Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-26

back, and well did he improve the op-
portunity to pay his respects to his dis
tinguished adversary, Franklin Pierce,
in the great speech he soon after made
in our old city hell, 81 years ago. The
| temper and vim Of it, as well renlem-
! bered by the writer of this, VINO heard 1t
and reported it at the time, may be in
ferred from the spirit with which he
! referred to the attempt made by his
former political associates to gag his
| utterance or fetter his lips on the great
! questions at issue between freedom and
slavery, in this country. Said Mr.. Hale:
''The measure of my ambition will be
| full if, when my earthly career shall be
! finished and my bones laid beneath the
| soil of New Hampshire, and when my
| wife and children shall repair to my
grave TO drop the tear Of affection to my
memory, that they read on my tomb
stone, He who lies benath surrendered
office, place and power, rather than bow
down and worship slavery
| These words fittingly adorn the base
Of the statue Of John P. Hale, erected in
| front of the capitol in Concord, N. H.,
and presented to the state Of New
Hampshire by Hon. William E. Chan
| dler, United States senator from that
| state, a son-in-law of Mr.. Hale.
| Mr. Hale was the first anti-slavery
| free soil or republican United States
! senator in congress, Chase and Seward
coming next, before Sumner and Will
| son.
! The great speech of Charles Sumner,
| above referred to, in our city hall, Sept
| Z, 1854, was before the republican state
convention. 1t was one Of the most
! crowded meetings ever held in that hall,
after it had been SO arranged as to hold
| the largest audience, with the speak
| er's platform at the east end. Mr.. Sum-
ner, then in the pride of his manhood,
at the age Of 40, naturally felt proud of
| the ovation with which he was received
| and the immense audience gathered to
welcome him with their repeated and
enthusiastic plaudits How familiar to
| the ears of one who heard Mr.. Summer
| on that occasion, As years ago, stand
| ing directly in front of him as he spoke,
and well doing his part in the mani
festattons of applause of the disting-
uished speaker, as he proceeded. sound
| the following words Of the opening of
| that eloquent and stirring, address:
"Mr. President and Fellow-Citizens Of
Massachusetts: After months of anx-
! ious, constant service in another place
away from Massachusetts, I am permit
| ted again TO stand among you, my fell
low-citizens, and to draw satisfaction
and strength from your generous pres
| ence. (Applause.) Life is full of changes
| Il
| come to free soil. (Applause.) From the
tainted breath Of slavery have passed
to this bracing air of freedom. Cap
| plause) And the heated antagonism
Of debate shooting forth its fiery Gin
ders, is changed into this brimming,
overfiowing welcome, where I seem to
| lean on the great heart of our beloved
commonwealth, as it palpitates audibly
in this crowded assembly" Loud and
long-continued applause.)
| AS Mr.. Sumner alluded to his "lean-
! Ing on the great heart of our beloved
! commonwealth with its seemingly au-
| dible palpitations, he extended his right
palm towards the audience in signifi-
| cant Illustration Of his words, that 1t
was the great mass Of living hearts be-
| fore him with principles near and dear
| to him, by which he proposed to be gov
| erned, and on which he desired to lean
and get support and encouragement, in
| the great work before him.
| Mr.. Sumner afterwards made other
| speeches in Worcester, at the old city
| hall and in Mechanics Hall, all Of which
were clothed in the same beauty of logic
and devotion TO great principles which
| characterized the whole of that from
which the opening extract above quoted
| is taken.
| With all the good things which have
1 been said and done in the old town hall
or of which it has been the scene, it is
| not strange that there should have been
some which, instead of rejecting fame
upon our fair city or any Of its halls
can be mentioned only to the discredit
! of the actors.
! Among the worst OF these which have