ver ninety,
told me the whole story immediately on his return.

The proceeding undoubtedly was not to be justified; but it
was a satisfaction to know that no slave-hunter came to Worcester
after that occurrence. Five or six people--including, if
I am not mistaken, Mr. Higginson himself, certainly including
Joseph A. Howland, a well-known Abolitionist and non-resistant,
and also including Martin Stowell, who was afterward indicted
for killing Batchelder, a Marshal who took part in the rendition
of Burns--were complained of before the police court, and
bound over to await the action of the grand jury. The grand
jury returned no indictment, except against one colored man.
Mr. District Attorney Aldrich was quite disgusted at this,
and promptly _nol prossed_ that indictment. And so ended
the famous Butman riot.

The Whigs were in a minority in Massachusetts after the year
1848. But the constitution required a majority of all the
votes to elect a Governor; and, in the case of no choice, the
Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Executive Council,
and the Senators from counties where there had been no election
were chosen on joint ballot by the members elected to the
two Houses. The Whigs were able to carry the Legislature,
and in that way chose their Governor and Lieutenant Governor,
elected Councillors, and filled vacancies in the Senate. But
the Free Soil and Democratic leaders were not content to leave
the power in the hands of the Whig minority. In 1849 a few
Representatives and Senators were chosen to the Legislature
by a union of the Free Soil and Democratic Parties. In the
autumn of 1850 this arrangement was extended through the State.
The Whigs were in a minority in the Legislature, and the coalition
proceeded to elect a Democratic Governor and Lieutenant Governor
and an Executive Council. In consideration of giving these
offices to the Democrats, it was agreed that Mr. Sumner should
be chosen Senator. A few of the Democrats, who desired to
keep their party relations with the South, refused to agree
to this arrangement. Mr. Winthrop was the Whig candidate.
The Senate, on its part, promptly elected Mr. Sumner, but
there was a long contest in the House of Representatives,
extending through three months. Twenty-six ballots were cast,
of which no candidate had a majority until the last. Mr.
Sumner several times came within two or three votes of an
election. At last it was apparent that some member had