Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-04-04


probably three-fourths Of the community on the
matter We trust the Legislature of 1857 will
not be behind its predecessor of 1855, in ae-
cedine to this popular demands
"Judge Loring has no right to this office of
Judge of Probate. II is a trust which COM
mitted to him for the benefit of the people, and
submit, has not that trust been betrayed Have
we appointed him to sit in the Probate Office,
holding the even scales of justice for orphans and
widows one day, and the next to Join in the hue
and cry OF slave hunt? Oh, monstrous con.
elusion Are we to have man still on the Pro-
bate Bench who will adjourn his court and per-
haps neglect the business OF those orphans and
widows, that he may have time to send a man
back into slavery, and in the manner, too, in
which he did it
The duty which we are called upon to perform is
one of fearful solennity and importance It be.
comes part Of the history of the times. Public
sentiment now justiies it, public sentiment de.
n1a'tds It, and will that public sentiment, founded
on partially enlightened conscience, ever grow
less, think you, than it is to-day? Let us not
forget that revolutions never go backward. 1t is
dangerous thing to let OUT principle Of truth
among the people, if you hope ever again to i'm
prison 1t. IT is dangerous to strike out from the
great center of truth any argument for the right,
and let it move in majesty along its glistening
pathway in the armament Of mind, if you hope
ever to return it to its great source. No, Mr..
President, public sentiment like that of to day
never goes backward. Revolutions of this kind,
revolntit MS in mind. have no retroprade stems
The power of despotism has been shaken, even
in Boston, since the Fugitive Slave Act was es-
tabhshed! The mountain tops echo the voice of
liberty, and the wales of Massachusetts, repeat
the sound Along the margin of your rivers, in
the industrial establishments operated by your
streams, in your workshops, on your farms, where
labor contem2lative men, on the sea, where men
| go far from home having opportunity for thought
and reflection, and whence they return with stout
hearts and strong arms for the defence of their
country's liberties-from all these, innumerable
vaices cry out, demanding that outraged freedom
| be vindicated by solemn act; that the mark of
| reprobation be placed on slavery in Massachu-
sets.
But we act not alone for the present sentiment
| of Massachusetts act also for posterity. The
| Fugitive Slave law viii be regarded by the next
| generation as we regard the slave trade now
The spirit of liberty will burn brighter in our chill
| drens day than in ours. How was it in the days
| of the Revoution--in the days OF resistance to
the stamp act and the tea tax How much
there of doubt, and difficulty, and danger, in
manlesting opposition to those measures and
yet how do now regard the who firmly and
nobly opposed them /? In that day, as now, the
croaking of conservatism was heard. 1t babe our
fathers beware, lest they should perform an act
which would destroy all sympathy with England
There was then, as now, discussion and excite
ment, but we all know how those men acted, and
the result of their noble deeds and how do we
regard them now Let that towering shalt
Bunker Hill, which we see from this chamber at
test to all the world in all ages, our deep rever-
enee and profound generation for their heroism
and noble devotion to liberty.
We stand, Mr.. President, in a very peculiar
epoch This is the very transition age of free
dom. The battles for liberty are to be fought
again.s If we are victorious, they will have been
fought forever but il every trace Of slavery can
not be exterminated from the soil Of Massachu-
sets, then all is lost. Other men. have content.
ed themselves with talking. Sir, 1haee no OBJ
lection to discussion, holding it within proper
limits like to see the great deep of mind stir
red up but most prize judicious action. Let
others all at slavery, but mission is to act =
We are TO perform deed which shall do more to
paralyze the power of slavery, and to illustrate
and fortfy the spirit of liberty in Massachusetts,
than any act Of which we can conceive. Edward
Greeley Loring, charge again, has offended the
public conscience Of Massachusetts, and because
he has grieyed the conscience oqMassaehusetts,
let him be removed from this Office which he holds
by our authority