SPEECH BEFORE THE REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION AT WORCESTER,
MASSACHUSETTS, OCTOBER 1, 1861. WITH APPENDIX.
Therefore take heed …
How you awake _the sleeping sword of war_:
We charge you, in the name of God, take heed!
SHAKESPEARE, _King Henry V._, Act I. Scene 2.
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the LAW
OF LIBERTY.--_Epistle of James_, ii. 12.
This speech, at the time of its delivery, was entitled in
some quarters “Emancipation the Cure of the Rebellion,” which
certainly showed an appreciation of its meaning. In the
pamphlet edition another title was adopted, argumentative in
form, and intended to suggest the same conclusion,--“Union and
Peace, how they shall be restored.” It was made at the annual
State Convention of the Republican party of Massachusetts.
The Convention was called to order by Hon. William Claflin,
Chairman of the Republican State Committee. Its permanent
organization was as follows.
President,--Hon. Henry L. Dawes, of North Adams.
Vice-Presidents,--Richard Libbey of Wellfleet, James H.
Mitchell of East Bridgewater, Joseph N. Bacon of Newton, Albert
J. Wright of Boston, Nehemiah Boynton of Chelsea, John S. E.
Rogers of Gloucester, Gerry W. Cochrane of Methuen, N. C.
Munson of Shirley, Giles H. Whitney of Winchendon, J. H. Butler
of Northampton, Joel Hayden of Haydensville, by districts;
with Robert M. Hooper of Boston, Oliver Ames, Jr., of Easton,
Alexander DeWitt of Oxford, Hapgood Swift of Lowell, Freeman
Walker of North Brookfield, Marshall P. Wilder of Dorchester,
Clement Willis of Boston, Lorenzo Sabine of Roxbury, Thomas
Tucker of Worcester, Francis H. Fay of Lancaster, Columbus
Tyler of Somerville, George Washington Warren of Charlestown,
Linus Beck of Boston, Charles O. Rogers of Boston, H. B.
Staples of Milford, Orlando Burt of Sandisfield, Francis
Coggswell of Andover, at large.
Secretaries,--S. N. Stockwell of Boston, J. E. Tucker of
Worcester, N. A. Horton of Salem, Z. E. Stowe of Lowell, George
S. Merrill of Lawrence, Joseph B. Thaxter of Hingham, Samuel
B. Noyes of Canton, William S. Robinson of Malden, Charles A.
Chase of Boston, L. H. Bradford of Fitchburg, William Martin of
North Adams, Gardner M. Fiske of Palmer, William W. Clapp, Jr.,
of Boston.
The President, on being conducted to the chair, made a speech,
in which he said:--
“Since last assembled here for a kindred purpose, the
mighty march of events has borne the popular efforts on
to a higher plane than ever before opened to the gaze
of man.… Massachusetts cannot, if she would, and, thank
God, she would not, if she could, perform an indifferent
part in this life struggle of the Republic. She makes no
boast over her sister States, but the great Disposer and
Adjuster of events has placed her in the forefront rank, in
this great battle for the integrity of the nation and the
existence of free institutions, and she accepts her place
with alacrity.”
Immediately after this speech, John A. Andrew was unanimously
and by acclamation renominated as candidate for Governor, being
his second nomination for that post. The committees of the
Convention having been appointed, there was an adjournment till
afternoon.
In the afternoon, the resolutions of the Committee, seven in
number, were reported by George S. Hale, of Boston, and at once
laid upon the table, on motion of Edward L. Pierce, of Milton,
in order to give an opportunity for Mr. Sumner to address the
Convention. A report says:--
“Hon. Charles Sumner came on the platform about this time,
and his presence was acknowledged with great applause. The
President introduced him to the Convention, and he made a
speech about an hour long.”
“Great enthusiasm” and “warm cheers” are the terms of other
reports with regard to his reception. These are mentioned
because the sentiments of the audience were represented
afterwards as adverse. The pamphlet report says:--
“Upon the appearance of Mr. Sumner on the platform, he
was most cordially greeted by the whole Convention and
the large audience in the galleries. Hon. H. L. Dawes,
President of the Convention, introduced him in a few
felicitous words, whereupon the warm applause of the vast
assembly burst forth again with great enthusiasm, ending
with three rousing cheers.”
At the conclusion of Mr. Sumner’s speech, a motion was made
to take the resolutions of the Committee from the table, when
Rev. James Freeman Clarke, the Liberal preacher and sincere
reformer, appeared on the platform, and after a few remarks
offered the following resolutions.
“_Resolved_, That, while the people of Massachusetts have
confidence in the wisdom of the National Administration,
and are ready hereafter, as hitherto, to give their blood
and their treasure in answer to its call, yet, believing
that Slavery is the root and cause of this Rebellion, they
will rejoice when the time shall come, in the wisdom of the
Government, to remove this radical source of our present
evils.
“_Resolved_, That, when the proper time shall arrive,
the people of Massachusetts will welcome any act, under
the war power of the Commander-in-Chief, which shall
declare all the slaves within the lines of our armies to
be free, and accept their services in defence of the
Union,--compensating all loyal owners for slaves thus
emancipated, and thus carrying liberty for all human beings
wherever the Stars and Stripes shall float.”
There was no direct vote on these resolutions, but authentic
accounts at the time enable us to trace their fortune.
They were at once opposed by George S. Hale, the reporter
of the Committee’s resolutions, and by Artemas Lee of
Templeton, “declaring that they were calculated to weaken
the Administration in Kentucky.” Not being moved as an
amendment to the other resolutions, the first question was
on the adoption of the latter, which were carried. Pending
the question on Mr. Clarke’s resolutions, the Committee to
nominate Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of the Commonwealth,
Attorney-General, Treasurer and Receiver-General, and Auditor,
made their report, which superseded the other question,
and caused an irritating and personal discussion. When the
nominations were completed, it had become late, and many had
already left by the trains, among them Mr. Sumner; but Mr.
Clarke moved to take his resolutions from the table, when,
according to the report, “a member in front of the chair moved
to adjourn, and that motion, being first in order, was put and
carried, with but few dissenting votes.” It was supposed by
many, that, had a vote been taken on these resolutions while
the Convention was full, they would have been adopted.
In the disposition to weaken the speech of Mr. Sumner, it
was charged at the time that he spoke without official
invitation,--which was contrary to the fact. Some time in
advance of the Convention, Mr. Claflin, Chairman of the State
Committee, called on Mr. Sumner and invited him to address it,
urging him strongly; and when the latter said that he could
not consent, without declaring the duty of Emancipation, and
freeing his mind on this all-important subject, Mr. Claflin
insisted that he should do so, and Mr. Sumner promised to
speak. At another call Mr. Sumner read to Mr. Claflin a sketch
of what he proposed to say, adding that he would not speak
except with the approval of Mr. Claflin, when the latter
declared his entire agreement with Mr. Sumner, and insisted
that the speech should be made.
An account of the contemporaneous discussion, whether of
criticism or sympathy, will be found in the Appendix.