The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-10-13
MR. WEBSTERS SPEECH TO THE LADIES
In THE LOG CABIN

LADIES am very sure owe the pleasure I now
enjoy to your kind disposition which has given me
the opportunity to present my thanks and my respects
you thus collectively since the shortness Of my stay
in the city does not allow me the happiness of calling
upon you scveray and individually And in the first
place, | wish to express to you my deep and hearty
thanks as have endeavorcd to do to your fathers,
your husbands and your brothers, for the unboundcd
hospitality ! have received since came among
you. 1t is registered, assure you, grateful heart
in characters of enduring nature The rough
contests of the political world suited to the
dignity and to the delcacy of your but you pos
the intelligence to know how much of that hap
pness which you are entitled to hope for both for
yourselves and for your children, depends the right
administration Of good government and proper tone
of public morals. That is subject on which the
moral perceptions of woman both quicker and
juster than those of the other sex. | do not now
speak of that administration of government whose OBJ
ect merely the protection of industry the preserva
ton of civil liberty and the securing to enterprise its
due reward | speak of government in somewhat
higher point of view. We live in age distinguished
for great benevolent exerton, in which the affiuen
consecrating the they possess by endowing
colleges and academies by uniting build churches
and support the cause of religion, and by establishing
Atheneums, Lyceums, and all the other modes Of
popular instruction This is all well it is admirable
it augurs well for the prospect of ensuing generations
But have sometimes thought that there is point of
view in which government is to be considered-I
mean in It's power and its duty to augment the mo-
rails of the community and to inspire it with Just
timents of religion, which is too often overlooked A
popular government is more powerful than any other
influence (and have sometimes feared than all other
influences put together) in its action the morals of
the community for good for evil Its example, its
tone whether of respect of disrespect to moral OBJ
lgation is most important to human happiness be-
it among those things which affect the POI
ca morals humankind and hence their general morals
also. | advert to this because there has been put
forth in modern times the false maxim that there is
one morality for politics and another morality for other
things; that in their political conduct to their oppo-
nents, men may say and do tina. which they would
think of saying or doing in the personal rea-
tons of private life. There has been openly an
nounccd maxim which consider as the very con-
crete of false morality which declares that all fair
in politics" If man speaks falsely or calumnously
of his neghbor and is reproached for the offence the
ready excuse is this ii in relation to public and
political mattcrs-I cherished no personal -will
whatever against that individual but quite the
trary | spoke of my adversary merely political
man In my opinion, the day is coming when false
hood will stand for falsehood, and caumny will be
treated breach of the commandment, whether it
be committed politically in the of private
life. II is by the promugation of sound morals in
the community, and more especially by the training
and instruction of the young that woman performs
her part towards the preservation of free govern
ment II is generally admitted that public liber
ty, the perpetuty Of free constitution, rests the
virtue and intelligence of the community which en-
joys it. How is that virtue to be inspired and how
Is that intelligence TO be communicated Bonaparte
once asked Madame De Stael in what manner he
could most promote the happiness Of France. Her
reply is full of political wisdom. She said, instruct
the mothers of the French people" Because the mo-
theirs the afeconae and the effective teachers of
the human race.
The mother begins this process of training with the
infant in her II is she who directs so to speak
its first mental and spiritual pusations She conducts
il along the impossible years of childhood and of
youth; and hopes TO deliver it to the rough contests
and tunultuous scenes Of life, armed by those good
principles which her child has first received from ma
ternal care and love.
If we draw within the circle of our contemplation
the mothers of civilized nation, what do see
We behold so many artifcers working not on frai
and perishable matter, but on the immortal mind
moulding and fashoning beings who to exist for
We applaud the artist whose skill and genius
present the mimic man upon the canvass-we admire
and celebrate the sculptor who works out that same
image in enduring marble-but how insignificant are
these achievements though the highest and the fair
est in all the departments of art, in comparison with
the great vocation of human mothers They work
not upon the that shall fail or the marble that
shall crumble into dust-but upon mind, upon spirit I
which to last forever and which is to bear for good
for evil throughout its DURATION the impress Of
mothers plastic hand.
! have already expressed the OPINION which all
allow to be correct that security for the duration
of the free institutions which bless our country de