National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-12-25
THE NEW ERGLaND SOCIETY.
A Touching" Epistls ThsrsOn-soms Aspects
Of New England ''soeisiv' at Home, 60.

Of New England "soeisiv' at Home, 60.
WASHINGTON, 10. O., Dec. o. 1878.
To the Editor of the National Republican:
SIR: have read today's REPUBLICAS's report
Of the doings of the New England Society" Of
this city, last night with great pleasure. There
is no class Of people so entertaining as those
whose mutual admiration lends them q due ap-
probation of each other. Your selEasssrting,
egotistic man may have his vices as we'll as viz
tines, but one is always made conscious that "the
gentleman In question" lays claim 70 those Of the
latter, whether he's honest enough or not to con-
fess the possession of the former. For bluff,
starchy, economical, close-fsted, outspeaking
fellow who refuses TO 20 about publishing his own
virtues may always be set down as lacking in
THAT GOOD SENSE WHICH BEGETs s'THRIFT,"
and that energy which frequently secures posi-
New England people, you know, have no "bet-
ters." az you'll take their word for IT, and hence
don't come under the foregoing remark. They
are cautious people, who never render themselves
liable to criticism. and never forget that they are
the descendants Of those good folk who made Ply
mouth Rock remarkable with their feet, and
whose children in line established Plymouth
church, and created the Beechers who preside
overit, and the hosts Of sagacious Craftsmen OF
virtuous people. too, tinctured all through with
the spirit Of the Golden Rule, having never for
gotten their piety since ssalem's proud day
wished to get rid Of as witches, under the guise
Of Biblical sanction, or when one faction Of their
serness' in ROGET WiIIams' time DOWN to so these
happy days Of New Englsnd's civilization, when
her religious elements are shattered into diverse
into two distinctive ranks-the wealthy and the
poor-betveen whom exists "grest gulf,n wider
than that which Scripture hints ct between the
tssp p Spiritual New EnsisHa Of the future. ' anu
Why, sir, 1t is but few weeks ago since one
class Of proud New Englanders forced another
class to accent the terms Of their
.. PROVINCIAL sERFDoM, AT FALL River,
In boastful Massachusetts,, starvation wages, or
death ct the hands Of Gov. Gaston's police If
they dared assert their right to the results Of
na nils Of Ss1 Eng
land .thrIit" cut down serfs' wages to the lowest
possible living point; WHILE too, the more humane
out of WORK. and wSo
must starye, they said, "unless timely assist
ance is rendered" And it. is only week since
vile, Conn.,, caused by the cutting down Of wages
at the mills there "below one dollar" which, IL
s sSss " s,s
which are now TX cents day-ior ten and
Now submit, Mr. Editor. that New England
days. 1fher old settlers were uncommonly great
and good men, We must reflect that they are now
under ground, and that the civilization they at
tempted to establish was either very bad one, or
that their children have uofully perfected it in
The most CHEEKY feature of the New England
Society celebration seems to have been the jocula
good-feeling
SPEECH OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL,
whose misfortune it is, as hold to have been
born in New England, and who, Of course, found
It NAL propoSltn the midst ofla set of New Fog
land selesteemers,t to point Quit them the folles
''tbe Fathers" or their sons. One hardly knows
which TO admire the more, the easy grace with
which the Postmaster General avoi led reminding
his sectional hearers Of the unhappy things his
wider undermining and humanity might have
told them OF, and thus cast gloom, perhaps, over
the occasion, or his evident good sense in Perceiy
ing that the selEdrunk cyclists, whose highest
honors are reflected upon them BY the mountains
among which they happened to be born and their
to give sciaf By bis presence and speech, to what
without him. 1t seems, would have been an unno-
ticeable afair-Were hardly worth wasting the
In these cosmopolitan days, mount upon the backs
Of men unfortunate enough to hold responsible
and high place, and shoutingly boast Of the sue
But even in his singulsrly pleasing speech the
Postmaster General, If correctly reported, seems
e have Overlooked quite noticeable portion q
doors" beyond New EnEland's gstes-so far as
Its iptelligence, energy, &C., are concerned.
woutD TIE RUSSIAN srAR,
feading the late Minister to Russia's speech,
gather the slightest hint therefrom Of the fact
IlaL NlrglQlbb w heHDktOu was Opnkou W hurry
on to Boston in early revolutionary days to keep
chaos Of the yankees; or that Virginia ever bore
such men as Washington, the Lees, Jefferson,
Henry, Madison, the Masons, Marshslls, &c; or
that In these times the mighty men OF energy and
tact and IT the Ss me
England stock; or that such States as Psnnsylva-
and Statesmen, he mother Of the pioneer Lin
coins, &C., ever existed?
No. surely no, Mr.. Editor, and If the Bear were
surprised Ut what he IL not informed Of By the
Honorable P. ID. G.'s speeches under New Eag.
land surroundings, he might In coming 70 WASH
inIton in these times, and looking In upon the
little inquisitiye as to whether the P: N. q.
meant to pay serious compliment TO- or To- crack
necticut. when be declared that SAT one time al.
either natives Of that little state OF had been
i spoH b. = inspection, Mr. Editor Of what stun
Congresses were made st the time to which the
p. NJ. @. may refer, but have lived long enough
to stay out Of Congress than to crawl into IL. II
that Ssharpness, sagaeity political intrigue and
free use Of false promises and true dollars, which
are requisite to secure election to Congress, are
honors Of which Connecticut Is pleased TO boast,
let her wear as many Of them IS she viii.
nay Of Fl New ony
ing" after ALL for they have Q worldwide credit,
you know, sir, for saRscity which often tempo
rar1ly supplies ING pihce VI true Wlouuus huo ~
easy adaptsbility to circumstances which mako
them good "actors" on the stage Of life, and un.
der their outer coats OF serious ssltassumption
the Yankees Of the New England Socisty may
perhaps wear comic hearts and laugh TO them
selves as jocularly over their antics -
cosNoPoLITANs LAUGH AT THEM.
It 10 hard to know the New England Yankees real
character. He Is too honest TO be probed BY or
binary morality; TO good TO be sounded by COM
| mon humanity: too ssWise" to be caught by aver
| age philosophy; too "hexibls' 70 be held In po-
sition; too pions TO let anybody know more about
1 religion than he; too economically convlviel TO
/ forego aNew Epgland dinner" and so forgetful
Of self and modest at times that one might be led
to overlook him altogether If be didn't break out
into periodical plaudits Of bis ancestry with mild
ailrsiors to himself We must forgive him then,
suppose, TIL next "Forefathers' Day. Blessed
be the New EnglandeIs, one and all, and fheir God
and peace be with 'em But let "the rest Of n,
and such Of them too, will daly repent OF theil
provincial llttlenefs and try to reform, get 70
gether. ere long. at national dinner, and see j
Il We can't make Washington . cosmopolitan city
rather than the abiding place Of Proyinoia
| hordts. eoNus.