Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-11-07
SPEECH OF
Hon. CHARLES ALLEN,

Gentlemen
feel that it is quite superAuous for me to adj
dress you this evening. understand that seve-
raj very distinguished citizens of the Common
wealth, the President of the Convention, and the
late Governor of the Commonwealth, among the
number, with whom the whole subject of the re.
yised Constitution is exceedingly familiar, and
who are able to present it in the most satsfacto-
ry manner, have addressed YOU at length upon
all the topics which the subjects of considera-
ton this evening. You have not only been ia
Fored with the views OF these gentlemen, but you
have had an opportunity to hear the other side;
those of you who were in the hall last evening
and l trust that many OF you were here to listen
TO the remarks of the eloquent gentleman
Hon. Samuel Hoar, who occupied the attention
of the audience for the space OF some two hours
and also to the views, in 1885, of that other dis
tinguished gentleman [Goy. Lincoln,l who
preceded him. You have, therefore, both,
sides of the question before you, and.I doubt not
you have carefully read the Constitution itself.
What, then, shall say to you? can but travel
over the ground, poorly enough, which others
have already passed over, and, / dare say, may
repeat arguments which have been already
urged, for have not heard them, with the ex-
cepuon of those offered by single individual,
the late President of the Convention, who in the
discharge OF his duties, well satisfied his audi.
enee. (Applause) But, it is the duty of those
who represented you at the late Convention, TO
come at your call, and to give their own views Of
the results and, il be repetition to repeat the
arguments which you have heard or which will
be most pertinent to the cues ion under conside-
ration.
1t was the duty Of the Convention to nav re.
gard to established principles, and at the same
time to adapt the amended Constitution to the
present condition of the Commonwealth. The
people expected a change; certainly they would
not have called the Convention together, II, in
their judgment no change had been needed
The emphatic vote, therefore, by which the Con-
venton was called, announced, this fact, that
there were defects in the present Constitution,
and the fact also that the people desired some
changes TO be introduced. The Convention, adj
herring to sound principles, have endeayored, at
the same tune, to modify the institutions of the
Commonwealth, and TO adapt its power Of Gov
eminent 10 the wants and to the spirit Of the
present day. While they yenerated the work Of
our fathers, and regarded worthy Of all praise
the Constitution which they adopted in 1880,
lifted as II was for the time, ennently useful az
II proved to be for long period, yet they after
wards ielt no hesitation in doing AS their fathers
did, which was, TO make change where change
might be needed. Gentlemen il "A scarcely
necessary for me to say to this audience, that he
takes very incorrect view of his relations 70 his
ancestors, who believes he must take their work
as they left it-that he must walk in all their foot
steps, that he should not advance with the i'm
prorements Of his day and age, (applause) for,
gentlemen the world has advanced heretofore,
and II is, VIC trust, to make further progress in