Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-06-24
For the SPY
Lester 20 Hon. Henry Wilson.

on Saturday last purporting to contain defence
Of tie policy of yourself and those who agreed
with you, at the Republican State Convention of
last year, against the "severe censures" of some
Of your political associates. As I am one of
those who have freely ceusured your at
that Convention, aud as the events of every day
have ouly increased my sense of its folly and
danger, shall take the liberty to reply to some
Of the positions taken in your letter.
The first comment have to make has refer
ence to the time at which your letter makes its
appearance. For nine months you have borne
the censures you refer to, in silence; but pre-
cisely five days before the time appointed for the
meeting of another State Convention, you ap-
pear with your defence. Under such circum.
stances, it is fair to presume that the document
is designed quite as much for the purpose of in
fuencing the Convention of the 24th of June.
1857 for defending the Convention Of Sept.
Is, 1856. Indeed, the last paragraph of your
letter is avowedly piece of advice to your Re-
publican friends, what course to pursue in the
future. That advice, with the terms of which
find no fault, proceeds upon the assumption that
your previous course has been in harmony with it
aad has been indicated by events, and the lesson
draw from the whole, is that similar course of
policy ought to be pursued on Wednesday next
In fact, your letter IS intended to aid in procur-
ing the nomination of Mr. Banks, by the Repub-
lican Convention In urging this course, direct
] OF indire thy, you consistently pursung9the
poliey'of 1856. If that was wise then, it is wise
now to keep up the coalition with the Know
Nothing party, which was resumed last year, af-
ter being broken off in 1855. The question,
therefore, of the wisdom or unwisdom of last
years policy, involves the whole question before
US this year, and in discussing the first, we shall
be discussing the last.
You make loud complaint against the Spy and
its correspondents, for imputing to you and your
associates, in last years retrograde movement.
improper and selfish motives. This is making a
false issue. The question in controversy is not
question Of motives. but Of wisdom--of policy.
Motives are not to be judged; pursuit of them
is extremely improbable and unsatisfactory.
The great mass of men have good motives.
There were conscientious men, inabundance who
voted for Buchanan and for Fillmore, as we'll as
for Fremont But does that excuse them from
criticism and-even denunciation By no means.
"Curse on his vlrtues-theyve undone his coun- |
try" says some one. The action of the State |
Convention Of 1856 placed in the Gubernatorial
chair of Massachusetts a thorough-going dough. |
face, defeated the Kanzas appropriation, and baf-
fed the attempt to get rid of ave.caiching |
Commissioner from our Judiciary department.
Who cares for the motives of those who did this
wrong to the anti-slavery sentiment of the State?
The movement of 1856 was a retrograde move
ment It was departure from the policy of
1856. Was there sufficient excuse for it in the
emergencies of the Presidential canvasss You
place considerable stress upon the urgent entrea-
ties which came to you from other States to yield
TO the Know NothiDgs, especially from " Connec.
ticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and
Illinois" The result of the election shows that |
the politicians Of four out Of FIVE of those States
would have been much better employed in look
ing after their own affairs. 1t is quite remarka-
Bile that these appeals mostly came from States, |
in which, as the result shows, Fremont had not |
the slightest chance of success. must be per.
mitted to doubt whether in the State of Illinois,
where the best contest was fought, there was any
such urgent call upon the Republicans of Massa-
sets to unite with the Know Nothings, as you
have represented. At any rate, there were some
pretty strong appeals from that State, that we
would have nothing to do with them. Illinois
was given to Buchanan by the votes of the Know
Moth ings in the Southern part OF the State They
were not in the least degree Modified by the con-
SESSIONS TO their Massachusetts brethren. How
it was in Pennsylvania we all know. The whole
contest was risked upon coalition State ticket in
October, and the fatal mistake was made Of at
tempting bargain not only with the Johnston
Know Nothings, but with the Filmoreites The
result was not only defeat, but disgrace, and it
ought to be lesson to politicians for all future
times. Where, let me ask, did the Fremont
movement have the largest success In the
States where the Republicans acted independents
ly, in those where they tried to make barqainsP
Where are they in the best condition noto 9--for
this is the most important question, after ALL per-
manency being indispensable to every party. Ifyou
were called upon to select the States where the
Republicans are nOaO in the best condition. Won
would point o6t the States of Maine, New Hamp-
shire. Vermont, N.York, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa.
Wlseonsin-States where the Republican move
ment was homogeneous and not divided. Con-
necticut, from whence came such valuable advice
to us to reconcile quarrels, is disputed by the
Buchanan party today New Jersey and Penn
sylSsnia, which also gave sage advice, are hope
lessly involved in Democratic darkness unIesst the
divisions in the Democratic party give the oppo. |
sition some hope; Ohio, where you boast that
Gov. Chase has pursued cOnciliatory policy,gaye
only fifteen thousand plurality for Fremont, (less
than Michigan) and not majority; and Governor |
Chase is himself in imminent danger Of defeat |
the coming Fall and finally Massachusetts is
threaten with a reaction of hunkerism and of
popular disgust and contempt, directly traceable
to the policy which you and your associates pur.
sued in 1856.
think you have not taken into consideration
this element Of Popular Disgust which l have
Just mentioned az being likely to exert some in
nuenee IL our politics this yea. The whole
AnoW Nothing experiment, as you must acknow.
ledge, has been something worse than ridicu-
lous failure in Massachusetts. It has increased
the expenses Of the State two-fold ; IL has fas.
ened upon its revenues a set Of rayenous borras
who must be choked of at some rate or other. !.
has made the whole State for six month"; IN o..h
year nothing but a trading ground for the mos,
knavish kind Of political jockey,E andIit ha, Il
hundred ways degraded the character Of The
State And while the people generally, without
regard to party, have become sick Of the whole
concern, the men who believe that something
may be done al home, well as in Congress
at political conventions conferences in other
gfafea for fhe anff-alavarv oanea h.. H..