The Liberator

Here is something new under the sun—a strong whig rejoicing at the election of an equally strong democrat! But, obviously, for good reasons.

From the Boston Courier.

Letter from George Bradburn.

TO THE HON. JOHN P. TARBELL:

Dear Sir—During the last three years, you and I, as members of opposing political parties in the House of Representatives, have, as was to be expected, been often found fighting on opposite sides of the same question; and were we still occupying places in that honorable body, we doubtless should be found so fighting, with equal frequency, now. Yet I cannot forbear to congratulate you and the friends of freedom throughout the Commonwealth, on your victory over Asa Lawrence, and your consequent elevation to a seat at the Senate board of our present legislature. I am as heartily pleased with this result, as I should have been sincerely pained by it, had your defeated antagonist been a true whig. But Asa Lawrence is no more a true whig, in any worthy sense of the name, than Judas Iscariot was a true christian; and a worse imitation of a legislator, not to say a man, has never come under my observation.

Your antagonist was a member of the last Senate. And what did he do? He set his face, like brass, against well nigh every liberal measure that came before the Board. He opposed the bill abolishing imprisonment for debt. He opposed the resolves, asking that colored foreigners, possessing the requisite qualifications, may be naturalized, and thus brought within the protection of our laws, as other foreigners are allowed to be. He opposed the bill very essentially ameliorating our bloody criminal code. He opposed the repeal of that demoralizing and disgusting portion of our marriage law, which so palpably encourages prostitution, robbery and slander. And, as if resolved to render as difficult as possible all redress of these and other outrages, he opposed securing to the poor man his right to a voice in the election of our law-makers and other public servants.

But all of these measures, most of which passed the House by large majorities, you advocated. And it is therefore that I rejoice in your elevation, over such a competitor, to the Senate of Massachusetts; though I am obliged to say, what I have before intimated, that if you had been successfully opposed by a 'Democratic Whig,' my joy would be much greater. When whigs so far forget their duty as to put such a man as Asa Lawrence has proved himself to be, in nomination for office, they deserve to be defeated. His re-election to the Senate would have been as disgraceful to them, as his course in that body, last year, was repugnant to all those noble and generous principles on which the whig cause is professedly founded.

Truly yours,

GEO. BRADBURN.

Jan. 8, 1842.