Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-11-01
president.
Hon. ALBERT TOLMAN.

S \. story David Whtcomb,
5. A. Howiand Francis r. oliver,
Aaron Leland, David Lee, Esq. of Barre
| Levi Hammond, ESQ., of Charlton,
John Boyden, John 5. Baldwin,
g. sanford, Walter Forbes.
Upon assuming the chair, Mr., Tolman
| spoke briefly of the encouraging auspices
of the campaign, as Indicating, with uner-
ring certainty, brilliant and glorious sue
cess. He closed by introducing Hon Henry
L. Dawes, representative to congress from the
Berkshire district, who was received with
hearty enthusiasm, and many times repeated
applause.
He said he had never but once before ad-
dressed the people of Worcester, and the cir
cumstances of that occasion suggested the line
of remark which he was constrained this even
ing to follow. Four years ago, just after the
presidential campaign of that year, he was
invited by the Worcester republicans to attend
a meeting in this city, to mingle his regrets
with theirs over the defeat in the rational con.
test and to rejoice with them in the election
of their present member of congress. All the
signs and changes of the times assured him,
that for neither of these two things should he
again have occasion to visit this city. He
was not himself hopeful of good from the
| administration then coming into power but
our representative was more sanguine. We
both, said he, were without experience in leg
isation in the field to which we were then
called. To me it seemed that the administra.
ton of Mr.. Buchanan would subject the cause
of freedom to severer labor; but that the very
enormity of its course would call the people
to assert their rights, and roassert the princi-
pies OF the ancient charter. But Mr.. Thayer
hoped for some outside agency to help Kansas
as a free state into the Union, and to settle
forever the question OF human slavery. He
| proposed to take retrospect Of those four
eventtul years. Whatever weighty causes there
might be calling for change in other respects,
they were insignificant in comparison with the
questions relating 10 the government of the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. they should be the abodes
of freemen or of slaves The great and mo-
mentouS question hanging upon the decision
of this hour is, what shall be the institutions
which shall prevail i'll that goodly land, not
only for the crowding millions who are to peo-
pie them, but for ourselves and our children to
the latest generation.
Our representative, four years ago, stood
with him fairly and squarely on the doctrine of
the right and the duty of congress to restrain
and prohibit slavery in the territories. Now
he understood Mr.. Thayer to have abandoned
and repudated that platform. In discussing
his position, he should speak of him kindly,
but truthfully He then proceeded to exam.
inc his votes upon the poiygamy bill and the
New Mexican slave code in the light of his
theories and quoted from eminent and illustri-
Gus authorities in vindication of the old and
tried doctrine of the power of congress over
the territories The events of the past four
years had confirmed him in the old faith. But
in the midst of events which demanded
the exercise of that power his colleague
abandons the contest with the slave
power on its own battlefield, folds his hands
and says, as legislator, he will have nothing
to do with it. He takes the position, in the
face of rampant and exulting enemy that he
has no power to impede its march over a foot
of the public domain. He proposes to let free
labor work out the probem--so confident OF
its power as to fold his arms and 10 interfere
with all others who attempt to throw the arm
of protection TO freedom and to free labor in
the territories. 1t was absolute squatter SOW
ereignty But while Mr. Thayer, in one
end OF the capitol, is proclaiming the policy
OF free labor to drive out slavery FROM the
public domain, at the other end Mr.. Douglas
is demonstrating what squatter sovereignty
will do for the south. 1t was due to his col
league that Mr.. Douglas should crown him by
laying on of hands and amounting him high
priest Of the order.
Mr.. Dawes next examined Mr. Thayer'S
scheme of saving the territories without legs-
islation When it was first suggested and his
land bills were read from the clerks desk, the
son of the sage of Quincy the wisest and most
sentatves, instinctively calculated, "superla-
lively ridiculous" In speech made at the
time, Mr.. Thayer spoke of the scheme as ''the
ultima thule Of popular sovereignty" - that
means the latest thing out ''the pillar of Her.
cules"-that means the biggest thing out the
only safe scheme-that means 'none genuine
without the authors name ON it," But
are his reasons for voting against the polyg
amy bill He says the remedy must be left
to the local law, and Brigham Young shouts
"AMEN." Finding his scheme vulnerable he
invented another way, which WIS embodied in
his land district bills, of which the speaker ex.
posed the tallacy in torcible and effective
manner. He then passed to Thayer's action
on the territorial bills. Was it not, said he,
painful for the other ten representatives from
Massachusetts to see the member from this
district taking counsel with such men as Hous.
ton of Alabama, and Singleton, and Barksdale
of Mississippi, to defeat those measures.
Sometimes Mr.. Houston would come over
to the republican side OF the house and
whisper TO Mr.. Thayer, and anon Mr. Thayer
would 90 over to the other side and counsel
with Mr.. Houston and between them those
territorial bills were crucihed. (Cries OF
"shame," "shame.") One reason given for
his conduct concerns not only his own honor,
but that of every republican member of the
house. On the 11th Of May he said he pro-
posed, in the bills he should offer, that nothing
should be said about the negro but that he
should be held in allegiance that the republi.
cans had agreed to say nothing about the
slavery question. If this meant anything il
meant that his colleague went round among
the opposition members, buying votes for
speaker by promising to muzzle the lips of the
republican members on the subject of slavery.
| thought Of the ninth district-the district
that sent Charles Allen to Philadelphia, and
who would not consent to be muzzled, but
turned his back upon the convention, and left
the wing party in the zenith Of its power
And the ninth district welcomed him with
open arms, sending him 10 congress oven
Charles Hudson, because he spoke with a
clearer and louder voice against slavery. The
speaker denied the imputation that the cleo
ton of Mr.. Pennington was brought about by
means of the corrupt traflicking charged upon
them by Mr.. Thayer and without lowering
the republican standard by hairs breadth.
1t had been said that in this contest Hor
! ace Greeley was on the side of Mr.. Thayer