Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-10-23
TDs c nustituaiowai aggbtH.

Gently been held in Worcester, Mass Tor the
nomination of state officers and presidential elect
ors. IL is stated that MIR. WErsrER addressed
The convention IN most powerful and impress
sivc MANNER aud numbers OF his audience, says
private letter, were effected to tears; nor could
he himself restrain his clnocl"ns--Such an expo
sion OF ma-adiuiStration! | would that every
clector in Massachusetts,, my III the Union could
have been present and hcnrd IL.
The following remarks upon this able speech, we
copy from the Boston Atlas of Saturday.
From the Boston Daily Atias of Oct. 49,
MIR. WEBSTER'S SPEECH
Mr., Webster has been the presiding spirit of the
scene to-day. His speech ON Mr. Austin's rcsolu-
tions u most mastcrly effort. Public expecta-
ton was aroused TO the highest pi,ch, and 1t was
most abundanhy satisfied The galleries of the
church were filled TO overflow ing, for hour and
half previous to the time designated by him last
evening, when he would lay his hopes and his fears
in regard to the present crisis. before the Convent
on, and thro' the Convention TO the people There
was coquence in his manner in his topics, and
III his conceptions You might read in the
preston OF countcnance that met your eyes from
every part of the Assembly, that the convictions
ufhis mind which he desired TO Impress upon the
Convention were already shooting up and expand
ing into precisely tho conclusions that he wanted.
The deep aud full intonations of his voice gave
most powerful emphasis to his prcrnoniton, that
the pcrmanence of republican institutions, the
stability o. the Federal Constitution, and the
tinuance of the spirit Of liberty i'll our highly ia
vored land would depend almost entirely upon
the overthrow ofthe present administration by the
people, and the substitution OF 3cter and wiser
III their places. TO give any thing but
brief outline of his splendid address, is utterly out
ofmy power, sketched as i, is without Il seat, and
without the time to give It careful revision.
His conclusion was beyond my pen TO describe
His own emotion was caught by the whole assem-
blagc. Never had the citizens of Massachusetts,
greater reason to be proud of their distinguished
Senator than on this OCCASION.
When he to speak Mr.. Davis of Worcester
suggested that he could be heard to greater add
vantage, if he would ascend the platform
which the Chairman and other officers were seated,
ut which suggestion Mr.. Silsby rose, and invited
him TO take that stand.
He commenced by Observing, that the resolutions
proposed by Mr.. Austin expressed the opinion,
that thorough change ought to take place in the
administration of our public affairs in which opin-
ion he decidedly concurrcd. There no indi-
vidual in the community who was less disposed
than he was, TO join in general opposition TO the
measures of the Government of the United States,
but crisis had in his opinion, arrived, which left
him no alternative.
The people had relied upon ther excellent Con-
stution and justly, to certain extent, for protect
ipn-but who he asked should protect that Con-
sitution7 Who should guard TIE guardians but the
people themselves? Were the principles and
the leading measures of the present National Adj
administrations hostile to the great Interests of the
country? And was there any prospect of amendment
but by making thorough change in men and mea-
surcs?
Upon these topics Mr. Webster dwelt with great
power and ability. He considered the question re-
amount to all others; and after adverting to the
posture of South Carolina towards the Union, and
the conduct of Georgia in disrcgarding the opini-
of the Supreme Tribunal of the land, he de-
picted in glowing and mpassioned language the
cnormity committed by the latter state in appre-
hending criminals those pious, meek men who
had gone 10 carry the gospel 10 the heather our
borders, under an express permission from the GO
Notwithstanding them in dungeon where
they had to pass their days in counting the
slow revolving hours of theirEmis, rable captivity
when by this act of the state, the supreme law of
the land was annulled and trodden under toot-the
judgment of the Supreme tribunal condemned and
despiscd.
The general aspect of society, said he, had un-
dergone change. The doctrine of the ruling
party pFoscrption-and that for opinions
sake Did not such spirit for ode dcspctism,
and could the people indulge the belief that they
now breathed the air that they former
ly wont 10 breathe?
Mr.. Webster then proceeded to submit to the
Convention his views in regard to the Tariff
policy, understood by the Administration. Nc
thing farther from the truth than that this
vitality important question was settled.
The last message of the President to Congress
had explicitly declared that the whole system of
protection abuse OF tho power of Legisla-
ton, and an abandonment of the object for which
Congress intended. What hope then could
reasonably be entertained that the policy set
tied? Every thing unsettled but their settled
purpose to change every thing-to make the
government what they maintained it ought to be
not the Constitution and the law-but some new
thing unknown to the bill of rights which was
framed to protect them in the enjoyment of life
liberty and property.
He then remarked that the honor of the country
was intimately and indissoluby connected with the
character and principles OF its chief officers Here
toforc we had had for Chief Magistrates,
men and statesmen, who had left behind them con-
sstent views of the proper administration of pub
lie atiairs-a Washington, Adams, and Jefcr
son-and delightful indeed would il now be if the |
people could contemplate the President of the Uni |
ted States one Identical idcd--one who did not |
pass from shade to shade and from light to shade,
like the shadows in plIantasmag oria.
MIR. VS. analysis of the Veto vi cssa gc-his con-
trast of the different sentiments which Gen. Jack
son had at various times advanced--and the ncon-
sistency o! his acts in regard to most of the lead
ing measures of his administration, portrayed
by MIN with a most mastery hand--but have not
time TO give abstract.
The subject of the Public Lands, Mr.. Webster
said that he very DESTROYS of awakimg tho pub
lie mind TO the Importance of, in the old states
of the UGon. The quantity of acres that had been
sold, was about 30 millions, and the quantity to
which the Indian title had been extn guished, and
which was now in The market, amounted to about
j. million, enough to make 80 states equal 10 the
area Of Massachusetts, This domain had been de-
rived by grants and concessions from the several
Sites, and therefore common stock. a CLAN
had been seriously urged by some Of the people of
the west that this common property belonged to |
the State in which it lay: the subject up last |
winter in Congress, where IN the Senate il
terTcd to the committee of manufactures Of which !
Mr. Clay member, to cmbarrIss him by com |
polling him TO assume responsibility the sub |
ject. lie had great pleasure in saying that Mr.. |
Clay took the question with the eye Of a states !
nan--thlt ho embraced the occasion and met re- |
sPonsibiliy. He showed that the pretcncc SC; up,
f1,.ft I,.,