Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-06-12
Massachusetts Before the Revolution and
since.


In 1853 the old Colony of Massachusetts, Bay, in
response to the new Revenue Act of their sovereign
| presented the following through their agent, Mr.
| DEBERDT in London:
"That we consider the revenue thus to be collect
! ed for the support of Governors, Judges and
standing Army unconstitutional, and English and
British subjects, we have aversion TO standing
army. which we reckon dangerous to our civil lib
critics; and considering the example of ancient times
! it seems little surpri ing that mother State
! should trust large bodies of mercenary troops in
her colonies at great distsnce from her; lest
in process of time when the spirits Of the people
shall be depressed by the military power. another
Cesar should arise and usurp the authority of his
master"
And again, when in May, 1869, the Assembly de-:
clared that the use of military force in the exc
cution of the laws inconsistent with the spirit
of the Constitution and that they would not tran
sact any business while thus menaced by soldiers"
and on being adjourned to Cambridge. Boston be
lag occupied with oops) the only vote passed by
them was to this effect:
That the establishment of standing army in
this Colony in time of peace is an invasion of natu
raj rights; that a standing army is not known
Dart of the British Constitution; that sending an
armed force into the Colony under the pretence OF
assisting the civil authority, is highly dangerous to
the people, unprecedented ana unconstitutional"
This same Massachusetts, was unsparing in denun-
citation of the war of 1872, and refused TO furnish
men for its prosecution. On the 18th of June, 1874
q resolution reported to the Legislature of Mas
sachusetts adverse to proposition in that body to
pass vote of thanks to the heroic Cap. LAWRENCE,
or capturing the British vessel Peacock. The res
olution was passed aud is as follows:
'Resolued. As the sense of the Senate of Massa-
chusetts. that, in a war like tie present, wqged
without justiable cause, and prosecuted il man
which indicates that conquest and ambition
its real motives. it is not becoming a moral a, re
igOaS peOpe to express any appreciation of military
)r naval exploits which not Immediately con
nected with the defence of our seacoast and SOIL"
The resolution remained on the journals of the
Legislature for more than ten years, and then was
expunged. In the life of JEFFERSON, by RANDALL,
is the following in respect to it:
Fifteen days before its adoption, Lawrence Rad
sailed from Boston Roads IN the unlucky frigate
Chesapeake, to meet the Shannon. The Chesapeake
was captured. The naval historian, Cooper, says
that at the close of the action both ships were
charnel houses Lawrence fell mortally wound, d.
u-ing exclamation which has become house
hold word among Amercans-'D on't give up tie
ship
THE Massachusetts, Senate was doubtless unap-
prised of this catast he, the time of its action
Just mentioned But neither it nor the Governor
nor Council. the prominent Federalists of Bos-
ton. were unapprsed of the time when the man. led
corpse Of Lawrence and his first Lieutenant, Lud
low. borne back from Halifax for funeral
rights and nerment. hey did rot attend his funeral
and Feder-l newspaper OF Boston, to deter its
partsans from being present threw out the inuendo
chat the ceremonies to be observed on the occasion
were political in their object
Another characteristic Of the people of Massaehu
sets is be found in the action of the Boston Banks
during the war of 1912. They tried to harass the
General Government by drawing the specie from
the patriotic States, and thus crippng their
of discount Ills specie accumulated in the
Boston Banks. The result was that the Southern
lnsti utOns were not able to enter freely into the
loan necessary for the vigor of the army and the
Boston bankers loaned their money in the British
Provinces to pay for British Government bills and
struggled goods. The specie of The Boston Banks
was reduced by this and similar means from be-
tween five and six millions to less than TWO millions
the difference having gone to AID the enemy
Now Massachusetts, is rampant for the blood of
Southerners The State is large and prof abe
trade, and she has now to fight for it, and but f.
that interest the same mean cowardly spirit would
how itself as in other wars Such is Massachusetts,