The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-09-22
Mr.. Sumner on Backbones.

Senator Sumner is an eloquent man and
his speech on Wednesday at tho Worcester
Convention, which will be found in another
part OF this mornings Times, is an eloquent
speech. Upon some point, connected with
the relations Of the General Government TO
Slavery. il goes iurthcr than We can but
its leadiug sentiments are just, aud II. spir.
aud temper are such as the times demand.
1t is manly, bold, energetic and pratich. ID
The most eloquent sentence in this speech
= because il is the truest,- is that in which
Mr.. Sumner declares that there are three
things needed to enable the Free States to
resist the inccssant aggressions Of Slavery:
that the first is backbone - the aecond
backbone, and the third BACKBONE. Trucr
word was never spoken. The saying ~
Demosthenes that IL three essentials Of el.
oquence were acting, acting, AcTING, was
not whit more true. Backbone is the one
thing needful to the Free States, in their
struggle against the steady, menacing On.
croachments Of Slavery. IL is what they
must have, and il is also what as yet they
have not got. Their weakness, their con-
slant defeat, their ignoble prostration under
the assaults OF the Slave power, are all due
to the luct that they do not stnnd up firmly
to their rights that they lack the courage,
and the high.toned resolution which are in.
dispcnsablc in such a contest.
Everybody knows that the strength OF llc
Slave interest lies in the steady, indomitable
determination oil its champions. Its leading
representatives in Congress are men of pluck.
They take their stand with resolution not
to DO driven from IL. They practice on their
opponents all the arts of u bold and energetic
warfare. They shrink irum no responsible,
ity (; they spare no menace. il they canno,
coax or convince, they alarm and cUcrcc.-
As II general thing the Northern members
have always ehenwa to them. Some Of
them have been reached by hattery, by
promises, by gilded bats thrown out to their
cupidity or their ambition. Others have
been alarmed by fears Tor place. for their
own social position, or for the Union. by
whatever means will answer their purposes
best, the compact, the rcsolute, welldrillcd
phalanx OF slavery has always managed to .
divide and subdue the representatives Of
freedom. They have succeeded either ia
making them break or bend. And it has
been simply for lack Of BACKBONE. ...
The next Congress ought to contain Back.
bones enough from the Free States to give
strength and impregnablo fortitude to tho
cause Of freedom. Not that much actual
legislation will be desirable, or feasible, on
the su9ject OF slavery. II Is not this which
the country needs just at present But 1t
does need such manifest, clear and unnis'
taxable exhibition Of frinnes,, On tho part
Of the FREE States, in defence oil their own
rights as has not been since the days Of
John Quincy Adams. We need men there,
too sharp to be mislcd, too honest to 10
bought, and too bold to be bullied, ..s
We wish,ha the prospeci OF getting such
men wis better than it seems. The spirit
OF the people is such as ought to insure US
against any others But, as always happens
in such cases, paltry, personal ambitious
have seized the occasiOn for their own i'd
vancenent. The agitation Of the public
mind has brought to the surface, us candi.
dates for Office, horde Of small, selfish, We.
nal politicians, without character or position,
and as guiltless Of bdekbOnes as the slilniest
worm that serves the angler for bait. We
have some hope that a higher order of the.
animate creation may yet be offered Tor the
popular suiIragc.-Nas York Times. ,