Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-02-18

bic sentiments as he has uttered touching Mr.
Sumner, would for a moment put such sinister
construction upon the action Of the House NO,
sir, have seen the remark, and i IS Just and
true one, that every noble heart has in 1t the al
chemy that transmutes everything to its own nigh
nature. | shall be slow TO believe that we have
elected, or shall elect, anybody to the Chief
Magstracy who has any other than such noble
heart as that and have no doubt that his Ex-
cellency possesses such heart, and have no
doubt that he looks upon all these charges of in.
tended insult with that contempt that the noble
mind sqould ever feel. have no doubt that when
the action Of tqis House went up to him, and en-.
tered into the recesses of that noble heart, it
found there an alchemy that TRANSMITTED all these
charges of insult into conformity with higher and
nobler nature.
But, sir, to come down to the matter before us
the Boston Daily Bee. express no interest
in the question whether it shall remain the off
clal paper. have no desire to visit it with any
punishment. It'll not because of the paper itself
that | have noticed the charges which it has
brought against this House but because have
felt 1t my dUty-before tue people Of this Com
monwealth-to vindicate the House and His Ex-
cellency the Governor, from the direct and i'm
piled assaults of their own official organ. Having
done this, If the position of the Boston Bee seems
in any respect unfortunate, the responsibility of
such position rests with itself not with me-"
We have copied all of this speech which is es-
sential to full understanding of its purpose
The burden of the speech, Though he declares it
to be, ''to vindicate the House and His Excel
lency,") is to defend himself from the charge of
having insulted the Governor His defence is
threshold -
First He declares he did not intend it.
Second, He argues that the circums tances do
not justify the charge.
Third, He afirms that the Governor did not
feel it TO be an insult"
Mr.. Hopkins says -" cannot sag that have
had any positive information from him." There
must be something ironical about this for it is
very well known that, just at this time, Mr.. Hop
kins sOas holding a priUate correspondence aoith
HIS Ezeellency notes passing rapidly and FREE
quently between the Council Chamber and the
Representatives Hall.
Which of these expressions is ironicall Our
excellent Governor che so handsomely,
truthfuly, and nobly welcomed Charles Sumner
back to Massachusetts, +" noble and excellent
words; +" I" Just and noble pledges; "such no
Bile sentiments" Having said that " every noble
heart has in it the alchemy that transmutes eve
rything to its own high nature" MIR. Hopkins
says =" have NO DOUBT that His Excellency
possesses such heart"
We have given more attention to this matter
than we otherwise should, had not the Spy been
specially referred to, indicating US misunder-
standing what we thought to be plain English
In closing, we wish-First to protest, as Re
publicans, against associating the name of
CHARLES SUMNER with that of Henry Gardner,
as if there ever was, or ever would be, anything
in common between such opposites. Second-to
protest, as Republicans, against apologizing to
Governor Gardner for any action of the represen-
tatives Of the people-least Of all, for action re-
lating to the election Of Mr.. Sumner Thid-to
remind our friends in the Legislature that "irony
is a oery dangerous form of expression; I" that
rash expressions may be understood TO mean one
thing in Boston and anotherin the rural districts
and that the only sale is, in such cases. to
furnish a key!