Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-01-30
MESSAGE OF GOV. MORTON OF
MASSACHUSETT


For the first time since the commencement of the
"reign of terror" as the dynasty of Jackson and
his successor has not appropriately been termed,
loco foco has been placed in the gubernatorla
chair of Massachusetts, and the radical and destruc
tive doctrines Of the administration party have been
promulgated from her Council chamber. How
much soever this is 10 be regretted, it is not now
our object to go into tho detail--aready known to
our readers--of the causes which have produced
it; we intend only TO glance at some of the lead
ing portions of Governor Morton's inaugural Mes
saga message which, had it emanated from the
White House, would have been noticed for nothing
except its being written in good English, but which,
as it proceeds from the Chief Magistrate of Massa-
chasetts will naturally attract attention on account
o. its dissimarity to the principles and doctrines
hitherto ayowed and proclaimed from the same
| source.
Governor Morton commences with expressing his
gratitude 10 the people fol having elected him to the
office he now holds, and with the gratuitous assunp
ton that they did so for the "hgh and holy purpose
of better establishing and more firmly developing
the democratic principe''-as he is pleased to call
it. What this principle is. he does not exactly in
form u.s. although he deals in sundry generalities
concerning its merits and perfecons; may infer,
however, from the general tone of the address. that
this vauned democratic principle is neither more
nor less than blind adherence to the course of the
administration. OF course this is nothing more than
was expected Of him by the loco focos, and by it he
has shown the validity of his claim to be considered
Affar fhS ha Ian has
at once into the question Of the currency and its
regulation condemns in toto all thai had been done
by preceding legislatures with regard to the banks in
the State-characterse those institutions mono
polies--denounces them as having been the cause
OF most, if not all, Of the evils TO which the Bay
State, in common with her sisters, has been sub
iected by the reckless course of the federal admins
tration- and yet, after all this, gives utterance To
the following sentence, by way of showing, one
would be tempted to think, how completely few
simple words of truth will overturn whole TRADE
of partizan abuse and slang.
"Under the operation of this system e.
e. the banking system of Massachusetts
and notwithstanding its evils, we have
!. grown in wealth, and have enjoyed an ex-
|, tfaOfulndTy ueStco VI prosperity. lit
system has become incorporated into gu
code, affects all private contracts, and ha,
an influence on all the business of life. -
: Its sudden abolition would produce meal
culable mischief, and greater inustic.
and suffering than that for which remedy
is sought"
And therefore the immediate abolition Of bank
is not recommended, although the legislature, it
said, should not share the responsibility of creatn
or sustaining Them What is meant by this. an
one not gifted with the astonishing acuteness of Gov
Morton himself would find it hard to tell for in tn
very next sentence the Governor says ''if bank
must exist let them spring up under tho action {
genetal laws That is-''the legislature must nj
create hank, lest they share the responsibility {
its creation but they may enac, general law ur
der which any number Of banks may spring W
, without mourning any responsibility whatever !!
Verify, his exoellency's logic is chopped exceed
mgiy fine