The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-14
LPnhlished In september, lS76. |

Published in September, 1876
TO Hon. James 4. Gqrdetd, Member Of Congress
from Ohio:
have read the speech you sent me- lam
astonished and shocked. AS the leader Of
your party, to whom the candidates have
specially delegated the conduct of the pend
in g campaign, you should have met your re-
sponsibities in different way. | do no
presume to lecture so distinguished man
upon his errors but if can prevent you,
even to smsll extent, from abusing the
public credulity, it is my duty to try. Prom
ising only my great anxiety to preserve the
fraternal relations existing between us for
many years, follow the Horatan rule, and
Come at once to 'the middle Of things"
You trace back the original of present
parties 10 the earliest immigrations at Ply.
mouth and jamestown, and profess to find in
the opposing doctrines then planted and
aiterward constantly cherished in Massachu-
sets and Virginia, the germs Of those ideas
which now make Democracy and Abolition
ism the deadly foes of each other. The ideas
80 planted in Massachusetts were, according
TO your account, the freedom and equality Of
all races, and the right and duty of every
man to exercise his private Judgment in poll
tics as well as religion. On the other hand,
you set forth as irreconcilably hostile the
doctrines Of Virginia, THAT capital should
own labor; that the negro had no rights Of
ro.nbood and that tho wb;ta man n;obt
'' "'N 'n". 'n' "n
puy' own ana sell nm ana ms ohspting lor-
ever; foilowing lhese assertions WIN o'hers'
and mixing Inc present WIN 'he iohg past
you employ lhe devices OF your rhetoric 10
gioriiy inc modern Aooiiliohist ana 70 throw
fonl scorn, not merely on the southern peo'
pie, Dut on inc Whole democracy OF the
country; 3,
Inns looks learned ana pniiosophlcai' ana
ngives your speech dignity, seemingly
ABOVE tne ieach OF the ordinary demsgogue'
Happy IS he who knows the causes OF things;
tehcltous Is me partisan member OF con
gress whose stump spee'h goes up the river
OF tme 10 the nist FOUNTAINS OF coca ana
evil. But your contrast OF historical facts
IS open 10 one opleclon, Which give you
IN form as simple as possible When 1 say
that " Is wholly destitute OF truth inns, OF
course, implies no imputatlon on your good
Isith' Tour hlgh character IN the church,
rs wen rs the STATE lorblds the behef that
you would DC guilty OF wlilui msrePresen'
iaton.
TOLERANCE IN NEW ENGLAND.
The men of Massachusetts,, so far from
planting the right of private Judgment, ex-
tirpated and utterly extinguished it, by
means so cruel that no man Of common hui
mainly can think Of tuem even now without
disgust and indignation. am surprised to
find YOU ignorant of this. Did YOU never
hear of the frightful prosecutions they car
ried on Systematically against Baptist.
and Quakers and Catholics How they fined
imprisoned, dashed, mutiated ensaved snt
banished everybody that claimed the right o.
free thought? How they stripped the mos
virtuous and inotiensive women, and pub
hciy whipped tnem on their naked backs
only for expressing their conscientious con
Vicuons! Rave you never, IN all YOU
Ieaoing, met win inc story OF Roger WI
hams! For merely suggesting to the public
autnoriues OF the colony that no person
ought 10 DC punished on account OF his hon
est CONVICTIONS, ne was driven INTO the wood
and pursued ever alterWard with terocit,
That put MS own life and that OF his friend
IN constant danger. IN TACT, the cruelty o
Their laws against the freedom OF conscienc,
and the unfeellng rigor with which the.
were executed, made Massachusetts odiou
throughout the world.
These great crimes of the Pilgrim Father
ought not to be cast ny to their children 70
some OF their descendants Il hope a goo
majority are high principled and homes
men, sincerely attached to the liberal insti
tutions planted in the more southern lati
tudes OF the continent, But If your are rgh
inyour assertion that the Aboitionists deriv
their principles from the ideas entertaine
and planted at Plymouth that may accoun
for the coarse and brutal tyrrany with whic
your party has, in recent times, trample
upon the rights of free thought and FIRE
speech.
SLAVERY IN MASSACHUSETTS.
Nor are you more accurate in YOUR declar
alton that the old Yankees planted tke doc
trine of freedom and equality. or onnose
the domination of one race over anothe
Messrs. Palfrey and Sumner have said some
thing to the effect that slavery never eyste
in Massachusetts. and Won NAV have hoe
misled bv them. Bnt either thew wera who'll
ignorant of the subject or else ,hev snnli
with that loose and lavish pnverscity wh;c
;sa common ,anlt anoora man ~ th:r r ,nii,
ical sect The pIymnSth colnnv ond Pm th
nroyince of Msssacbpsetts bav ware ,,r,