The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-09-15
From the Springfield Republican.
A Cape Cod Dinner speech.

nivcrsary dinner of the Cape Cod Association.
The Old Colony Magnates and cur unrivalled
chow,!crs had the feast of reason and flow of
SOUL" but to this entertainment none contribu-
ted more happily than-JosiAH Quincy, who
said:
Mr.. President, the gentlemen Who have pre-
ccded me-. have said they were not descended
from the fathers of Cape Cod. Neither am l.
but am proud to say am, what is great
deal better-I am descended from the mothers
of Cape Cod Loud applause) His honor,
the Chief Justice here, has raised point Of
law as to the rights of persons here. Now,
happen to be exactly in this position. have a
decision OF the Supreme Court--not of MasSa-
chusetts Bay-givcn hundred and thirty years
ago, which proves my right to be here. 1t so
happened that a hundred and thirty years ago
the gentleman who held the Office of Chief JUS
er he was judge of the law | know not ; but
he was judge of what is far better-he was a
judge of the ladies. Uaughter) Being Chief
Jus ice, he came down here to hold court in
this part of the world, and l suppose, like his
EXcellency the Governor having no criminal
OF civil business to d. he looked after the
young ladies. (Renewed merrimcnt.) The
result was land this is literal flct that when
he got home to Braintrec-tlulncy that now is
he called his son Josiah to him and advised
him to go straightway down to Yarmouth and
inquire for the house of one John Sturgis, and
to make himself as agreeable as he could to
Miss Hannah Sturgis, who was there. Well,
my ancestor was, like his descendants, very
dutlful son, particularly when his father told
him to go and see the girls. Great Laughter.)
So down he came to Yarmouth. Whether he
succeeded in the object of his mission or not, |
Will not say but l have the honor of address
ing you at this time. daughter and loud
chccrs)
There were no rcvolters at decisions in those
times, and consequently the reports are not ex-
tant; and | believe that this is the only case of
adjudication by my ancestor, the report of
which has been preserved. We have Chief
Justice here, and it occurs to me that | would
like to PROFOUND a question to his Honor
My ancestor the Chief Justice one hundred
and thirty years ago, decided that if man
wanted Il good wife, he had better come down
to Cape Cod. | had some thought of asking
the present Chief Justice, whether, if that
question was brought before him for his decis-
ion, he would override the decision of my an
cestor?
Chief Justice Shawl have given the same
opinion myself
Mr.. Quincy-Thc Chief Justice has not only
given similar opinion but as acts speak loud
cr than words, he has gone and done it. loud
cheers.)
Therefore, Mr.. President great many very
pleasant associations are always connected with
these meetings and we have heard great deal
about the advantages and pleasures of Railway
communication as aifordng facilities for these
pleasant gatherings. There is, however, one
great objection to Railroads, they make all
people alike. We all become as though we
were ground in one mill and when one now
comes down to the Cape or to Nantucket, he
meets very much the same sort of people as he
would if he had remained in Boston. 1t so
honor, with his EXceency the Governor, of
being aid-de-camp to Gov. Lincoln, and the first
duty he imposed was to 60 down and review
the troops at Nantucket. l assure you it was
Il most delightful duty. Our principal bust
ness was to establish friendship with the
pretty Quakeresses upon that island They had
one charm about them that never met with
since. At that day, before we had attained to
higher titles, we were rather proud of being
called " Colonel but they had a much pref
tier fashion. l was introduced to charming
young Quakeress, and she called me by very
beautiful name-she called me "JOsiah." =
(Laughter)
Now suppose great many of you, partic
ularly the young ladies who read modern nov
els, would think Josiah was not very roman
tic name, but | assure you it sounds very well
from the lips of beautiful young lady Be
sides that, although in modern novels and rO-
mances it seems to be rather neglected, still,
those stern old fathers who landed on these
then bleak shores, knew what name to COM
mend and Oh the first page Of their catechism
you read
"Hezekias Moses and Josias,
All were pious.'
(laughter) And | would like to know of
what other romantic names so much can be
said.
1t so happened, after we had been some time
at Nantucket, having exhausted all excuses
for delay, we were on the eve of departure at
last. When we were together in the evening,
we were expressing our regrets that the wind
was fair, and that we should ccrthinly have to
go on the morrow, an old Quaker said to me
eff thou really wishest to remain, and can
persuade any young maiden to put black cat
under tub, you will have a head wind in the
morning We had of course, great desire
to try so philosophical an experiment, and we
besought all the young ladies, if they were
"seized and possessed of a black cat, to try
the experiment in our favor. There was, how
ever, one great difficulty. They had all been
smOthered under tubs, or else had emgrated to
avoid that fate. At last one young lady de-
clared that she was "seizcd and possessed not
exactly of black cat but of black kitten ;
aad as she thought its size would better repre-
sent the interest she had in OBTAINING US than
full grown cat she supposed it might answer.
Willing that the experiment should be tried,
but without much faith as to the result, with
only kitten, we took our leave. The next
morning we rose early, and the wind was dead
ahead, ilauChtprl and for three days there. IT