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THE NORTH THREATENING DISUNION.
311
These schemes went on until they resulted in the Hartford Convention of
December 15th, 1814, where the subject of a Northern Confederacy, in all its
bearings, underwent discussion. The sentiment of the North at that time may
be seen in the party cry: " The Potomac for a boundary—the negro States to
themselves." This became the favorite phrase of the day all over the Eastern
States, and the secession movement which afterwards went on in the South was
not more popular or more seriously resolved on. The Hartford Convention
adjourned without day, January 5th, 1815. A few days after its adjournment,
the treaty of peace with Great Britain, which had been signed while the
convention was in session, reached this country and was immediately ratified
by Congress. Thus, happily, the immediate cause of. dissatisfaction was
removed and the discontent allayed.
While the irritation was still lingering in the Northern mind, a bill was
introduced into Congress, 1818, to authorize the people of Missouri to form a
constitution, preparatory to admission into the Union. This territory was a
portion of that same Louisiana whose purchase had been so vehemently
resisted by New England. During its ownership by Spain and afterwards by
France, slavery had existed in the whole of this territory, and it remained
undisturbed after its purchase by the United States; nevertheless, its admission into the Union as a slave State was violently opposed by the Eastern
points at the harbor's mouth, as signals to the
enemy, and there is no doubt, but that they
have, by signals and otherwise, instantaneous
information of our movements. Great but unsuccessful exertions have been made to detect
those who communicate with the enemy by
signal. The editor of the New England Gazette,
to alarm them, and in the hope to prevent the
repetition of these signals, stated in the newspapers that they had been observed, and ventured to denounce those who had male them,
in animated and indignant terms. The consequence is that he has incurred the express censure of some of his neighbors. Notwithstanding these signals have been repeated, and have
been seen by twenty persons at least in the
squadron, there are men in New London who
have the hardihood to affect to disbelieve it, and
the effrontery to avow their disbelief."—Niles'
Register, v., p. 302. Mr. Niles, in referring to
this matter, under date of January 22, 1814,
says: "Blue lights are still exhibited at New
London; a traitorous intercourse is kept up
with the shore; the prisoners confined in
Worcester jail have escaped, no doubt by assistance from without, and fire was communicated
to certain articles preparing for the United
States vessels at Portsmouth."—Ibid. p. 350.
Again, in referring to the meeting of the
Legislature, he says: The high tone of the
anti-federal, or British gazettes in Boston, and
some other towns in Massachusetts, for several
months past, led us to expect a storm on the
meeting of the Legislature. The right and ex
pediency of separating from the Union had been
freely discussed and decidedly advocated by the
ablest writers on the British side; and every
effort of genius and of falsehood had been
exerted to prepare the public mind for rebellion
against the United States and alliance with
England, as its natural consequence. The most
bare-faced lies and outrageous misrepresentations were diligently used to excite State jealousies and partial sympathies; all that was base
and detestable was ascribed to our own government; all that was religious [gracious heaven!]
and magnanimous, attached to the enemy." . .
..." Such were the circumstances under
which the Legislature convened. The Governor's speech was not celculated to still the
wicked passions that had been stirred up; respect
for the office bids that I should speak of it as it
deserves. The replies of the two Houses went
much further than his excellency had done;
they appear as if drafted for the chief purpose
of provoking civil war. In the debates upon
these, the most disgraceful sentiments were
avowed: it was proposed or talked of to open
custom houses, to clear out vessels in opposition
to the laws of the land; that they should negotiate a loan, and raise an army of 30,000 men
to resist'to the shedding of blood,1 the constitutional authorities; and one honest fellow
fairly declared that he was ready to change the
Constitution of the United States for that of
Great Britain, ' monarchy and all' etc., etc. Be
it noted, that they who said these things were,
(as members of the General Court of Massachu-
Object Description
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
Description
| Title | 00000342 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | THE NORTH THREATENING DISUNION. 311 These schemes went on until they resulted in the Hartford Convention of December 15th, 1814, where the subject of a Northern Confederacy, in all its bearings, underwent discussion. The sentiment of the North at that time may be seen in the party cry: " The Potomac for a boundary—the negro States to themselves." This became the favorite phrase of the day all over the Eastern States, and the secession movement which afterwards went on in the South was not more popular or more seriously resolved on. The Hartford Convention adjourned without day, January 5th, 1815. A few days after its adjournment, the treaty of peace with Great Britain, which had been signed while the convention was in session, reached this country and was immediately ratified by Congress. Thus, happily, the immediate cause of. dissatisfaction was removed and the discontent allayed. While the irritation was still lingering in the Northern mind, a bill was introduced into Congress, 1818, to authorize the people of Missouri to form a constitution, preparatory to admission into the Union. This territory was a portion of that same Louisiana whose purchase had been so vehemently resisted by New England. During its ownership by Spain and afterwards by France, slavery had existed in the whole of this territory, and it remained undisturbed after its purchase by the United States; nevertheless, its admission into the Union as a slave State was violently opposed by the Eastern points at the harbor's mouth, as signals to the enemy, and there is no doubt, but that they have, by signals and otherwise, instantaneous information of our movements. Great but unsuccessful exertions have been made to detect those who communicate with the enemy by signal. The editor of the New England Gazette, to alarm them, and in the hope to prevent the repetition of these signals, stated in the newspapers that they had been observed, and ventured to denounce those who had male them, in animated and indignant terms. The consequence is that he has incurred the express censure of some of his neighbors. Notwithstanding these signals have been repeated, and have been seen by twenty persons at least in the squadron, there are men in New London who have the hardihood to affect to disbelieve it, and the effrontery to avow their disbelief."—Niles' Register, v., p. 302. Mr. Niles, in referring to this matter, under date of January 22, 1814, says: "Blue lights are still exhibited at New London; a traitorous intercourse is kept up with the shore; the prisoners confined in Worcester jail have escaped, no doubt by assistance from without, and fire was communicated to certain articles preparing for the United States vessels at Portsmouth."—Ibid. p. 350. Again, in referring to the meeting of the Legislature, he says: The high tone of the anti-federal, or British gazettes in Boston, and some other towns in Massachusetts, for several months past, led us to expect a storm on the meeting of the Legislature. The right and ex pediency of separating from the Union had been freely discussed and decidedly advocated by the ablest writers on the British side; and every effort of genius and of falsehood had been exerted to prepare the public mind for rebellion against the United States and alliance with England, as its natural consequence. The most bare-faced lies and outrageous misrepresentations were diligently used to excite State jealousies and partial sympathies; all that was base and detestable was ascribed to our own government; all that was religious [gracious heaven!] and magnanimous, attached to the enemy." . . ..." Such were the circumstances under which the Legislature convened. The Governor's speech was not celculated to still the wicked passions that had been stirred up; respect for the office bids that I should speak of it as it deserves. The replies of the two Houses went much further than his excellency had done; they appear as if drafted for the chief purpose of provoking civil war. In the debates upon these, the most disgraceful sentiments were avowed: it was proposed or talked of to open custom houses, to clear out vessels in opposition to the laws of the land; that they should negotiate a loan, and raise an army of 30,000 men to resist'to the shedding of blood,1 the constitutional authorities; and one honest fellow fairly declared that he was ready to change the Constitution of the United States for that of Great Britain, ' monarchy and all' etc., etc. Be it noted, that they who said these things were, (as members of the General Court of Massachu- |
