the other hand the circular written at Concord and headed by my father, which I published in my book, was sent to every county in the Commonwealth and signed by the leading men in each county-such as Charles Francis Adams, Charles Sumner, and Stephen C. Phillips. They issued the call for that Convention and fixed the place and date. The call was read at the Convention, I have no doubt, as a warrant for a Town Meeting is read at the meeting. Mr. Hoar, who headed the call was made its Chairman. There is no propriety in saying that the editor of the Massachusetts Spy, with Judge Allen and some others, called the Convention, except that Judge Allen undoubtedly signed this call with a great many others all over the state. I do not think that Mr. John Milton Earl signed it. He went very reluctantly into the movement and held back until after Judge Allen made his famous speech in the City Hall, in which, turning to Earl who was in the meeting, he said, 'The editor of the Spy knows I don't want to hurt his paper. But we must have an organ.' It was not until weeks after the call for the Worcester Convention that John Milton Earl joined the movement.

"I have the honor to be,

"Faithfully yours,

"GEO. F. HOAR."

The above letter speaks for itself; and the facts are doubtless as Senator Hoar relates them, for he was well versed in the political history of that period. But the fact remains, however, that one hundred and sixty-eight voters of the town of Northborough signed their names to the above-mentioned petition some time between June 7 (the date of the Whig Convention) and June 28 (the date of the Worcester Conference). And it shows that the men of Northborough were keenly alive to the necessity of having a political party that should stand squarely and firmly against the national sin of slavery that was threatening the life of the nation. It is a matter of small consequence, at this late date, whether Concord (as Senator Hoar believed) or Northborough (as some of our citizens believe) was the first to propose such a party. The important thing is that the petitions of Northborough and Concord, and of other towns resulted in a Conference at Worcester on June 28, 1848, at which the cowardice of the Democratic and Whig Conventions was hotly denounced, and the formation of a new party urged; and that this Worcester Conference eventuated in a National Convention at Buffalo on August 9, when the new "Free-soil," which later developed into the great "Republican" Party, was born. In either case, Northborough is justly proud of the part she performed in the matter.

CHAPTER XXI

NORTHBOROUGH IN THE CIVIL WAR

The Whigs triumphed in the election of 1848, and their triumph brought on a crisis in the question of the extension of slavery. The people of the North and the people of the South were thoroughly aroused. The smouldering embers at last burst into flames. And from the day that General Taylor was inaugurated President of the United States (March 5, 1849) to the day that witnessed the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861) excitement was kept at a white heat.

There were giants in those days in our halls of legislation, and it is doubtful whether there has ever been in our country's history another period of such fierce and uncompromising debate. To name but a few of the incidents that came under discussion within those momentous years is to confirm the stability of our democratic form of government: Henry Clay's "Compromise of 1850"; "The Fugitive Slave Law"; "The Kansas-Nebraska Law"; "The Struggle for Kansas"; "The Underground Railroad"; "The Dred Scott Decision"; "John Brown's Raid into Virginia." Truly, if democracy can discuss such questions, and preserve itself, it can endure anything. Never was there a more determined group of men than those Southern statesmen who fought for a wrong ideal, except it be that group of Northern statesmen who opposed them with a right one.

But on the main question, slavery, neither side won. It was to be a fight to a finish, a fight between right and wrong. When the Legislature of South Carolina assembled on November 6, 1860, the Governor asked it to remain in session until after the presidential election; "for," said he, "if Lincoln be elected the secession of South Carolina will be necessary." Lincoln was elected, and on December 20, 1860, the legislature passed the following resolution:

"We, the people of the State of South Carolina, in convention assembled, do declare and ordain .. that the union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved."

This act of South Carolina was soon followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. And on February 7, 1861, delegates from these states met in convention

at Montgomery, Alabama, and organized a new nation under the name, the "Confederate States of America."

In the meantime, the first overt act of war had been committed. On January 9, 1861, the merchant vessel, Star of the West, carrying provisions and reinforcements to Major Anderson at Fort Sumter, was fired upon when within two miles of her destination, and was forced to return to New York.

That was the situation that confronted Abraham Lincoln on March 4, 1861, when he became President of the United States. And this is the way he met that situation. In his inaugural he said:

"I consider the Union is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability I shall take care . . . that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the states.

"In doing this there need be no bloodshed or violence; and there shall be none, unless it be forced upon the national authority.

"The power confided in me will be used to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the Government and to collect the duties and imports.'

"There shall be no bloodshed or violence unless it be forced upon the national authority." But even such a man as Abraham Lincoln was powerless to prevent it, for on April 12, 1861, the Confederates fired their first gun at Fort Sumter, and four years Civil War had begun. No one was killed in this bombardment, but one of its consequences was the issuance by President Lincoln of a call for seventy-five thousand volunteers who should serve for three months. These volunteers were apportioned among the several states. Those states that had joined the Confederacy, of course paid no attention to the call; but in the other states the call was answered with enthusiasm, and within a few days thousands of soldiers were on their way to Washington.

We are concerned here with Northborough's attitude in the matter. How did Northborough respond? In view of her attitude on previous occasions it is not to be supposed that she would fail in patriotism on this, the greatest of all occasions. Nor did she. President Lincoln issued his historic call on April 15. On the following day Northborough posted a warrant calling a town meeting for April 17. Article II of that warrant reads as follows: "To see what measures the town will take to respond to the Proclamation of the President of the United States calling upon the loyal citizens to sustain the Federal Government, and also to see if the town will take any measures to raise volunteers for the militia, and appropriate money to defray expenses of volunteers, or act any way on the subject."

The meeting was held according to schedule. But "A statement being made that the meeting was not regularly called for a town meeting (the time of the notice not being sufficient), it was resolved to proceed with it as a citizens' meeting, and Cyrus Gale, Esq., was called to the chair, and J. B. Crawford appointed secretary.' On motion of Rev. S. S. Ashley that a committee be appointed to draw up Resolutions, the following gentlemen were appointed for that purpose:

Rev. S. S. Ashley,

Rev. Joseph Allen, D. D.,

George C. Davis.

Wilder Bush,
Samuel Clark,

The committee withdrew, and after a while, presented the following:

RESOLUTIONS

"Whereas, Seven of the Southern states of this Union are now in armed rebellion against the Constitutional Government of the United States, and are so pushing forward their schemes of treason and war that the safety and integrity of the Republic are imperiled, and

"Whereas, The President of the United States has called on the several states for aid in defense of our rights and for the protection and recovery of public property unjustly seized or threatened, and

"Whereas, It is the duty of all good citizens, forgetting all past differences, to rally and unite as one man in putting down rebellion and in support of lawful government,

"Resolved, 1st. That we, the citizens of Northborough, do hereby pledge to liberty and our country, our property, our lives and our sacred honor, and will give our united and cordial support to the Government of these United States in the present alarming crisis of our national affairs; and that we will hold ourselves in readiness to contribute according to our means, to the defence of our common country against the dangers which now impend

over us.

"Resolved, 2nd. That we will encourage patriotic men to offer their services as volunteer soldiers for the Militia, and whenever they shall be called into service from this town it is incumbent on us to see that the families dependent on them for support are well provided for.

"Resolved, 3rd. That we will make ample provisions for all expenses necessarily incurred in drilling, equipping and uniforming volunteers from this town.

"Resolved, 4th. That the invitation be extended to the other towns of the 15th Representative District (Shrewsbury and Boylston) to join this town for the purpose of raising and equipping one company of soldiers, and offer the same to the Commander-in-Chief of this Commonwealth.

"Resolved, 5th. That we recommend to each and every Representative District in the state to raise in addition to any already raised, at least one company of volunteers for the State Militia.

These Resolutions were adequately discussed, and the following votes passed:

"1st. To choose a committee of three persons to carry into effect the 4th resolve. Chose George C. Davis, Anson Rice, and Samuel I. Rice.

"2nd. That a committee be chosen to pay any monies called for in carrying out the 4th resolution. Chose George H. Williams, H. S. Fiske, and W. T. Bush.

"3rd. That the Selectmen draw orders on the town treasurer for such sums as may be required.

"4th. To accept and adopt the preamble and resolutions presented by the committee to this meeting and that the town clerk be instructed to put the resolutions with the proceedings of this meeting on the town record.

"5th. To send copies of these resolutions to the Boston and Worcester papers for publication."

These proceedings display the temper of the people of Northborough in those excitable times. Northborough had never been, up to that time, nor has she been since, a laggard in the matter of patriotism. She has always been at the forefront.

The meeting then adjourned for one week. At the adjourned meeting (April 24), it was voted "to pay the volunteers one dollar a day for drilling." It was also voted "that the Selectmen be requested to call a town meeting as soon as may be, to make provision for the volunteers."

that the two meetings already But that they had the sanction All future meetings referred to

It should be borne in mind held were "citizen's meetings." of the town need not be stated. were regularly called town meetings.

A meeting was held on May 4, which was devoted wholly to matters pertaining to the war. And in order that we might understand the patriotic spirit in which the town responded to the situation, we record the votes: