Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-10-26
MIR. WEBSTER'S SPEECH.



.e-..S--@Ss.-t
MIR. WEDSTERS SPEECH,
Al TIE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IN woR
cEsTER, OCTOBER IL.
(Contirurd.)
And what did we witness, Sir, when the admin
istration actually commenced, in the full exercise
ot ITS authority One universal sweep, ono undis
Gnguishing blow, levclcd against all, " no were
not of the successful party. No worth, public or
private, civil military, was of poycr to resist
tho relentless grccdincss Of prescriptions Soldiers
OF tho lato war; soldiers of the Revolutionary war
the very contemporaries OF the liberties oCthc coun
try all lost their stuations. No rifce was too high
and none too low: for cihce was the spniI and NH
me spots, 1t was said belonged to tic rictors. If
a man, holding an office, necessary for his daily
support, had presented hinscf covered with the
scars of wounds received III every battle, from Bum
ker Hill to York Town, these would not have prc
footed him against tho reckless rapacity of pro
scription. Nay, Sir, il WARREN himself had been
among the living, and had possessed any Office I'M
der Government, high or low, he would not have
been suffered to hold 1t single hour, unless he
could show that no had strictly COMPLIED with the
party statutes and had put well marked party
collar round his own neck. Look, Sir, to the case
ofthe late venerable Major MELVILLE. He was
spirit OF 1875, Of the vciy first TO yantur. in
the cause OF Liberty. He was of tie Tea marty;
ono of tho very first to expose himself 10 British
power. And his whole life was con.onanl with
thic, its beginning. Always ardent in the cause Of
Liberty, always goa on, friend 10 his country
always acting with the party which he supposed
cherished the genuine Republican Spirit most fer
vently, always cstimnh!c AVID respectable in private
lie, he seemed armed against this nscrab!a pctty
tyranny oil party, as lar a. man could he But he
felt ts blow and he fell. lie held AN o;Iico in the
Custom House, and hpd holden il for a lcur cons,
of years; and he deprived o! it, Us if unworth nv
10 servo the country ia which he lived s. for whose
lI5ertics, I'M the vlgOr Of his carly manhood he had
thrust himself into the very Jaw of it's enemies
There was mistake in the matter. Ills character
his standing, His Revolutionary scrvcrs were all
well known; but they were known 10 no purpose
They weighed not onc feather against party pratcn
sions. Il cost no pain To remove him; it cost .,
eompunction 10 wiring his aged heart it'll this refri
button from bis country for his services his zeal and
his fidelity. sir, You VIII hear wiinces that wi hen
his successor nominated TO the Senate, and .ho
Senate was told who it that had been removed
TO make way for that nomination, members were
struck with horror. They had not conceived the
Administration to he capable Of such thing: and
yet, they said, " hat can do7 The man is re-
moved;--lcs cannot recall him; we can only ac,
upon the nomination before US! Sir, va and
thought otherwise; and rejoice that WE did think
otherwise. We Though, !. duty TO rcsiy. Tho no
mnaton, to a vacancy ;hus crca,cd. We thought
Ii our duty to oppose this prescription " hen and
where, and as We con>iui"nal!y could We be-
sought The Senate TO 60 with u.s. nd Ia he stand
before the country ON this great question. We in
wnked them to try the d.'i"erate sense of the rso
pie; TO trust themscly before tho ribuna or public
opinion; to resist al peril, 10 resist last to resist
always, tho Introduction of this unsociu this mis-
chievous, this dangerous, His bcgoront ,,rnciuls
into the practice o! the government,
v;I,gcJ co,ntv on or,L -; t;I .'e'o 10 no CT
rmjors tIoro : ,I, -, ::; 49,, 49, '' a cu,'"So o'
hovo y,;,nossod -; 49,; r,o J"' THO Il" we
raj Addrcso nf $500 s,,L ,,, '' in"us"-
of govcrr,ncr, ~, moe, s,'.'s Dps'".'o"
air of the rrcsc,t ad,r;;sfr.,;o,L LIZ -, i'i''lon'
for Office and nrcc Xybn,,or s ~. . ~, "a
ri;sh Npivtor Viii ~ ,o-,. ,aL L "u "I'y ~
Wbcn did ,s evcr go inn =, i an 'n'!,,'Stl
,,,,Lo an ons,irr oc ,;dc ,,.;,o.o WI 80 :, ="
cvcr talo s,,,ay Tho L,;I k,o,d IS ,i n'r Va" NJ
puacors and iooasnrrr9 Or ,yhon Ala IL ,s On"
Tho yillarcs to d;s,urb Tho l,,Io 49,, - -
mail contracts and any Ir;rr cleo j.;
deorec connected yjfl; ~n,aTn.,o,it Sir o.;
tain yvho should do his and sbn,,ld C,or..a,i.
show his head in = BRUSH J,rso nc Cnn,,,,,,,
would he received bv an u,,vcrs,I hi.s
have little To saw of the selections r,,da ., eli
vacancies tins creatod. 7, il ,rrc bo,.rvor ani
nc is a natural consequences Of Tho svsIs,n -,;,S
has beor acted on. that within tbc las, tLco ,,r
more nominations have been r, iertoJ ~, mo cr,,I
,,c yD6,uesq than in all t,o pTocodinn torI ~
Of tho govarrmcnt And ,lcso nnn,;,,,;oyye ~
kpow, CIR could NOT have Roc, rn;o.tod H., ~
vntes Of tho PresiIcnt,s cv,r rr;c,J r., ''' W
rerc too siron, io Inc rcsiqtcd Evor n, ~.
,,cl,rcn, could NOT stard f,crn H. p'i AZ