The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-10-24
LETTER OF NOV. ROBERT Q. WINTHROP.

order to promote some grand result connected with hui
liberty Let look at the new party for single
moment in this particular light and what claims u ha
to confidence.
Beyond all doubt great and greyous wrong was per-
petrated by the passage Of the Nebraska bill united
with Others in protesting against IL at the outset and
have words of palliaon apology for il now IL was
an act OF character to put toys Of desperation INTO
all our brains TO tempt for the moment to break rom
all old relations and plunge into any policy which
might hold out deusve hope of redress But
sober second thought may lead inquire what more
the wings of Massachusetts do that subject than
they have done aready2 Their representatives opposed
it every stage OF its progress by argument and by vote
while the very men who camoring most loudly
for their aid and alliance manifested their appreciation OF
such fidelity by lying in wait to undermine and overthrow
them at the earliest moment
And how happens it, by the way, that Mr. Wilson and
his compeers have reserved their zeal for the paramount
issue late day. They tell that the whig reso
lutons Of last year superatvely excellent and
they tired Of rehearsing them with ecstasy at
all their own meetings Why did they not recognise
their goodness little earlier? Why did they give
them honest support at the time they passed and
help TO re-elect those who had been to them2 Why
not my old friend Julius Rockwell, who is fit TO
be their governor fit then TO be their SENATOR He bad
just returned home from faithful support of every
northern rght and yet instead of ralying 10 support
him, they united to suppsn him and strike him down in
the dark, and with him all the other wing representa-
tiyes who had stood firmly at his side. That the
greatest blow the honest Of freedom il has
received in this Commonwealth; and we where it
came from; see by whom ii dealt, and for what
end You would not have heard word in favor of this
fusion project from that if certain had been
still of office. Did vote against the fugitive law
against the Nebraska bill-dd the Incorporating
| fidelity 10 the paramount issue satisfy them
while their ambition unqualified But that
they fairly unfairly seated in the Senate the
House, they quite willing TO fortify themselves in
their position by drawing around them the very gentle
men whom they have ousted, and of these gentle
men polite enough to fall in at the word Of com
mand.
! And this brings to my principal objection TO the
new party--and that is its eminent adaptation defeat
the very ends at which it proessedIy aims. am Of
those who believe that the Llraism and recessness of
of these old reesoil leaders, who calling
the whole people sustain them in the Offices which
they have gained by every degree of indrecon and in
decency have been the occasion of few Of those very
aggressons which they vocerous in condemning,
and destined 10 be the occasion Of still ones,
they be encouraged and strengthened in their IA
natcai No class of men in the country either
northern southern, have in my judgment been
responsible for many of the which they have
been oudest in denouncng than your regular northern
agitaor who have last alarmed the South into idea
of the absolute necessity of strengthening herself for the
protection other domestic institutions. Sometimes
know the South has received the most direct and positive
aid from this source. Nobody doubts that Texas was
brought into the Union through the fundamentally Of
New York reesocrs, at least of whom may be found
at this among the leading republican candidates
in that State
Bnt even the Nebraska bill owed little of its
cess in my opinion to the faulty of of these ultra
men The violence which they resored, here and else
where but particularly here, in resisting the fugitive
slave law produced the impression that the North intend
ed TO keep faith any point; and when at length
this Nebraska bill introduced, handful Of them pre-
cipated themselves into the front ranks of the oppos
tion in way to drive off the only persons who could
have prevented its consummation. Laliadozen OF them
under the style of independent democrats got up fam
ing manifesto in such hot haste that it said to have
been dated on Sunday, and put it FORTH cock-a-hoor
halfsigned the utter discontinue OF all who hoped to
prevent the bill from passing They usnrped lead which
belonged to Others and gave odor of abolition TO the
whole movement From the moment read that il-ad-
vised paper depared of seeing that southern oppos
ton to the measure which under other circumstances
flIv and firmly believe we should have obtained. My
worthy friend Mr. Eliot of New Bedford called this pro-
test in late Speech the first unmaskng of the plot
No it was the first unmaskng of batteries, and
that before they manned ready for action and
upon those who adopted this rash policy not little of the
responsibility for the result must justly fall We read of
Young Spartan officer who punished for rushing pre-
maturey and unarmed upon the enemy although he
paned victory What shall be said of those who perled
and lost this momentous stake by their unwise and reck
less precpitancyf
1t is not enough considered that the real retardcrs Of
any often found among those who claim
np 10 be its leaders Has it not been in the of
teperance? Have not excessive zeal and blind onedea
ism led at last to the enactment of laws which have
aed general reaction and put back the of tempe
rance we know not far Just has it been and will
it be again with those urass in the Of freedom.
For one never witness of their violent spasmodc
apitaon about slavery the North without looking to
South Our northern fusion phaanxes, indeed in the
present instance be taking up the line of march
after the mischief is accomplished ] Of
our militia companies before the day of such prompt dis
cipnarans as Gen. Edmands and Col Chickorng) turn
ing out after had been successfully carried through
and paradinq the if in celebration of the
cess of the mob. We had grand rising about Texas,
are to have grand rally about the repeal Of the Missouri
restriction after is hopelessy accomplished and, while
we are thus engaged the South will be looking about them
for some fresh chances of terrifying their institutions Our
ultraists will have succeeded in nothing but in alarming
them aresh into feeling that deences must be
secured They viii have alena,ed and disguised all the
moderate aud reasonable among them and among
selves and with the aid Of the democracy, fresh
nexation Of new territory other repeal if any
thing remains be repealed of the restrictions upon old
territory will be successfully attempted Geographical
partes will have been arrayed against each other and
thus the action and reaction Of ursn nj both ends OF