Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-06-12
Letter of Hon. Josiah Quincy.

E. R. HoAR, Esq SIR: have rec eive
your letter inviting me to attend the Unita
rian Festival, and expressing the grati6ca
tion it would give you. to see and hear m
on that occasion" It;vould give me grea
pleasure to comply with your request, Ii
not the very tenor Of your letter preclude m
from it. perceive that should l attend
speech will be expected from me. But, si-
it would be impossible for me 20 utter my
opinion on the subjects with which my hear
is full, without crossing the policy O.: some
offending the prejudices of others, an,
making, perhaps, the whole company appre
hend that had arrived at that period of sec
ond childhood which is sometimes inciden
10 old age.
My mind is in no state TO receive pleas
ure from social scenes and friendly inter
course. lean think OrsPeak of nothing but
of the outrages Of shareholders in Kansas
and of the outrages of shareholders at Wash
ington--outrages which, if not met in the
spirit of our fathers oil the Revolution, (and
see no sign that they will be)-our liber-
ties are but name, and our Union proves a
curse. These outrages constitute series
of iDiquitousIy contriyed, well connected
compact tissues, Of which the Fugitive Slave
Law was the first, the repeal Of tie Missouri
Compromise the second, the INVASION OF
Kansas and the taking the ballot boxes by
storm by mob Of Shareholders, the third.
The encouragement ofthis sacrilegious f0rag
against the right OF free suffrage, and the
ultimate support OF il, by the National Ex-
ecutive and military arm, the fourth. The
hostile irruption Of two members of Con-
gress in the Senate Chamber Of the United
States. armed with deadly bIudgeons, and.
probably, secretly, according TO the habits
Of their creed, W ith bowie-kniyes and revol-
vers, and there pros,ratin9 on the floor with
their bludgeons Senator Of the United
States, sitting peaceably in his seat, uncon-
scious of danger, and, from his position, in
capable Of defence, inhictng on him blows
until be sank, seDseless, under them, and
which, if they do not prove mortal, it was
not from want Of malignant intent in the
cowardly assdssins--and all this for words
publicly spoken in the Senate, in the course
of debate, allowed by the presiding officer to
be spoken, and erceeding not one hairs breadth
any line Of truth or 9uty!!! This is the
fifth, and the climax of this series of out
RACES, unparalleled, nefarious and brutal
Such are the tacis-such are the outrages,
a series of them, which ought to ring through
every city and field. through every palace
and cottage, OF the free States; which ought
to fly, like the fiery cross on the Highlands
OF Scotland. over the mountains and through
sleeping, rUusing the thouehrless, uniting
the free ciaEs, and enkindling whatever
gIimmcring sparklyet remains of the feeling
and spirit, which in former times entitled the
inhabitants OF the free States to the char
acter of patriots, and fearless, fur-seeing
statesmen. But alas! Sir, see no principle
of vitality in what is called free ION in these
times. see divisions enough, and parties
enough. | see every anAias- setting up 7tor
itself, and calling and expecting all thd rest
of the world to follow in its train. Bu; Of a
thoughtful, concentrated, determined prn-
cple of united action, united to the occasion,
which spurung the desire Of place, aud the
hope OF emolument, and the hankering for
Office. and actrated solely for the advance o.
ublic good and general welfare, | see moth
ing. The palsy of death rests on the spirit
of freedom in the so-called "free States"
In nv opinion it is time to speak on the
house-top what every man who is worthy of
the name Of freeman utters in his chamber
and feels in his heart. By series of cor
rnption, intrigue and cunning, bribing the
high BY appointments of state, the low by
the hope Of emoluments, playing between
the parties in the free States, and counter
acting one by the other, by fiattering the
vain, paying the mean, and rewarding the
subyervient, the shareholders have, in the
course of fifty years, lsurped the whole con-
stitutional powers of the Union. have pos
sessed themselves of the Executive Chair.
of the Halls of Congress, of the National
Courts of Justice, and of the military arm,
leaving nothing of hope to the spirit Of free
dom in the free States but public speech in
the Legislature, and the ballot-box. The
one a shareholders mob is crushing in Kan
sas, the other deputation from the slave
holders of the House of Representatives
have attempted to crush by a slaveholder's
bludgeon. Ny heart is too full. If should
pour forth all that is in it, both paper and
time would fail me-
Truly | am yours, JOSIAH Quincy.
QUINCY. May 81, 1856.