Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-07-04

these scenes q slave-hunter from w sl" eP
pears, and the disgusting rites begin by "hieh
a fellow man is to be doomed to nonaage'-
Sir. ran YOU wonder that the people were
r,oycd Who can be wise, amazed, temper
ATE. and furious, loyal and neutral, in mo-
ments No man. . 80
II i true that the slave act was with dif1-
Guilty executed. and that one of Its servants
perished in the effort On these grounds the
Se,sfor from Tennessee charges Boston with
sanatieisIn. express no opinion of the con-
dnet az :ndividuals; hut | do say, that the
fsnsticism which the Senator condemns is not
new in Boston. 1t is the same which opposed
the execution Of the Stamp Act, and finally
secured its repeal. 1t is the same which OPP
posed the Tea Tax. 1t is the tanateism which
tr;umnhed on Bunker Hill. The Senator gays
tbsf Roston i filed with traitors. That charge
Is NOT new. Boston of old, was the home OF
Hancock and Adams. Her traitors now are
those who are truly animated by the spirit Of
the American Revolution. In condemning
them, in condemning Massachusetts, in con-
demning these remonstrants, you simply give
q proper conclusion TO the utterance on this
Aoor that the declaration of Independence is
"a self-evident lie.
Here might leave the imputations on Mas
sachusetts. But the case is stronger yet.
have referred to the Stamp Act. The parallel
is ofsuch aptness and importance, that, though
on former occasion l presented it tc the
Senate. | cannot forbear from pressing it
again. As the precise character of this act
nav not be familiar, allow me to remind the
Senate, that it was an attempt to draw money
fro n the Colonies through stamp tax, while
the determination OF certain questions of for
fs;ture under the statute was delegated, not
to the courts of common law, but to courts of
sol Nv at
was denounced in the Colonies at once on its
passage, ae 'trary to the British Constitu-
ton on 70 o. lcipal grounds, identical in
characte with ne two chief grounds on which
the slave a aow declared to be unconstitu-
tional; first, as an assumption by Parliament
of powers not belonging to it, and an intrac-
ton of rights secured to the Colonies; and
secondly. as a denial of trial by jury in certain
cases of property. On these grounds the
Stamp Act was held to be an outrage.
The Colonies were aroused against it. Vir-
ginia first declared herself BY solemn resolu-
tons, which the timid thought Unreasonable
yes, sir, Unreasonable" even as that word is
now applied to recent manifestations of opin-
ion in Boston. But these Unreasonable re-
solutions soon found response. New York
followed. Massachusetts, came next. In an
address from the Legislature to the Governor,
the true ground of opposition to the Stamp
Act, coincident with the two radical objections
to the Slave Act, are clearly set forth, with
the following pregnant conclusion
We deeply regret that the Parliament has seen 1T to
pass such the Stamp Act; fatter ourselves
that the harlshps of it viii shortly appear them in
such light shau induce them in their wisdom to
peal IT, the mean time, must beg yoEr Ercetiea
ey to crease from doing anything 10 assist in the
execution Of hsM-
The stamp Act was welcomed in the Colo
MES, BIZ the Tories OF that day, precisely as the
u constitutional Slave Act has been welcomed
by imperious numbers among us. Hutchln-
son, at that time Lieutenant Governor and
judge in Massachusetts, wrote 70 Ministers IN
England
1.-THE Stamp Act IS recsived With mach das=ncE as
could be expected. It leaves DO E5sm 70. sT4a, and
viii execute ilsslfs
Like the Judges Of orr day, il charges 70
grand iuries he resolutely INDICATED TIE ACT,
and admonished " the jurors and the people
to obey. Like Governors IN our day, Bar
nard, IN his speech to the legislature q Mas
sachusetts, demanded unressoulng subuls-
sion. Il shall not" says tins British G1r-
ernor, - enter into any disg uistion os the POI
icy of this act. I have oaly 10 ssy Il Is III
act Of the Pari4a.eat OF Great Britain -
Like marshals Of our day, the oEzeH-s Of the
customs are recorded as having made q apIsli-
eaton fer military foree 70 ASST them ii The
execution Of their duty." TIE elaborate an
swer OF Massachusetts-z paper which Is one
of the corner stones Of or history -drHwn
by Samuel Adams, was pronounced ''the ruy-
ings Of parcel Of wild eathus Ests. even as
recent proceedings in Bosspn, resulting II TINS
memorial before YOU, have been characterized
on this floor. Was / not right IN ndauoing
this parallel:
The country was azDszse2 against tie exc
cution of the act. Aud here Boston 1oDk the
lead. In formal instructions 10 her rspresen
tatives, adopted unanimously IN town meet
Ing, at Faneuil Hall, the following rule Of
conduct was prescribed:
We therefore, think our indlspensase duty 10 jus
tice 10 ourselves ami postsrity, n u uaaousled
privilege, he open aud unreserY b1t deosi d
rsspectfli terms 70 declare greatest Dissatisfaction
VITA tIis lax And think Il neanbsnt np19 ys1, by
% jin 10 any public ier commanding
snI assisting in the execution d the But V
your bssl eaFors, Ia the Gsz Assembly have the
inherent naeaabie rights 81 The people u this progiDes
asssted and yndc4ssd, and ei the public record,
Il pJseriy may have charge the pres-
eat tnss win the guilt Of tamely giging them awayn
The opposition spread and deepened and
one Of its natural tendencies was to outbreak
aud violence. On one occasion, in Boston, it
showed itself in the violence Of mob, of
most formidable character, even as is now
charged. Liberty, in her struggles, is too Of
ten driven 10 force. But the town, at a pub
lie meeting in Faneuil Hall, called without
delay, on the motion of the opponents OF the
M6tamp Act, with James OTIS as chairman.
condemned the outrage. Eager in hostility
to the act, Boston cherished municipal order,
aud constantly discountenanced all tumult,
violence, and Illegal proceedings. On these
two grounds she then stood, and her position
was widely recognized. In reply, March 81,
1875, to an address from the inhabitants Of
Plymouth, her own consciousness of duty
done is thus expressed:
"I the inhabitants Boston have taken the legal and
zDarrantabe measures to pyeUent that misfoFtRe Of
Others the most TO be dreaded the execution OF the
Stamp Act, aud necessary Of preventing it.,
have made any spirited applications for opening the
tom-houses and Of justice; IT, at the time,
they haze borne their testimony against Outrageous
tuDlKts and illegal proceedings aud given any exam
pie Of the love of peace and gooi ORDER the
sci0us having their duty the satisfaction Of
meeting with the appreciation Of any of their fellow
trymen-n
Thus was the Stamp Act annulled, even be-
fore It's actual repeal, which was pressed with
assiduity. by petition and remonstrance, on
the next meeting Of Parliament Among the
potent influences was the entire concurrence
OF the merchants. and especially remon-
STRANGE against--the Stamp Act by the mer-
chants Of New York-likc that now made
against the Slave Act by the merchants of
Boston. Some asked at first only for its mod
ifcation. Even James Otis began with this
moderate desire. The King himself showed a
disposition 70 yield to this extent. But Frank
lin, who was then in England, when asked
whether the Colonies would submit to the act,
If mitigated in certain particulars, replied
" No, never, unless compelled BY force of