Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-07-14
GBe 4alIg sggg.
WEDNESDAY. July IA, 1858.


The Grafton Of John S. Holmes, at the city
celebration in Boston, on the 9Th, out-Heroded
Herod IN its hunkerism, and put the author far
ther back, even than ChOate, in antediluvian
ideas Mr. Holmes not only ridiculed the mod.
srn Yankee custom OF selecting men from the
mechanical and working classes, as well as from
the learned professions. to fill high public posi-
tons, but he went so far as endorse in effect
the monarohiai doctrine of the divine right OF
kings" to rule. He gravely denied that govern
ment is created by the people, or for them at
hrmine that human government exists BY : d.
vine decree, anterior to Conventions, and
independent of the popular will which Wili' ne
assumes, is subservient to such assumed oiVine
Decree Mr. Holmes says that one OF the Dan
oerost, misconceptions of the Office and end OF gov
eminent. is 'sthe opinion on the 1T OF the PEG
PIE that government was CREATED By them and
foy.fbem. 1.-THE idea Of many" he says " is
that government is altogether human institu-
ton created, sustained by the people, and that
thew are the source and fountain of political
power-are supreme"
This modern Boston democratic tory refutes
all such black republican heresy, as that the peo
ple are the source from which all political power
proceeds, and boldly affirms the monarchiai the
ory that government established by me-
cessity Of nature, diUine decree anterior TO
conventions and constitutions. stronger t@as az
parchments."
According to this sage monarchist, who is
shame and reprosch to the American SOIL ne
treads upon, "the fundamental idea of the Amer
lean Government is reverence to Law J" ourrev-
olutionsry fathers, who went through a seven
years war to establish that government, had
different notion--they thought the fundamental
idea" on which it was based was the "inalienable
rights Of man." They made the solemn declar
alton before the world. as the ground of their
action in separating from the mother govern
ment and setting up one OF their own framing
ave hold these truths TO be self-evdent that
all men are created equal that they endowed
by their Creator with certain inalienable rights
that among these life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness; that to secure these rights, gov
ernments are instituted among men, deriving
their Just powers from the consent Of the gov
erned. >"
Our revolutionary fathers had, it is true, "rev-
erence for law but it not for law as such, as
Nh. Holmes would have us entertain, or for such
infamous enactments as the stamp act or the mod.
ern Fugitive Slave act, but for law only it is
in harmony with the noble sentiments of liberty.
and human rights, contained in the extract
above; ard they manifested that reverence, in the
Constitution and frame of government they
adopted, under which freedom was considered a
national aud permanent institution, and slavery
merely sectional and temporary, or evil
soon to be done away with. under the potent in
fnences Of liberty which pervade that COnstltu-
ton and presided at its formation.
Mr.. Holmes, on the contrary, would have us
reverence the law of slavery, it exists local
institution at the South, in violation Of the prn-
ciples Of the Declaration OF independence, and of
the spirit Of the Constitution, and as that law of
slavery seeks to perpetuate and extend itself by
seeking new fields over which to spread in the
boundless territories at the Westward and South.
westward, hitherto free from that bighting curse.
And all this he would have done, because of his
belief in faAcied foreordained, ''divine decree,
anterior to conventions and constitutions, and
stronger than all parchments," BY which the per-
petual reign Of the slave power is secured, in
spite Of the popular theory acted upon by our
olutionary fathers, which he deems SO fallacious
and dangerous" that government is created by
the people and for the people," A great and wise
sage and patriot, truly, is this Holmes, and wor-
thy the fame ofany renegade or tory of the revo-
luton.