The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-24
An Apology to the People OF Boston
by Authority.

A Apology to The People Of Boston
BY Authority.
The following remarkable correspondence has
taken place between the Secretary Of State and
his we'll beloved brethren Of Boston--in which
formal aud ample apology is rendered to the
citizens Of that most loyal region BY Authority.
When the unpleasant incident occurred there,
the President was very much surprised and quite
incredulous and 90 was the Secretary When the
proofs were conclusive that the outrage had
been committed, the President was mortified and
shocked, but still doubting-and his Proclama-
ton concerning the affair, contained more praise
than blame of Boston, and was filled with as
surances Of most distinguished consideration"
A more complimentary reproof it never has
been our fortune TO hear or read of--and the
only opposite illustration of the proceeding was
the vcarious punishment inflicted by Sancho
Panza on the young saplings, in lieu of his own
shoulders.
But though that harmless Proclamation could
not wound the most shrinking sensibty of any
nhabitant of Boston, the President seizes the
first opportunity of making the amende to the
citizens of Boston for even having performed the
ceremony of insinuating suspicion against
their order-loying, law-abiding, Constitution-re.
gard'ng habits and proclvities--and the Secre-
tary is forthwith commissioned to
Smooth the raven down Of darkness till it smile
The passage of n series of resolutions by the
common council is made the pretext, and the ex-
position ofthe feelings of the President and Ad
ministration is worthy Of the Great Expounder
If the people of Boston will not forgive the
twain now, they must be the most unreasonable
of human beings If they do not repeat the ex-
pertinent which has drawn forth such culogium,
they must be the most unselfsh Of mortas. A
general plan of pacification must certainly have
been set on foot: to coax the North and bully the
South, is the short and easy method and on the
principle ofthe pedagogue, who always preserved
good order in school, by hogging the small boys,
and iercely when the larger ones were riotous.
Hence we see the olive branch held out to the
Fish-y faction in New York, in the organs
Hence we behold the conservative principles of
the new senator from Ohio, lauded so raptu-
rously Hence we witness this finale to the pro-
clamaton farce-this save applied to the bleed
ing wounds of Boston sensibility. Taking n
Southern observation, we see the reverse of the
medal, in the outrage perpetrated against the
people of Mississippi and the sovereignty of q
State, in the person of Governor QuIrMAN, on
pretexts too frivolous to support even trial as
also in the threats freely INDUCED in by the
friends and organs of the Administration, re-
garding the secession of sovereign State.--
Strong as was the contrast instituted by JET
PERSON DAVIS between the treatment of Boston
and Mississippi, the disparity is still more strk-
ing now, under this new phase Of the matter
which would be the proper theme of ridicule.
only were, it not suggestive of melancholy re-
Elections, such an unerring indication of the in.
fluences and the policy which control the Ex-
&c tive.
That the statement Of the circumstances at
tending the rescue, seemed to the President "too
| improbable to be true" and such as it was
uIuCuit AuL 'Iltu W ciVuit, PiONco CltuSI tbut
the President is very il-informed as to the his
| tory of Massachusetts-or that his Secretary has
failed to inform him to the fact, dou btless
familiar to bis recollection, viz that twice be-
| Of rescue of fugitive slaves took place in Bos-
ton under similar circumstances, with this differ
ence, only that the mob was larger and the Ex-
executive did not apologize to the people Of Bos-
ton, and make these outrages the theme for flat
tering comments, and warm approval Of the cit
liens who connived at, if they did not openly
countenance them.
As Mr.. JOSIAH QUINCY, SEN, stated in his let
ter, those t,oo cases were the only attempts ever
made in Boston, to reclaim fugitives from labor
and service under the constitutional provision
and these coupled with the Crafts and Shad-
rach cases, certainly give strong reason TO the
President, for his assurance, that no other sim
liar outrage will be permitted to take place in
that city"
The assurance" of this proposition, no one
can deny-but the whole proceeding only makes
assurance doubly sure" in the minds of those
who declared the original Proclamation TO be
a sham and show, and intended only to make
capital for Southern submssionists.
The resolutions of the city council we pub
lished at the time of their passage. The re-
spouse of the President, through his Secretary
of State, transmitted by telegraph to several of
the papers, is as follows. The italics arc our
own:l
by Telegraph
BosTos, Friday. March 81
THE LATE RESCUE IN BosroN-LETTER FROM
Hon. DANIEL WEBsTER.--The following letter
has been received from Hon. Daniel Webster,
in reply to the resolutions of the city govern
ment relative to the late slave in this city.
WASHINGTON, March 10th, 1851.
Hon. John p Bigeio,o, Mayor of Boston:
Srn-The President has had the pleasure to
receive your letter Of the Goth of February, en-
closing official copies Of the order and resolves