The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-27

GREAT eist h. II was agitation from
which the revolution sprung into be-
inc n was "A 81 that gave birth to the Amer
lean Constitazien " is the life-blOod Of every
thing that we have that is valuable; and when
agitation ceases ali thst there is in our institu-
tons that is worth having withers under the fGtid
Civilizations that spring up from that putrefaction
and stagnntion that must ensue when tho hfe-
giving element Of agitation is withdrawn. No,
sir glory in the name of "agitator" wish the
country may be agitated vastly moro than 1t is.
The great fault OF the times is that there is not
hnlf enough of it. The people are nseep many
Of them, and they require agitation; and nobody
hut those who are hugging these errors--Vitai er-
rors-have anything TO fear from that life-giving |
element which alone impaired healing virtues,
20 the pool that lay before the beautiful gate OF
the Temple at Jerusalem, into which nobody |
could step and be healed until the angel fret came
down sud agtated the waters
Mr. Foote After all that has been said do |
not deem il proper to occupy the attention OF the
Senate very long; but, as portion OF the remarks
of the Senator from New Hampshire have not
been responded TO- deem it expedient to give
them slight, passing notice. The honorable
Seuator rrcclaims what il was not necessary for
him to have prooltimed-for all the world knows
1T that he ~ an agitatorn fle says he glories
ia the title Of ian agitatorn and his manner at
the time WAS 20 marked with exultation that no
Que could doubt the sincerity of the declaration
'Ghere is one thing however, about his adoption
nf the agitating vocation that we did not know
before, though some perchance, had suspected it
thai the honorable gentleman from New Harp
shire instead Of initiating any Of the great models
Of rhetorical splcudor this side of the Atlantic,
J had singled out MIR o Connell as his model in
his1slino Of popular agitation lie tells us, IN
Sct, this morning, pretty plainly that he IL The
disciple Of Mr. UCouncll aud that he - cnteav-
Sta Ibot la rl0
tbo title affixed 10 HIM upon which OConnen
shed such extraordinary glory ! leave him TO
All the satisfaction which he can possibly derive
from Initiating such a model, and IN such
style OF imitation, too!
The gentleman tel. ny he is " an agitatOr" IL
wa moi necessary ! say again. that he shonld
have made this known 10 us. We knew him to
Iean q,,latcr before, by m1ny and unmstakea-
bic tokens, but we had hoped, from his having
ae,ne6ncd himself during the present session OF |
Congress with much greater quctude and gen |
ucucss than formerly, th1 be shai to some eHteet
come 10 he conclusion that The business OF sglta-
ZION WA for him, rather m Improbable one,
md tEat a. would be decidedly better for man
6f gcniusSs}- 2xz.r-3G qsL/ ~ l,2tle iatelle@a2l
promise ID rurspe n different vocation altogether
Put il seems that We were mistaken in tbis. IL |
,rem. that he II rpsulutciy determined 10 sgltNte
hereafter o. heretofore for he says that agitation
ia about the Inoal useful and glorious occupation
that can possibly DO exercised, in connection wish
All those matters which concern the dignity and
welfare OF man on earth. / think, indeed, that
he has almost intimated 10 that the Saviour OF
tle world was nm agitator although am certainly
OF opinion that there was n mildness and mOdera-
ti0n zodlike dignity and majestic serenity about |
him which as little COmp0red wth the violence |
and decamatory ferccness OF the reRl acit 'tor Of
TITS poor world Of ours ~ can well be conceived
Of According to my poor Judgment, there was
but little Of tSe true spirit Of agitation IN his no
Ole Sermon upon the Mount hat placid dignity,
gentle and aifectonnte ycrsua5ivencss, which
ono Of your fierce and numbering agit,tors would
lind il difficult either 90 undeTsimd or 10 Initiate
beg the Senator from New Hampshire to reNd
The Scriptures g lit;lc moro atteniivcly, and 10
.,ot upon the pure models Of geaune henevoence !
and spcsto!ic wisdom and think that ho will be
no longer known 81 an agtaior
Bet Il seems that tho gentlemen cannot restrain |
Tint disposition to pritato which is native to him
Wall air, We 10 veil know that there il a GLASS of
men who have been more or less known in oil
oyes Of tho world who seem TO be 30 organized by
Nature as 10 makeit their inevitable destiny to
soak rather 70 be propagator9 Of dscord and stir
rers-up OF srifa than uphodcrs Of quiet and main
SaineTs of order; who are always seeking TO con-
vulse ant dieturh the society with which they
stand connected Instead of endoayoring to propa-
gate psaoa and n dGnso the calm and kindly
sentiments Of true brotherhood ON earth who in
fact sre awsya most unhappy il they cannot in
yOlys everybody else in trouble and confusion.
Those rersons nre fccitously described by the
pcot who thus writes
o. Int Qui.t 70 quioA bosorss isatrn,
AMI there hath bean tBy bans; there Is the
ana motion Of tho soul which will not dwell
Tu 's own being, but aspire
Issyond the ALtins medium of desire, |
IN 4 hut Onas kiudled, quenchsss eyGrnore,
Prsy' upon high adventure, nor oan tire
Ofausht but rssi-A fever at ths core,
FataL to him who bsars, 70 all who ever bore.
This makes the pairrsn who have made men mad
BY their oo,.fogion Conquefors aud Kings,
Founders n sscts AVID systems, to whom add
SopkiIfS, Baras, sItss1lsr, all unluie things
Whicb stir boa strongly the souls secret springs
Mud ara themselves the fails to those they fooy
Ruy'ed YET how UnenylablG! what stlngs
Are thine One breast lIai opsr uerca ,clooi
UAilh ipJuid ursaeG EIqHSiHd The lad Ia slime o. 3Hc
Tadr draatA "a AsTATIoS, and theirIlfo
Whsoon they ride, % s.nk al iasA
hui. II 80 uurssd aud blgotsd to strife,
That thoui their days, surviving prrs past
Melt to oslm twilight, they feel overcast
Wih sorrow and supineness, and 50 die;
Eysn $50 aamo un!ol, which to waste
With ito own nickering, OF a sword laid by
IVh'eh sai' INTO a'of dHd 'u,G ,ag oriousiy"
But | rose fora much graver purpose The |
honorable Senator from New Hampshire has |
thought proper to speak of this particular law as |
operating differently in different States Of the |
Union. think there IL but little foundation for |
what tho honorable Senator hns said upon this |
point. Bat lnasmuch M no has singled out a
particular case which has recently occurred In |
the city Of Boston, concerning which happen to
know something, feel bound TO make the expa- |
nation which am about TO give 80 that what fell |
rom the Senator's lips IEny not have that niuri-
ous and mlshieyOus effect which il would be other
wise calculated 10 produce
The Senator has told us what has recently |
happened in tho city OF Boston although have |
seen telegvsphiC communication, which WAS for |
Tarjed to the Secretary of State which harmon
i1os IN NIL substantial particulars with the state
weut found IA the New York Herald this morn |
lng. All the members of this body may not DO |
aware that what the Senator has stated is actual |
y true, and that M armed mob of about two |
thousand blsck men hsye actually broken into |
room where there wGs an alleged fugitive slave In
state or confinement, under the caro- OF mns- |
terial 6ihoers Of the court aud have violently |
rescued hin under circumstances Of great aggra- |
Vsilpn, ohd removed him. 30 that, | presume, he |
has been by this tno carried off in trinmph TO |
tho British domiuions II is n most astounding |
circumstances, and regret that the honorable
Senator has referred to il but being m agitator
! suppose he thought IL his duty To do IT, | feel |
bound 10 ray, though 40 not speak specially by
authority that deemed IL important 10 have re-
course 10 the proper source for information ~ TO
what was likely 10 be the action OF this Govern
ment upon the subject aud, without being au-
thOrized, | say again. 10 speak for the Govern |
Yncnt specially In regard 10 this matter, | feel |
bound t0 give this formal assurance, that the |
Government will without any hesitation do i,s |
duty and ito whole duty in unfolding aud on
forcing, tho Constitution and laws and TINT this |