Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-04-05
The President and the Boston Mob

MIR. Webster has written a letter to IL
Mayor of Boston, in which, having written Ill
der the direction of Mr.. Fillmore, he expresse
the sentiments of the President, and no doul
his own also, on the sub ect of the late Bosto
riot. This letter is published in the Bosto
Courier, and is as follows:
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1851.
Hon. John P. Bigelow, Mayor of Boston:
.Su-IIe President has had the pleasure t
receive your letter of the 18th February, Ell
closing official copies of the order and resolve
lately adopted by the two branches of the GO
vernment Of the city of Boston.
1t affords him great satisfaction to perceiy
that such measures have been taken by the au
thorities of Boston as give assurance that nj
other outrage similar to that which was, h
presumes, the immediate cause of their adop
ton, will be permitted to take place in you
city.
From his earliest youth he has been accus
toned to regard with the greatest respect ane
veneration the city of Boston and the Com
monwealth Of Massachusetts.
He has been taught to believe that their in
habitants were, almost above all others, the
friends Of order and good government; intelli
gent enough to appreciate the advantages Of
free Institutions OF their own choice, and ca
pable Of understanding and resolving that great
political problem of the compatibility Of free.
dom with order, of liberty distinguished from
RIGHTEOUSNESS, and of self:goyernment the fur.
therest removed from the dangers Of anarchy;
that they were especially devoted to the union
of the States, and to the constitution which
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that their patriotism would never fail to coun-
sci them to fulfill all their obligations under
the constitution, justly and fully, and in the
very spirit in which such obligations were ell
tered into by their renowned ancestors.
Entertaining these sentiments, it was diff
cult for the President to credit the accounts
which were received of the outrage on all law,
perpetrated in Boston ON the 18th of Februa-
ry last.
That a prisoner, in lawful custody, within
the walls of the courthouse, in the centre of
the city, and in full sight of the Offices of the
municipal authorities, had been at MONDAY for
chilly rescued, by a mob Of one or two hundred
persons, from the officers of the law, carried
out Of the building, and through the public
streets, in a sort Of triumph, and enabled to
escape altogether, without an attempt on the
part of any of the authorities, or any Of the
citizens, to preserve order and maintain the law,
or to pursue and retake the fugitive, was a
statement that seemed to him too improbable
to be true.
1t was with a feeling of great relief that he
received such explanations of this strange oc-
currence as showed it to have been an entire
surprise upon the citizens, and upon the au-
thoritics; an act Of successful temerity on the
part of a very inconsiderable number of per-
sons, which only needed to have been appre-
hended the shortest time beforehand to have
been prevented.
The President is confident that the great ma
iority of the citizens of Boston are entirely
loyal to the constitution that they view with
just indignation all such outrages, and all at
tempts, whether by writing or speaking, to in
Of violence; and that they are ready to dis
charge the duties incumbent on them by the
constitution and laws Of the United States,
faithfully and fearlessly, under all circumstan-
ces, whenever called upon by the proper au-
thonties.
The occurrence Of the 18th of February is
certainly greatly to be regretted, as it gives oc-
casion to those not unwilling to seize upon il
to question the disposition Of your fellow-citi-
zens to comply with their constitutional obi
cations in good faith; and the history of such
an outrage is spread far and wide, reaches
where an explanation Of it may never follow,
and creates i'll feelings towards those whose
only connection with it is that they were resi-
dents Of the place in which it was perpetrated.
But if; as the President doubts not it will, this
event shall arouse the attention Of all good
citizens to a sense of the dangers to be appre-
hended from the incubation of such doctrines |
as have been spread abroad in the country,
tending to shake the authority Of law, to un-
settle society, and to absolve men from all civil
and moral obligations; and shall put them on
their guard against the further diffusion of such
pernieious sentiments, it may, in the end, be
productive Of happy results; and certainly the
unanimous expression of indignation
which it called forth among your citizens, ba-
lances, to some extent, the i'll effect flowing
from it.
The President does not doubt that the peo-
pie Of Massachusetts perfectly well understand
the difference between the freest discussion Of
measures and opposition to legal en-
actments already made and established. He
IS quite sure that they regard the law Of the
land not as a sentiment, or an opinion, but as
! rule Of conduct prescribed by the general
authority, and which all are bound to obey, at
he risk Of the penalties attached to its VIOLA
ion.
The President directs me to tender you his
hanks for the transmission of the resolutions.
| remain, Mr.. Mayor, with great respect.
1our obedient servant, &C.
DANL WEBsTEN
DEPTH OF THE OcEAN.-During a passage from
10 to the Cape Of Good Hope, when in latitude
s 81 s., and long, 90 II W., bottom was obtained
t a depth Of 81 900 fathoms, or three and half