Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1830-02-16
CONGRESS.
MR.. wEBSTER's SPEECH.

! ~A'Ss SPSSSH, Az OhSWOA " I1dyuG, LlldL
relates to the defence of New England.
Messrs. Hayne and Benton replied and
then Mr.. Webster followed in his larger
effort that has been so much praised. This
= has not yet been published We shall
endeavour to lay before our readers the
most material part of the debate =
come now, Mr.. President, to that part
of the gentleman's speech which has been
the main occasion Of my addressing the
Senate. The East the obnoxious, the
1rebuked, the always reproached. East !
We have come in, sir, on this debate, for
even more than common share of accu-
sation and. attack. IL the honorable
member from South-Carolina was not our
original accuser, he has yet recited the
indictment against us, with the air and
tone OF a publick prosecutor. He has
summoned us TO plead, on our arraign
ment aud he tells US we are charged with
the crime of narrow and selfish policy !;
of endeavouring to restrain emigration to
the West, and, having that object in view,
of maintaining steady opposition TO wes-
tern measures and western Interests. And
the cause Of all this narrow and selfish
policy, the gentleman finds in the tariff
| think he called it the accursed policy of
the tariff. This policy. the gentleman
tells us, requires multitudes of dependent
labourers, population of paupers, and it
is to secure these at home that the East
oppose whatever may induce to western
emigration. Sir, rise to defend the East.
| rise to repel both the charge itself and
the cause assigned for it. l deny that the
East has, at any time. shown an illiberal
policy towards the West. l pronounce
the whole accusation to be without the
least foundation in any facts, existing Ell
Their now, or at any previous time. | de-
ny it in the general, and deny each and
all its particulars. deny the sum total,
and deny the detail. deny that the
East has ever manifested hostility to the
West, and deny that she has adopted any
policy that would naturally have led her
in such course. But the tariff the ta-
riff! Sir, beg to say, in regard to the
East, that the original policy Of the tariff
is not hers, whether it be wise or unwise.
New-England is not its author. If gen.
tlemen will recur to the tariff of 1916,
they will find that that was not carried by
New-England votes. 1t was truly more
a Southern than an Eastern measure.
And what votes carried the taritfo of 1924
Certainly not those Of New-England. 1t
is known to have been made matter Of re-
proach. especially against Massachusetts,,
that she would not aid the tariff of 1924 ;
and selfish motive was imputed to her
for that also. In point of fact, it is true
that she did, indeed. oppose the tariff OF
1924. There were more votes in favour
of that law in the House of Representa-
tiyes, not only in each of majority of
the Western States, but even in Virginia
herself also, than in Massachusetts. 1t
was literally forced upon New-England ;
and this shows how groundless, how void
of all probability, any charge must be
which imputes to her hostility to the
growth of the Western States, as natural
ly flowing from cherished policy of her
own. But leaving all conjectures about
causes and motives, | 60 at once to the
fact, and meet it with one broad, COM
prehensive, and emphatick negative. /
deny that in any part of her history, at
any period of the government, or in reIa-
ton to any leading subject, w-England
has manifested such hostility as is charg-
ed upon her. On the contrary, | main
tain that, from the day Of the cession
of the Territories by the States to Con-
gress, no portion of the country has
acted, either with more liberality or more
intelligence, on the subject Of the West
ern lands, in the new States, than New
England.
This statement, though strong, is no
stronger than the strictest truth will war
rant. Let us look at the historical facts.
So soon as the cessions were obtained, 1t
became necessary to make provision for
the government and disposition Of the
Territory--the country was to be govern
ed. This. for the present, il was obvious,
must be by some territorial system OF adj
ministration. But the soil, also, was to
be granted and settled. Those immense
regions, large enough almost for an en-
pire. were to be appropriated to private
ownership How was this best to De
done? What system for sale and d'spo'
si.ion should be adopted Two modes
for conducting the sales presented them
selves; the one southern, and the other
la northern mode. 1t would be tedious,
sir, here, TO run out these different sys-
tens into all their distinctions, and TO con-
trast their opposite results. That wh!ch
was adopted was the northern system, and
IL. ~. f.h IA.