Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-06-27
The epontaneous sIovement.

The spontaneous MOVemenLs
6. Most grammarians and photographers have agreed
that the word SPONTANEOUS, as used in the Eng
fish language, signifies voluntary; proceeding from
ones own will, without other cause" Webster SO
defines the word in the first degrees his definition in
the second degree is, "Acting by its own impulse,
eperov or natural law without external orce;' and
in the third degree, he defines it as Produced with
out being planted, or without human labor" These
definitions, so long and universally established, seem
to be growing obsolete however The ''Hampshire
Gazette" paper whose editor seems DESTROYS, in
sly way of immortalizing himself as phologi-
cal reformer, says in reference TO the great spon-
taneous nomination movement that is now agltating
all the cotton mills, bar rooms and dry goods ware
houses Of hunkerdom, that
'The list (of signatures for Daniels nomination
to the presidency is not very formidable, but we
presume the number of ,e4nes nigdt be greatly IN
creased, in every town, by proper effort. We
know it might be in Northampton Unless more
full lists can be obtained, we question the expedi
ency of publishing the names. Want of effort may
be mistaken for want of strength"
The editor of the Hampshire Gazette, as will be
seen from the above, has evidently made discov-
cry; he covertly advises the application of exterior
effort to produce spontaneity of will, an effect which
all the daring geniuses who have hitherto made dis
coveries in the region of mechanical philosophy,
supposed TO be dynamical impossibility. We do
not know, however, whether the sarant of North
ampton will be able to establish patent right to the
paternity of this sublime absurdty, for the Spring
ID al,
veopes the same idea. Writing in the same strain
of apology, upon the same subject with its North
ampton brother, it says:
''The papers have been pushed with no thorough
ness
Now push is an act that pre-supposes pusher
and something pushed. 1t requires effort to push
anything, and the force of push must exceed the
ris inertia of what is pushed before the latter can
be moved; but nobody but the 'sHampshire Ga
zette" and Springfield Republican, . so far as we
know, has ever supposed that the thing so pushed
moved by its own voluntary, spontaneous voliton.
From this paragraph, therefore, in the Spring
field Republican,, which evidently regrets that pro
pulson has not been put enough in requisition II
overcome the negative forces which operate in mem
minds to the contravention of Daniels nomination
and to induce spontaneous willingness, SO to nomi
nate him, we infer that the learned editors of tn
two presses in question, may dispute concerning th
new discovery in dynamics, although they are til
very "Orestes and Pylades'' of politics.
But, we think, we know celebrated persona %
who has still prior claim to this sublime conceptic
of pushed effort to produce spontaneitq. Ourreade
will remember the old soldier in "Gil Blas.'' T
went to the wars, was wounded, and came back
crutches. Nobody in the Wall streets and Sta
streets Of Madrid or santaline, thought about givi
him dotaton, so that this dislnterested defender
his country's constitution, though sold and bach
lor, was likely TO starve. But he hit upon the {
pedient of producing spontaneous benefactions;
betook himself to lonely place, where benevolt
people sometimes passed, and with his loaded c;
bine laid across his crutch, and the fore-fnger
his tight hand upon the trigger, he held out his
hand and modesty besought aims. The effect "
magical, the spontaneous benevoence of the pass
5yswas wonderful, for every one gave him pas
and blessing 1t is from this philosophical ,
campagner, therefore, that those rivals in philolo
and rhetoric, the "Gazette and Republican wor
steal the ''hunder;'' but we would advise them
TO do 50 unless they take the carbine also
would certainly be nobler of the Hunkers to 90 q
to the highways, with Colts revoIvers in their han
10 obtain voluntary signatures to their spontaneo
call, than to threaten workmen, coerce store clerL
and caJole unsuspecting porters But who after a
believes that even the most extensive efforts al
hardest pushing will squeeze Daniel Webster in
the presidential chpr! We should as soon expe
to see justice honestly administered in certa
United States District Court under the presidence
certain judge with an alleged yioator of the Fug
tive Slave Law before him for trial.
~ The Vermont Wing State Convention on We