Many of them concluded
that it would be unwise to resist the popular feeling. One
Saturday afternoon during that summer I was in the office
of Francis Wayland, a great friend of mine, long Dean of the
New Haven Law School, when Henry S. Washburn, a member of
the Whig State Central Committee, came into Wayland's office
and told me he had just attended a meeting of the Committee
that day and that it determined to make no contest against
the new Constitution. The Springfield _Republican,_ then
a Whig journal, had an article that day, or the following
Monday, to the same effect. I was very much disturbed. I
hurried to Concord by the first train Monday morning, and
saw my brother, who was then a Judge of the Court of Common
Pleas. He agreed with me in thinking that the proposed scheme
of government a very bad one. He went at once to Cambridge
and saw John G. Palfrey, a very able and influential leader
of the Free Soilers. Mr. Palfrey agreed that the Constitution
ought to be defeated, if possible. Judge Hoar and he sat
down together and prepared a pamphlet, the Judge furnishing
all the legal argument and Mr.
Pages:
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321