New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-25

Vh,""'o '.I SI .,uressed and disc1nsented mfons
~ Esyope That u the rainoad rack on wn'cn sae
cur ;.s dsshjne on and snis'hing and crashing over
s.,vthng which stood in the way OF ts mighty mo-
.niun Irresistible since il wa The viii Of God 10
The simple unity, the absolute eontnuou, dent'y oil
dis great ev, nj there has been but exception ne
senaraton Canada New Brunswick and Nova S>on,
from the Thirteen Colonies. In their endeavor 20
mite all British America under one Government, me
founders Of the American Republic faird' DuI u'r
failure was in appearance rather than realty l'r 'he
sam. race the tame mind, the same law, the same
political institutions, and The same pubic an1 lINa"
INF, rel. control and direct the fortunes OF iheee seN
cred par,r of British America; their progress anu ~
results are in substance the same, and recent treaty
of reciprocal intercourse have a-soca,ed
them in a commercial union, which, aided by geo
graphical facts viii terminate in their association by
political union. 80
hold on America. II would have been better for her
10 do this at the revolution; for, by relnquishing
America che gained, or will gain Asia. To her the
two thirps have almost the intimate connection oi
cause and effect Instructed by the past. and let me
add with nober thoughts on the subject than hereto
fore she and admits this in her present a'fl-
tude toward us. Henceforh then, America Il ours 10
work ont in il the eternal DEGREES OF Providence.
Men of Massachusetts, have You at all times thor
ouchlv appreciated and strenuonsy co0pera.ed to ad
vance these great purposes OF Providence have
you might say. Yes you have in act, but not al
WAYS in thought You planted selfgovernment in
you mistakenly strove awhile tO establish mere an
exclusive theocracy; but in this you failed because
was incompatible with the one great preordained
event You Welded al length and conceded TO others
that religious liberty which you had previously
claimed for yourselves alone. You pursued the
thoughts of independence 70 the day OF the Revou-
ton, embOdyine that idea in the framework OF a con-
federation Of republics.
You clearly perceived and frankly, earnestly, pow
erfully contributed with Virginia TO develop the great
territorial capacities of the Northwest. But were
you equally cear-sghted in regard 70 the NOT less I'M
portant Southwest Did You in feeling support Nir-
ginia there Did you not struggle TO prevent the ac-
QUESTION of Louisiana the acquisition of Florida the
acquisition Of Texas, the acquisition Of California
Was not the UniOn as our fathers conceived 1t, thus
completed in spite of youl And yet, who proht,d
first, who profted next, who profted constantly by
each of these great stages of the great event
Was il not you the men of Massachusets,
with your ships, your manufactures, your mechanic
arts, and your intelligence? Nay did you not nm
consciously and ms it were in despite Of yourselves,
potentially contribute with might and with VIII, as
Massachusetts does whenever she acts, 10 the con-
summation Of the great event, by pouring your capital,
yOur industry, your inventive genius, and your men,
INTO each one Of the successive territorial accessons to
the Union You did: you could not help doing 1t;
You strong and selfwed but the great event was
stronger and more wiful than you; and it snatched
up out Of the depths Of unreasonable opposition
to it. absorbed you into its vortex and when there az
with your virtues and yOur lights you deserve TO be-
you became the most eicacious element of it, further
progress.
WHY is it so2 WHY il it that for so many years
Massachusetts has perseverngy opposed whatever is
and persistenty endeavored TO prevent whatever Is
TO be
look around in my native State and seeing 1t as it
is crammod full with Intelligence and accomplishment
of the highest order in all the possibilities of life, and
ak myself if she be not-and if she be not why she
is not-the head the brains the thought, the soul OF
Its not that the men of Massachusetts, with admitted
high intelligence lack courage. Quite a. often ne
otherwise they have this in excess, pungng into the
strife as If they could master ii,
And with strong hand hold in the rearing world"
and occasionally manifestng somewhat of that hardi
hood of unreason, which plants the butting bull in
front Of the locomotive machines full career.
Nor is il because of interested views on the part OF
Massachusetts,. She is singularly dsinterested-gov
ened by ideas rather than by mere interests she
nanifests this even in her political alterations. She
opposes all policies OF the Federal Government, some
times merely because they are such. Thus, at one
period with Daniel Websterin in the State Department
Edward Everett Minister to England, Isaac c. Bates
and Rufus Choate in the Senate and delegation
composed Of such men as John Quincy Adams Lever
EFT Saltonstal Nathan Appleton, Robert &; WIN
cbusetts had or might have had, her own way IN all
things reasonable; and yet she pulled the building
down about her head out of imaginary devotion TO
the United States Bank. Why need she trouble her-
self as to that What is Hecuba TO her, or she to
Hecubal'
Could il advantage Boston 10 have oil the banking
capital Of the country rcvove around Philadelphia
Or il important to Boston, whether any little sur
plus of public treasure on hand was or wa not uu as
banking capital Yet oil such an issue opposition
Massachusetts, would ve,-oppositlon to her own
men, nay to her man ofmen; just as, in the same
train of Incidents the question whether daily post
age should be paid in silver or in bankpapcr, there
was another transient agony, at least in Boston.
Why is il, again let me ask that Massachusetts, has
not instead of opposing always rather assumed her
post in conscious right Of intelligence md courage
proudly in that of the march of the Union Why
nger in the always to pull back to crtcise, to
complain OF the Federal Government
cannot say why il isl SEQ how il is. She permits
herself TO be preoccupied with some secondary Incl
dent of the great event and works herself into rage
that until she has oet oil thought and of the great
event itself and OF the part which in il she might and
should play. AT the present time, when human Wit Is
at the maximum OF creative and productive action
when the steamship the railway and the electric tel
egraph marves though they be, but faint signs OF
the progress around us-when earth and sky, air and
sea, and all which IN them s animate or inammate,
parake of the great movement and instinct with
its spirit-at such time the public mind Of Massa-
chus.tts stands still and grows passionate over some
minor question. And we forget that, while We sit by
the wayside, arly discussing the rugG dtSciies Of
hours Of deness the world is rushing silently by,
leaving US in the lurch.
Must it be so foreverl VIII Massachusetts choose
always to be the drag break on the wheels, and
never the motive power itselfl VIII she constantly
struggle 10 clog the march of the great event III she
reflect she will be satisfied that she cannot stop it.
nay, shc will that il is her event il is her very
self that she is vainly striving to stop. repeat that
| from jamestown the one hand, and Plymouth
on the other issued the first two parallel streams of
emigration, and of political and social influence,
| flowing 10 the southwest and the other TO
the northwest which streams in their westward pro-
ess the history the life the soul the predesined
| great event OF America. You may guide, at any
| rate go with the fated movement. But you cannot
stop il; nav, whetheryou will not YOU in il and
Of IT, and must move with its motion, either lead
ing or led-for if not leading you will be ledin the
co,,pcils of tho ITpion