The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-16


board of aldermen and served during
the years of 1S53-54 in the state legis-
lature. 1t was during his first year In
the state house of representatives that
he became conspicuous by the intro
duction of bill to incorporate the
Bank of Mutual Redemption, which
was hailed with delight by bankers
and moneyed men throughout the
state, as it seemed to afford means
of release from the autocratic rule OF
the Suffolk Bank of Boston.
This bill was passed in the course
Of years and the Bank of Mutual Re
demption loaned the money to the
government when Andrew was COVER
nor during the civil war.
1t was not, however, until 1854 that
Mr.. Thayer accomplished the great
act of his lift, the act which Will en-
roll his name among the benefactors
of mankind, in originating the plan
which saved Kansas and other terri
tories to the union and perhaps settled
the destiny of the nation; for II the
southern leaders had secured the terri
tories, it would have given them the
balance of power for many years to
come and there would nave peen no
rebellion. The north would have ac-
duiesced. as 1t always had, in the de-
cision of the congressional majority.
In his original idea of making Kansas
free, he actually settled the destlnles
of the country.
1t was at a meeting to protest
against the repeal of the Missouri
compromise held in the old city nall,
on the evening Of March II, 1854, that
Mr.. Thaver announced his celebrated
| plan of freedom" In effect it was
simply to take possession by LAWFUL
means of the new territories through
organized migration of free-state
men sustained by base of supplies.
Mr.. Thayer defined this plan as
| business anti-slaVery, distinguished
! from sentimental and political anti
slavery. both of which had been tried
for many years and found to be faulty,
slavery in the meantime constantly
growing stronger. He clearly saw that
Whichever side gained the majority OF
actual settlers, would control the STU
atoms of the new section IN spite
of all efforts to establish others among
them, and to the purpose of securing
! this majority for freedom he devoted
all his energies and all of his means
Until that end was accomplished.
AS the first means toward fortifying
himself for this undertaking he i'm
mediately secured the passage OF an
act to incorporate the Massachusetts
Emigrant Aid Company ana before the
vote TO repeal the Missouri compromise
was taken, hired a hall in Boston and
began to speak afternoon and evening
| in behalf of his undertaking.
The intense excitement and strong
onnosition which followed the first an
| nouncement of the purpose to repeal
the compromise. in great measure
subsidized after that act was accom-
plished, and he found extreme difficult
| tv in the succeeding months in pur-
suading a, sufficient number of men to
| ioin in his enterprise to form the first
colony.
The know-nothing frenzy absorbed
! the public mind so fully, that other
considerations were almost entirely eX-
Guided, and the free soil vote of 1854
| dwindled to a few thousands, the re-
! publican candidate for governor him
self deserving his party and voting
with the native. Americans. The Know
nothing organization had controlled the
| state for three years, and the frenzy
had seized the public mind to such an
extent that no man who asDlred TO
public office had chance ofelection UNI
| less he was affiliated with that party.
Every member Of congress belonged
| to it, and it has been commonly said
| that Henry Wilson and other promin-
ent office holders Of that time We're
| elected upon that platform. The ma
| ional Know-nothing party did not
agitate the slavery question, but main
tanned that congress ought not to legis-
| late on the question Of slavery which
was regulated by the statutes OF the
various states.
In 1856 the republicans Of this dis
| trict came to the front, but feeling that
| they stood no show of winning at the
pending elections, made alliances with
the Know-nothing party whereby the
| Offices were to be divided and Col.
| Alexander Dewitt made an agreement
vrrfft Mi q
run against him. At the last moment,
however, Governor Gardner sent word
| that he must make the run against
| Chaplin. 1t was at this crisis that
Charles White, a party manager, nom
mated Eli Thayer for congress, and
took a carriage and went to the Dread
| to notify him of his nomination.
Dir. Thayer was warmly greeted in
the convention, and, although it was
| but five days before the election, he an
| nounced his determination to stump
the district, and called for means of
! transportation to the various towns
and villages. During the five days he
made on an average four speeches a
| day At the close of the campaign DR..
| Joseph Sargent said to Mr.. Thayer
that no man could do what he had done
| and live, but he replied that he was
prepared to undertake the same ordeal
again in the same cause.
| During this campaign he would
speak at Clinton in the morning, at
! Leominster at noon, at Ashburnham in
| the afternoon and at Fitchburg in the
evening, and it was in this way that
he covered the entire Worcester dis
| trict in the short space of five days.
The result of this bitter contest was
| most gratifying to Mr.. Thayer, who
won by a vote of nearly two to one.
The election was in November, 1856.
but Mr. Thayer did not take his seat
until the December of the following
| year.
At this time a new matter was inter-
| esting the southern MEMBERSHIP re-
tention of the state of Kansas in the
/ democratic column. The notable
| southern propagandists, of which Quit
man of Mississippi was the representa-
I tive. had, in order to amend the neu-
| trality laws, put on foot a scheme for
| the unffication of Mexico, Cuba ana
/ Central America and the formation OF
an immense slave empire. This was
regarded ythe northern representa-
tives with a great deal of apprehension,
/ but much to the surprise Of everyone,
Mr.. Thayer came out in favor Of it.
He said to the southern leaders that