THE MAJORITY LAW. 417 



by those who feel themselves capable of playing their 

 part in active life, and are drawn by their inclinations 

 to secular, rather than to sacred things. It is so easy 

 also to try the career of politics, where the legislator is 

 supported by the State, and requires no other qualifica 

 tions than the confidence and votes of a majority of his 

 fellow-citizens. 



Massachusetts has long been, and still continues a 

 whig state, though the majority of the whig party is not 

 large ; and the democrats are the more clamorous, as 

 they command a large majority in the adjoining State 

 of New Hampshire. The question under discussion in 

 the Senate, on the day of my first visit, was what is called 

 the Majority Law, an alteration in which has long been 

 an object of desire with the movement party. By the 

 constitution of Massachusetts, an absolute majority of 

 the electors must in all cases support the successful can 

 didate, otherwise there is no election. This law applies 

 to all popular elections, and is interwoven with all the 

 political and social movements of the State. It is easy 

 to understand why the democrats, being still a minority, 

 should wish to have the law altered and how, if a 

 simple majority of those who actually vote, or are present 

 at an election, were capable of making a legal choice, the 

 scale might often be turned in their favour. As this 

 simple majority of those who vote is the rule in most other 

 States, it is probable, however, that in Massachusetts the 

 demand of the movement party must be ultimately con 

 ceded. 



Feb. 28. I this day visited Lowell, the much spoken 

 of manufacturing city of this State, went through 

 several of its factories, and enjoyed a short drive above 

 the city, up the beautiful river Merrimack, from which 

 the power that drives its machinery is derived. It is a 

 clean spacious busy place, with wide streets, abundant 



VOL. II. 2 D 



