New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-31
JOSIAH QUINCY on THE PRESENT
CRISIS.
From The Boston TrGnseript.

From The Boston Transcript
The following letter sent to the presiding officer Of
the Unitarian Festival by the venerable Jos ah QuB-
cy, cen, now in the eghtym year Of his age, viii be
read with deep interest:
LITTER or THE HON. JOSIAH QUINCY.
L. II. HoAR, EsQ.-Sir. have received your let.
Yer, inviting Inc TO attend the Unitarian Festival, and
expressing the qualification II would give you "to
"and bear on that occasion" II would give great
pleasure to comply with your request did not the very
tenor of your letter preclude me from it. perceive
that should attend speech will be expected from me.
But Sir IT would be impossible for me to utter my
without crossing the policy Of some, offending the pre-
judices Of others, and making, perhaps, the whole
company apprehend that had arrived at that peroi
of second childhood, which is sometimes incdentt to old
age:
Ny mind ID in state to receive pleasure from social
scenes and friendly intercourse. lean think speak
Of nothing but of the outrages Of Shareholders at
Kansas, and the ourages of shareholders at Washing
tOn-outIages which, II not met in the spirit Of our
fathers Of the Revolution land sign that they
will bel, liberties but a name and our Union
proves curse These ourages constitute series of
nquitOusy contrvtd wcllcOnnected, compact tissues,
Of which
The Fugitive Slave law was the first;
The repeal of the Missouri Compromise the second
The invasion of Kansas and the taking the ballot
boxes by storm, by mob Of Shareholders, the third
The encouragement of this sscregious fordy
against the right Of free suffrage, and the ultimate
support of if by the National Executive and military
arm, the fourth;
The hostile Eruption Of two Members of Congress
into the Senate Chamber Of the United States openly
armed with deadly bludgeOns and probably secretly,
according to the habits of their breed with bowie
knives and revove, and there prosrang on the floor
with their bludgeons Senator of the United States
sitting peaceably in bis seat, Unconscious Of danger,
and from his position Incapable of defense, inctiug
upon him blows, until he sunk, senseless, under them
want Of malignant intent In the wardly assassns-
and all this for words publicly spoken in the Senate in
the course of debate allowed by its presiding officer
10 be spoken and exceeding not hdir 6readh any
line Of truth duty. This is the fifth and the climax
of this series Of outraRes unparalleled nefarous and
brutal.
Such are the facts---such the outrages-a series
of them, which ought to ling through every city and
feld, through every palace and cottage of the FREQ
States-whch ought to fly, like the fiery the
higbsnds of Scotland over the mountains and through
the valleys of the Free States, startling the sleeping,
rousng the thoughtess uniting the free clans and
kndling whatever gmmerng spark yet remains Of
the feeling and spirit which In former times entitled the
inhabitants of the Free States Ia the character Of pat
riots and fearless, far-seeing statesmen. But alas
Sir see no principle Of vitality in what is called
Freedom in these times see divisions enough, and
parties enough; every uhim setting up for Itself
and calling and expecting all the rest of the world to
follow in it's train. But Of thoughtful concentrated,
determined principle of united action, suited to the
OCCASION which, spurning the deere of ace and the
hope of emolumeDt and the hank erng for Office and
adjusted solely for the advance OF public good and
general welfare see nothing. The palsy Of death
rests the spirit Of Freedom in the so-caed Free
States"
In my opinion, it is time to speak the house.top
what every who is worthy of the name of freeman
utters in his chamber and feels in his heart BY
ries of corruption, intrigue and cunning, bribing the
HIGH by appointments of State tho low by the hope Of
eIouments; playing between the parties of the Free
States and counteracting by the other by hater-
ing the vain, paying the mean, and rewarding the
subseryient the shareholders have in the of so
years usurpcd the whole constitutional powers of the
Union, have possessed themselves of the Executive
chair Of the halls of Congress, Of the national courts
hone to the spirit of Freedom in the Free States. but
public speech in the Legislature and the balot-oox'
The one a sfaveholders mob is crushing in kan.as,
tbe other deputaton from the shareholders OF the
House of Representatives have attempted to crush by
a Shareholders bludgeOn.
NV heat is too full. II should pour forth all that
lie in it, both paper and time would fail me- ,,,,cv
Truly, 1 am yours, JoslAh SCiNoi'
ov;ncs NAV n. 1855