majority
of Congress to allow this claim, had ars-
EN- much more from the manner in which
it had been treated by our own deega-
ton, than from any conviction against
the proprety of the claim ITSELF Had
such claim been presented to Congress
from any State in the Union south of
New York, it would have been paid years
and years ago. He had heard it often re-
marked by foreigners who are at the seat
of government, that the manner in which
the people of New-England pursue their
objects, differs essentially from that fthe
people ofthe South. We go on with our
claims with a slow and timid step, while
the South and the West pour down like a
cataract. The humble tone to which he
alluded was never heard from the South.
We had formerly had at the seat Of gov
eminent, an agent, sort Of minister plen-
ipotentiary, to settle this claim. He did.
perhaps, what minister plenipotentiary
from one State to another could do, but he
was never sustained by the Massachusetts
delegation. Whenever the subject was
in Congress, the delegation
and shrunk from the task of ad-
vocating it. He alluded to particular in
dividuals of the delegation but as a
man he had been mortified,
he had been ashamed, at the manner in
which the claim had been treated when
ever it had beeu introduced. He had in
his eye gentleman, whose testimony
would bear him out in this representation.
He had the utmost respect for the Govern
our-and he hoped that tone somewhat
analogous to that Of the Message would
be adopted in the resolutions-a tone of
demand-not an insulting or abusive
tone-but one Of Grmness and determine
ton. He hoped it would be shown in all
things, that Massachusetts, was not to be
but that she knew what belong
ed to her dignity and was resolved to
maintain it. He hoped that the resolu-
tons would be laid on the table, or that
they might be recommitted for the pur-
pose ofinfusing into them little life.
Mr.. Sedgwick, Of Stockbridge, said he
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