Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-11-05
VIGOROUS TAFT, Of Upton. - 800

FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER
VIGOROUS TAFT, OF Upton.
Gov. Robinson of Kansas came into the dis
trict, last Friday night, and, on Saturday
evening, he delivered a speech in Mechanics,
Hall, on the issue between the republican par
ty and Eli Thayer. He complimented Mr..
Bailey as follows =
81 cannot say one word, if ! would, against
my old friend, Mr.. Bailey. l honor him
regard him as heightened, honorable, capa
bic gentleman, a gentleman who would do
honor to the position OF representative in con
gress; consequently, l shall say nothing
against him."
But he went on with a sort of advocacy Of
Mr.. Thayer's cause, in which he said some
things OF which he should not undertake to
be very proud. For instance, he goes very
far beyond all warrant, in representing
that "Charles Sumner, Henry Wilson, Gov
ernor Seward, " and such men, ever en-
dorsed, or dreamed of endorsing, the policy
which says If you want slavery you may
have it, and if not vote it down" 1t is very
base in anybody to give such meaning to
their vote on the Crttenden Montgomery bill.
We believe Mr.. Robinson took such position
in regard to the notorious English bill as drew
upon him some expression of feeling from re-
publican members OF Congress which he has
not forgotten and there was a certain letter
which Gen. Wilson sent after him to Kansas
which he will do well to read to the next audi
ence he addresses. 1t would serve admirably
as preface to his next reference to the Crit
tenden Montgomery bill
To show that the Ossawattomie platform of
the Kansas republicans endorsed such views
as those of Mr.. Thayer, he quoted from it the
following resolve
"Resolyed, That, with the founders of the repub-
lie, we believe that governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the governed that is
proper that the people of an organized territory
should be permitted TO select their officers and
execute their own laws, free from congressional
executive control"
Everybody knows that this resolve was put
in as as compromise between the two sec
tions of the party in that territory, where
they have much contention, but no man who
can speak oracles. Yet there is nothing here
that has the remotest resemblance to the pc.
culiar views of Mr.. Thayer This resolve of
the Ossawattomie platform relates to 'the PEG.
pie of any ORGANIZED TERRIToRY;" but Mr..
Thayer denies that there should be any
territorial organization whatever. The re-
solve holds that the people of an or
ganized territory "should be permitted
to select their own officers and execute their
own laws" now we hold that the people of
such territory should be left TO arrange their
own government, elect their own officers, and
establish for themselves all the institutions of
free society. But congress should not stimu-
late civil war in the territories by transferring
the slavery question from its own jurisdiction
to the chances Of fight among scattered set
tiers and border ruffans. 1t must never take
the ground that anybody las right TO estab-
fish slavery in the territories. If Mr. Thayer
had not gone beyond that Ossawattomie plat
form, be would not now be fighting against
the republican party, He denounces as
humbug the very basis on which the party
was organized. 1t is fashion OF modern de-
mocracy to maintain that the right of selfgov.
eminent implies the right to hold slaves, but
the republican party is nowise likely to make
itself responsible for this doctrine. 1t holds
with Gov. Chase, who said at Brooklyn N.
T., the other night =" Wien you enact pro.
hi6ttton Of Sla0eIy, yoA do not make the people any
less free BY taking array from them the necessity of
combating this great evil Of human bondage"
The following passage from Mr. Robinson's
speech in Mechanics Hail. is notable -
"Others object to Mr.. Thayer's votes
on the territorial question in Congress. Have
you ever read those bills DO you know what
they were geing to do? l was there at the
time, and had long talk with Mr.. Grow
about the matter. / understand they gave
authority to appoint five governors for five
different territories, fifteen judges, five secre-
taries of state, five United States marshals
TO govern and organize five new territories,
lust as they tried 10 organize Kansas. 1t was
merely putting five new territories into the
hands OF Buchanan The governor goes
there, and selects men to count the votes
II they followed the precedent of the Lee
compton elections, and Mr.. Buchanan
sanctioned those performances, how could these
territories have been preserved to freedom
Why don't Charles Sumner and others on the
stump denounce Mr.. Grow and the house OF
representatives, for voting for those bills
They simply state that slavery don't exist
there, and don't say that slavery shall not exist
there Why this denunciation of one man
when others are allowed to escape? Is there
nothing personal about it? Why did not Mr.
Sumner, the other evening, denounce Mr.
Grow and every republican in the house
OF representatives, for not putting in that
prohibition 2"
1t is not true that a vote on the passage o
these bills was ever taken in the house. 1t il
not true that MIR. Grow or any other republican
ever sought to have them pass without amend