The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-06-19
LETTER FROM JOSIAH QUINCY, SENIOR.

L. h.
The following letter, sent to the presiding Of
iccr of the Unitarian Festival, recently held in
Boston, by the venerable Josiah Quincy, sen
Tor, now in the eighfy:GfM year of his age, win
be read with interest:
QUIYcY, Nay 81, 1856.
SIR: have received your letter, inviting me
to attend the Unitarian Festival and express
ing the qualification it would give you to see
and hear me on that occassion." 1t would give
me great pleasure to comply with your request,
did not the very tenor Of your letter preclude
me from it. ! perceive that, should | attend, a
speech will be expected from me. But, sir IT
would be impossible for me to utter my opin-
ions on the subject with which my heart is full,
without crossing the policy of some, offending
the preiudces of others, and making perhaps
the whole company apprehend that | had ar
rivSei at that period Of second childhood which
is sometimes incident to old age.
My mind is in>G9 state 70 receive pleasure
from social scenes and iriis2 ndIy Intercourse. |
can think or speak Of nothing bur u me ont
RACES of Shareholders at Kansas, and the o. o.
RACES of Shareholders at Washington - out
RACES which, If not net in the spirit of our
fathers of the Revolution, land see no sign
that they will be- our liberties are but = name
and our Union proves p curse. These outrages
constitute series of iniqutously contrived,
well-connected, 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 a mob OF slavehold-
ers, the third
The encouragement of this sacrilegious foray
| H., 4. e
mate support of it by the National Executive
and military arm, the fourth.
The hostile Eruption Of two members Of Con-
gress into the Senate Chamber Of the United
States, openly armed with deadly bludgeous,
and probai'" secretly according to the habits
of their breed, with bowieknives and rcvolyers,
and the prOstrating on the floor with their
bludgeons Senator OF the United States, sit
ting peaceably in his seat, unconscious of dan
ger, and from his position incapable Of defence,
inhicting upon him blows, until he sense
less, under them, and which, if they d. Ut prove
mortal, it was not for want Of malignant intent
in the cowardly assassins-and all this for words
publicly spoken in the Senate, in the course of
debate, allowed by its presiding officer to be
spoken, and exceeding not one hairs breadth
any line of truth or duty. This is the fifth and
the climax of this series Of outrages, unparallel-
Such are the iacts-such are the outrapos-
a series of them, which ought 10 ring through
every city and field, through every palace and
cottage of the free States-which ought to hv
like the fiery cross on the highlands of Scotland
over the mountains and through the valleys of
the free States, startling the sleeping, rousing
the thoaghtless, uniting the free clans, and en-
kindling whatever glimmering spark vet re.
mains of the feeling and spirit which, in former
times, entitled the inhabitants of the free States
to the character Of patriots, and fearless, far
seeing statesmen. But, alas! sir see no prin-
ciple of vitality in what is called Freedom in
these times. / see divisions enough, and parties
enough see every rtim setting up for itself,
and calling and expecting all the rest of the
world to follow in its train. But of a thought
full, concentrated, determined principle, Of uni-
ted action, suited to the occasion. which, spurn-
ing the desire of place and the hope of emolu-
ment, and the hankering for office. and actuatcd
solely for the advance of public good and
general welfare, | see nothing. The palsy of
death rests on the spirit of Freedom in the So
called free States
Inmy opinion, it is time TO speak on the hoasn.
top what every man who is worthy of the name
of freeman utters in his chamber and feels i'm
his heart. BY series of corruption, intrigue,
and cunning-bribing the high by appointments
of State the low by the hope Of emoluments
playing between the parties of the free States,
and coIhteracting one by the other; by fatter-
ing the vain, paying the mean, and rewarding
the subservent-the shareholders have, In the
course of fifty years, usurped the whole consti
tutional powers Of the Union, have possessed
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 Freedom in the free States. hut
public speech in the legislature and the ballot
box. The one, a Shareholders mob is crushing in
Kansas; the other, a deputation from the slave
holders of the House of Representatives have
attempted to crush bya Shareholders bIudgeon
My heart is too full. lf | should pour forth
all that is in it, both paper and time would fail
me. Truly, am yours, JOSIAH Quincy.
Il. il. Hoar, Esq.