Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-13


The celebration of the Fourth Of July at
Flushing-a beautiful suburb of New York
gave rise to an unusual and exciting scene.
An immense concourse OF people assembled
i'll grove to listen to an oralion by Theodore
Tilton. The chairman was John H. Law
renee, well known as a prominent democrat
and bank president in this city On taking
the chair, he made briet address, preliminary
to introducing the orator of the day, in which
he went out OF his way to utter an invectve
against men protesting anti slavery opinions
mentioning, with manifest bitterness, class
OF persons whom he stgmatized as misguided
abolitionists, fanatics, and agltators."
Mr.. Tilton, apparently taking no notice of
the gratultous discourtesy, not to say insult,
which had thus been cast upon him in the face
of several thousand people ito whom his anti
slavery opinions must have been well known,
proceeded for full hours length in discus
sion of various aspects oil the present condi-
| ton OF public affairs, when, suddenly turning
toward Mr., Lawrence, he said-"I feel bound
| i'll good conscience, before | sit down, to pick
up the gauntlet Of criticism which you threw
| at my feet, at the beginning OF the hour" and,
Immediately quoting Mr.. L. S abuse of the aboi-
tionists, added-"The shadow which you thus
| launched from your high chairman's seat upon
| tha5a mon drnnrnd nlidruas, -----.i stand
at tins moment covered and darkened with it,
not only III your presence, but by your hand
| And yet, sir, | accepted not unkindly the Sc
verest word you spoke, for you honored me
| only too highly by the unexpected compliment
| OF such reproacl | know OF no nobler work
| Tor any man, not even, sir, for such a man as
| y0u-certalnly not Tor such man as than
to give ones hand, and heart, and brain to the
cause OF the poor, the down.trodden and the
oppressed Nor, sir, can you point me, even
with your own finger, to any nobler tame in
history than that OF a man like Wiherforce,
who went up to Heaven bearing 100000
broken letters in his hands" So far as your
words were censure only upon me, l have
forgotten them already they vanished away
like the breath with which they were uttered;
but so far as those words brought obloquy
upon many better men than linen OF true
hearts, or pure lives, of noble aims-men of
genius, OF learning, of eloquence-nay, sir,
men OF whom the world is not worthy-I can
only say in reply, Would to God that by tax
ing to myself a share OF their reproach, might
win to myself share of their honor Tell
me, sir, have you ever heard Ut the legend of ST.
Humbert? After the good saint had been
buried hundred years, his coffin was opened
and branch of laurel, that had lain in burial
with INN all the century, was taken from his
ashes IN perfect green, unfsded as if newly
plucked, fresh as if wet with morning dew !
Perhaps, sir, when these men, whom you seek
to load with dishonor, shall come to their
graves to be buried, their laurels will, in like
manner, be buried with them; but | believe
the hand OF Impartial History, before the end
of hundred years, will reach down gently
into their graves, and lit their laurels into
resurrection, to bloom green and perennial be-
fore all the world p
AT these words, the entire audience rose to
their feet, and shouted with spontaneous APP
piause. The chairman also sprang to his feet
and eXclalmed-"Since the gentleman has
avowed himself an Abotionist must leave
the cliar"-and Immediately quilted it, retir.
ing at once from the platform.
Mr. Tilton said to the audience, 81 charge
yoI, goou people, to remember Tor my sake,
that your chairman was exied from this plat.
form by no word from my lips which ought TO
have fallen unkindly upon his ear The ap.
plause which followed this statement assured
the speaker that he had gained what the chair
man had lost, the sympathy of the entire null
titude.
But, just at this moment, another episode
occurred, which kindled the general feeling
into still greater and almost indescribable en-.
lhusiasm. Sitting III carriage near the plat
form, with his family, was the Hon. Luther C.
Carter, eX-member of congress- venerable.
white haired man-wh1 as the audience had
thus been deserted by their chairman. stepped
gracefully down from his carriage, assembled
the steps of the platform, and took his seat in
the vacant chair The outburst of applause
at this bit of gallantry was thrilling. The Or
ator, turning to the new presiding officer, bow
ed and remarked, 81 need not say, sir, how~I
thank you for bringing your gray hairs to lend
honor to young man. Iremember how it is
wrliten-'A hoarv head is IL crown of glory =
Amid storm n IL,
er then turned again toward the audience
the entire multitude of whom were still stand
ing-iind seeing that the highest possible eli
max OF the occasion had been reached drew
his oratSn Immediately to a close, adding only
a few words prophetic of the reign of univers-
al trHedom and took his seat amid prolonged
cheers.