The Washington union., 1857-04-24
MASSACHUSETTS,

attitude OF that once proud and honored Common
wealth! Foremost in bidding defiance to British ag
gression first to her strength with that Of
her powerful foe earnest and active in producing
union and concert of action among the colonies,
national in her sentiments and feelings and self
sacrificing in her ambition, she seems to have been
inspired to lead the way to freedom and independ-
ence. Her own great son, and the able and eloquent
defender of the Declaration Of Independence on the
floor of Congress, the first 10 surrender the
part of New England and Massachusetts all claims to
the leadership, and, for the sake of union and har
mony, TO propose General Washington as Commander
in-Chief of the American armies. Throughout the
olution she freely poured out her blood and treasure
in defence of the liberties of the country and the
valor and devotion of her citizen sodiery
hibited almost every battlefield from Maine to
Georgia. Since the period of tho revolution Massa
chusetts seems to have gone mad. Her people were
the first after the revolution to break out in open
bellion (Shays) against the laws and constituted au-
thorites of the State and their example was 80
tagious that the wisest and best Madison,
Knox and Washington-were fearful that the spirit of
characterization would spread with direful effect into
other States. From the defeat of the elder Adams,
and the overthrow of the alien and sediton laws, she
has arrayed herself against the great democratic
party, and, as matter OF consequence, against her
country and the honor and integrity of the national
Union. Bold and reasonable in her opposition to
the late war with England and the administration of
Madison first in getting up the Hartford Convention,
she was only stopped in her reasonable designs by the
defeat of the British and the glorious victory of New
IL. ~ i
brought about by its opposition to its own country
in time of war, Massachusetts has seized upon new
hobby-and that negro slavery. She seems to have
no bowels of compassion for the white race. All her
sympathy is for the negro. The poor white emgrant
q lordly justice of the peace will send from her
shores because he might become slight burden
to the State; yet at the time sh> will spend
thousands of dollars and disturb the public peace
and quiet of the land in endeavoring to rescue an
Anthony Burns from the hands of the law, and from
his master to whom he rightfully belongs under the
law and the constitution. Her representatives in
Congress exercise no influence for the public good
because they have but idea and are actuated by
but one motivcand that is hostility to the interests
and domestic institutions Of nearly onehaf the States
of the confederacy. Her Senator Sumner left the
country for Europe breathing hatred and enlnity
against the entire South. Is such the spirit that
animated the Hancocks the Adamses, and the War
rens of the revolution2 Is such the spirit that
animated the people of Massachusetts, and Bos-
ton when Washington, with natiogal not sec
tional army entered Boston and liberated it from
British rue2 But, fanaticalY Wild as n ma
iority Of the people of Massachusetts, are there is
still consolation in the reflection that there are within
her limits pure and high-minded men, who love the
Union, and who know no country but the Uni
ted States of America-mcn who will support and
sustain their country, whether bounded by the
Sabine or the Rio del Nore. Such men are
the Everetts, the Winthrops, and the Choates, and
such man was the late Judge Story, of the Supreme
Court of the United States With these few remarks
will here introduce quotation from lecture of
Judge Story delivered years ago. the science
of government and commend it to the consideration
of the thinking men of Massachusetts, and of her rep
resenatives in Congress. Speaking of the duties of
an American statesman, he says
But it is not In the examination and solution of
stitutiona questions alone that great abilities and thor
ough mastery of the principles of government
quired of American statesmen. The ordinary of
legislation in the national councils Is full of intricate
and perplexing duties. 1t is not every who can
make an animated address at popular meeting,
through the common places of party deneaton at the
husngs with fluent elocuton and steady presence,
who qualified for seat in the national legislature The
interests of oneand thirty States there represented
and there to be sorupuously weighed and protected
Look but for moment the vast extent of
try; the varieties Of its CLIMATES productions, and pur
suits; its local pecularities and institutions Its untiing
enterprise and nexhaustble industry. Look to the
changing character of agriculture the sugar, cotton and
rice OF the South; the wheat corn and tobacco of the
middle States, and the stubborn but thrifty growth
of the North, yielding to culture what almost de
MED to climate. Look to the busy hanntR 81 orr manu-
factures, rising thousand hills and sheltered in
thousand valleys and fed by thousand streams Every
where they instinct with life and noisy in ceaseess
industry and pouring forth their products to market with
unceasng flow, which gathers it goos. Look to
the reaches OF our foreign commerce hrogh every region
of the globe 1t floats the burning beezGs of Africa
it braves the stormy of the arctic regions it gldes
with a bounding speed the weary coasts and broad
streams Of southern America it doubles the capes of
the Indies and meets the trade winds and monsoons in
the very region of their birth 1t gathers its treasures
from the aeepsoundngs of the banks of Newfoundland
it follows The seal in his secret visits to the lonely island
Of the Southern Pacific Ii starteB tho whale in his
estic march through every latitude from the higher At
ontic to the seas - :. ianan The ain-a ,e. ;S - &
region where its flag has not Rutcd the first beams of
the morning II sets not where its last lingering rays have
not played ON the caps OF Its mass And then again look
to the reaches of internal along the various
nes and bays and ports Of the seaboad through the
and almost inerminabe rivers and valleys of the West
on the broad and restless lakes through the deep prae
and up the sleeps of the Rocky mountains and onward