The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-12-13
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TUESDAY MORNING. -. .Drf,
UNION DEMONSTRATION AT BosroN.
MIR. CusHINass SPEECH

~
UNION DEMONSTRATION AT BOSTON.
MIR. Gus HINGsS SPEECH.
In the Union Meeting at Faneuil Hall, Bos.
ton, last Thursday, Hon. Caleb Gushing spoke
as follows:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: rejoice, sir, rejoice that
first instance TO be addressed-to you, the liv.
ing representative of name ever honored in
the councils of the State and of the United
States, and of a blood-sanctifted generation
after generation, both at home and abroad, by
the red baptism Of the battle field. Applause. I
To you who, called from the retirement of
years at the voice Of your country's peril
lifted by years far above these interests and
passions which move us before men; you, sir,
who stand like monumental marble statue
OF the better days of the Repubiic-you, the
Al patriot to preside over this great assem-
blage OF the aroused and uprisen patriotism
of Massachusetts. loud applause.l Oh!
sir, that Webster and Choate were here
Oh, that Webster were here to utter words of
wisdom in those brave tones of his like the
deep thuader voice of the sky. Oh! that
Choate were here to stream upon you the
fash Of his mighty mind like the lightning Of
that sky, Oh that Webster and Choate were
here--as, ii living they would be, to rebuks
treason together-to roll upon its foul head
the blasting ,hunderbolts Of their eloquence,
Of their indignation and their wrath-fgreat
applausel--to proclaim trumpet -tongued to
earth aud to heaven the fraternai sympathy
of the brave old Commonwealth OF Massachu-
setts for the brave old colony of Virginia-
[Cheersl Alas! alas they are gone but in
you, sir, their companion-their companion
and their friend--their mantle has nobly de-
scended-leheersl-a and mest nobly do you
wear it This day. [Appiause.1 Nobly do
You wear it, rs in such thoughts and words
of transcendant eloquence as you alone of
living men command, you have spoken here
in favor of the peace aad honor of Mas
sachnse.ts. loud cheers For me- what re-
mains ,--an humb bier part on this great occasion.
And now, fellow citizens let me turn to you.
and before addressing to you those reflections
which have occurred to me as pertinent TO the
occasion, permit me to offer a word OF personal
preface; let me assure You most solemnly that
/ stand here with no possible personal thought
apart from the performance of my duty-of
honor to myself, of the attempt at least to
utter worthy thoughts IN behalf OF the tar
nshed honor of Massachusetts. For that, and
that alone, / stood upon this platform two
years ago, and endeavored to show to the
people of Massachusetts that this great re-
pu ubfic-the glory of modern civilization-that
this great republic, amid the elimination and
recrimination of North and South-amidst the
conflict of interest and of passion which was
shaking it to it's centre-that this great repub-
lie seemed to be the point of committing
national suicide in the transport of national
madness. j endeavored to show how a hand
full of talented but misguided men in Massa-
chusetts, animated by monomania of fanati-
the consciences and corrupted the judgment
of too many of our felow-citiZens in the Com
monwealth. l showed the nature aud inf1u-
enee of their most malign teachings-how all
party action in the North and South was run
ming in the channel ofa desperate and deplora-
BILE secticnalisyn, and more than all in Massa-
chusetts-that all political influence in this
State was founded in hate-treacherous, furi-
Gus, fientsish hate--of our fellow citizens in
the Southern States Loud applause, min
gied with considerable hissing.1 showed that
Il was necessary that there shall be reconcile
ment of conflicting interests. in order that the
Commonwealth OF Massachusetts should re-
sumo its proper place as the guide of the United
States in patriotism. l pleaded unsuccessfully.
then entered the Legislature OF Massachusetts
to attack the sectionailsm in its strongholds.
l failed of success. / said to myself in Ho-
ment of despondency "Why am l struggling
in vain, Why should 1 draw upon myself
the odium of my fellow -citizens by struggling
single handed against this evil What are
time and tide to me can play my part in
the drama of life, whether it be peace or war
loud cheersl-and if these misguided persons
are to bring upon our happy land the caiami-
ties of civil war, devastation, massacre. and
ruin-if these things shall be, then God will
provide for me the duty l have to perform,
and the head and the hand to do and to suffer
according TO the will OF His good providence"
Tremendous applause.l But it seems to me
that there is still hope, and resolved to try
an experiment to see if the heart of Massa-
chusetts was sound. Three of my feIlow-citi-
performance of what they considered duty,
although the act was in violation of the Consti-
tuition, law, and opinion of the State of Massa-
chusetts. There, in the humble village of
Barnstable, before the uprightSn and hon.
est jury who tried the case-thOke in that viii
iage did find that the heart of the Common
wealth was sound to the core vehement
cheeringl-that men need only be reasoned
with frankly, uud, sguisDdly, in order to dispel
from their minds these delusions and the one
idea of ianaticsm, which seem to be hurrying
the Commonwealth, if not hurrying the ma
t;on into the untathomable abyss of destruc-
Iion. Now, as ! stand here and see the repre-
sentation of intelligence, wisdom, and virtue,
the strong hearts and hands of Massachusetts,
hope and confidence return to my heart.
loud cheers.l All is not lost! No, nothing
is lost, with such sentiment and with such
feeling as are this day exhibited in Faneuil
Hall. [Cheers.l And now, gentlemen, to
my own humble task. Fellow -ctiZens, a
citizen of one of the Northern States of
the Union, at the head of other citizens,
on certain Lords-day-on that day of
holy restA-entered, armed-armed for mur-
der and treason-ertered, armed. I say, into
the State of Virginia; burst open the houses
Of private citizens, and seized them and their
property by force; slaughtered ia the streets
defenceless and unarmed citizens tried to es-
tablish revolutionary government; proposed
to kindie the flames of a civil and servile war;
and to bring upon the community and upon
the State all the horrors of bloody massacre
of rapine and of ravishment, which are sure
to follow in the train of civil and servile war.
IApplause.l So engaged, he was arrested in
the very act of blood, red-handed, with his
murdered victims at his feet. He was so ar
rested and held to trial by the justice of the
Commonwealth of Virginia. He was delibe-
rately carried before court OF examining
magistrates He was in the due course of law
presented to the grand jury of the county. He
was by that grand jury of the county arraigned
before the courts of the State Before these
courts he received, NOT only just treatment,
not only merciful treatment, but even more
than, in the ordinary courts of the admins
tration of justice is accorded to prisoners in
this Commonwealth. He had such counsel
assigned to him as he chose; he had these
counsel changed at his will for other COUNSEL,
and he was deliberately and fully tried, too
and upon that full and deliberate trial he was
convicted of the violation of the laws of the
State of Virginia and upon that conviction
he was sentenced; and upon that sentence
he was executed by the authorities of the
State of Virginia. [Applause.] And he was
executed as having justly forfeited his life
to the peace and to the laws Of the State
of Virginia. In anticipation of this heenjoyed
all possible resources of argument, of fact and
Of Investigation of law, to see If there were any
such questions of law as his counsel found to
be competent-abie and learned counsel, too
all such questions of law were carried to the
highest courts of appeal of the Commonwealth
of Virginia and there considered Now, say
to You, that upon these facts John Brown was
duly and lawfully tried convicted, sen fenced
and executed-fapplausel-th he rendered
up forfeited life to the justice Of the State Of
Virginia; unless it were the fact-for no other
possible question of law could stand in The
way--unless it were that the State of Virginia
had not Jurisdiction Of all the offences COM
mitted. If the State of Virginia had jurisdic-
tion then her determination OF that question
WAS final and unappealabie on this earth
That is the law of the land; that is the law OF
the State of Massachusetts. There are many
gentlemen here present who will well remem-
ber, when q prisoner was capitally convicted
IN the Stale OF Massachusetts,, on due trial be-