Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-02-27
SECOND SPEECH OF Mr.. WEBSTER,
ON MIR. FU6TsS RESOLU7Y0N-lC Continued

i
apprehension Of what I said, on the subjec, Of
the natisnsl debi-lhough can hardly perceive
how any one could misunderstood me. What
I said was, not tina, wished to put of the pay.
rnent Of the debt, bu,, on the contrary, that
had Away, voted fer every measure for its re-
ductisn, as uniformly as the gentleman himself.
He seems to claim the exclusive merit of dis
position to reduce the public charg': ] do not
allow i, TO him. AS a debt, l was. l am, for
paying it; because il is . charge on our finances.
and on the industry of the country. Bat Oh
served, that thought l perceived morbid
fsrvor on that subject; not SO much because 1t
is .. debt simply, as because, while ii lasts, it
furnishe. one objection TO disunion. II is tie
Of common interest while it. lasts. / did not
impute such motive to the honorable gentleman
himself; bu, that there is such feeling in ex-
istence, I have not 4 particle OF doubt. The
mos, said was, that if one effec, Of the debt
wa, to ,treug hen our Union, that effect, itsslf,
was not regretted by me, however much others
nigh, regret it. The gentleman has no, seen
how to reply to this, otherwise than by sup
posing me to have advanced The doctrine, tha,
a national debt is national blessing Others,
I must hope, will find less diff Gully il under
standing me. ! distinctly aud poin'edly eau
toned the honorable member not 10 understand
me as expressing an opinion favorable to the
continuance Of the debt. I repeated ihis eau
zion, and repeated it more Than once-but it
was thrown away.
On yet another point, WAS still more unac-
counlably misunderstood. The gentleman had
haraugued against consolidation" told
him, IN reply, that there was one kind Of con-
solid alton 10 which / was attached, and tina,
was, the consolidation Of our Union; and that i,
was precisely that consolidation to which |
feared others were not attached. Tina, such
consolidation was The very end Of the Gonsii'u
iiou-the leading object, a. they bad in'ormt
us themselves, which its trainers had kept in
view. turned to their commune alton, and
read ;heir very words" the consolidation Of
the Uuioc"-and expressed my devotion TO this
sort Of consolidation. / said, in terms, that
wished rot, ia the Eighties; degree, 10 augment
the powers Of this Government. that my object
was 70 preserve, not 10 enlarg', and thai by
consolida ing the Urion, l understood no more
than the streng henIng Of the Union, and per,
petaa,ing i, Having been thus rxplici,; hav.
ing thus read from the printed hook, the pre-
else words which | adopted as expressing In
my own sentiments, il passes comprehension
how any man could understand me as contend
Ing for an ex eRsion of the powers Of The Gov
efnmen,, or for consolidation, in that odous
sense, in which il means an accumulation in
the Federal Government, OF the powers pro-
perry belonging o the States.
repeat, Sit, that, in adopting the sen,imen,
Of The trainers Of the Cons,i u,ion, I read Their
language audibly, aud word for word; ard
pointed out the distinction, just as fully as
have now done, between the consolida,io u
the Union and that other obnoxious consolids
lion, wsich diselaimed. And yet the honor.
able member misunderstood me The gentle
man had said 'ha. he wished for no Fixed reve
nue-no, shilling, il. by , word, he could
conner. he Capitol into gold, he would no, do
il. Why al this fear Of revenur! Why, sir,
because, as The gentleman told Us, il TEND, TO
consolidation. Now, this can mean neither
more nor less than ha, q common revenue is
common Interest, and that all common Interests
tend TO hold the Union of the States Together.
I confess ike tina, tendency: If The gentleman
dislikss it, he is right in depreca,ins = shil
lins's 6xrd revenue. So much, sir, for eonso-
lidation.N
As well as recollect the course OF hi, re.
marks, the honorable gentleman next REQUIRED
to the subjsc, Of the Tariff He did no, doub,
the word mus, be OF unpleasant sound to me,
and proceeded, with effort neither new nor
attended with new success. to involve me and
my votes in Inconsistency and contradic ion
am happy the honorable gentleman has fur
Dished me an opportunity Of timely remark
or two on that subject Twas glad he approach.
ed It. Tor IL is question enter upon wi,hou,
fear from any body. The strenuous toll of m.
gentleman has been to raise an inconsis,ency
between my dissent TO the Tariff in 1924 and
my vote in 1928. 1, is labor lost. He paws un-
deserved compliment TO my speech in 1924:
but this is TO raise me high, tina, my fall, a. he
would have il, 10 1898, may be the more signal
Sir, there was no fall all. Between the
ground stood on 10 ls2s, and that I took in
1870, there was not only no precipice, but no
decliviiy. 1t was change Of position, TO meet
new circumstances, bu, on the same level A
plain tale explains the whole matter. 10 1916,
I had not soq aiesced in the ,ar,ff then support
ed by South Carolina, To some part, of it,
especially, l felt and expressed gres, repug-
nance. ! held the same opinions in 1871, At
the meeting in Faneuii Hall, TO which The gem
ilemsn has alluded, I said then. and say now,