The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-10-22
From the New York Herald.
Mr. WEBSTER'S SPEECH,
AT PATCHOGlJE

a AT PATCHOGUE. g
Tuesday was great day in old Suffolk
county. About $500 of the most re,
: spectacle and intelligent wings of Long
! Island, met at Patchogue, to hold a Mas:
Convention, and TO hear speeches from
, the Hon. Daniel Webster, Ogden Hof:
man. and others. The convention was
held in the village Of Patchoguc, under
: the very large tent owned by the Me
chanic's institute Of this city, 1t was
attended by about 1880 intelligent men
: and 2o0 very handsome ladies'.
The ladies occupied the four. front rows
: of benches near the platform. A grea
! number of persons surrounded the ten
unable to get inside.
Mr.. Webster slept at Babylon, and ar
rived on the ground on horseback, at hal
past IL o'clock.
The meeting was organized by the APP
DR.. NATHANIEL MILLER, as
President, who announced that Mr. Web.
: ster would begin to speak soon after e
! O'clock.
+ Mr.. Titus then sang the Teppecanoe
song called sup Salt River. with wIiic!,
: : the ladies seemed greatly pleased.
Alta quarter past 70, Mr.. Webster ar.
rived. A sort of manifesto of the Wings
of Long Island was then read, at half pas,
IL, Mr.. Webster rose and said:
only friends-I desire. in the frs,
place, to return thanks to those gentlemen
J now here assembled from the three coun-
ties of Kings, Queens, and Suffolk, who
have met inc to-day on my approach 10
this town, and rendered me most cordial
and hearty welcome.
My friends-if. at somewhat earlier
period Of my life, had been found upon
this part Of Long Island, with my angling
rod or my gun upon my shoulder, it
would not have been much to be won
, dered at, especially by those who know
my taste for those kind of recrea,ions,
for which your island is distinguished
| come, however, at this time not to
shoot birds or to take trout, but to confer
with the intelligent people on those i'm
por,ant subjects which agita,e not only
this Island, but the whole of our country.
And this is little extraordinary, and may
be SO considered and spoken of hereafter
by others. 1t is extraordinary that |
should come from old Massachusetts, a
distance Of two or three hundred miles,
to address the people of old Suffolk on
such an occasion. But, my friends,
there are many other things that are also
extraordinary, at this period. to he con-
sidered. The times are extraordinary =;
and there are those who think that our
government at Washington is an extraor-
binary one; and extraordinary efforts are
making all over the country to effect a
change in that government. tas
/ come here, however, to make no
charges; to bring no railing accusations
against any man or set Of men-I come
merel y to express few poor opinions.
and come even more disposed to hear
than TO speak.
! come to-day to hear the sentiments Of
I the people of Suffolk county on those
topics that agita,e the times. l am much
too old to make an oratorical speech.
am too old for that! If, my friends, there
have been times and occasions in the
course ofmy past career in which might
have wished to attempta display of any
thing like oratory, that time is gone far
by. a.s
But although / do not wish 10 do this,
yet | have opinions upon the present state
of things. and j come to speak those
opinions plainly to you. and to hear yours
in return. come to make no fourishes
nor figures, but to make plain speech to
the intelligence of this county. #
! That the times are most extraordinary,
no one will attempt to deny. That fact
is admitted by all. And the question is,
what ought-to be done in relation to the
present state Of things. do not come
here to revile or reproach any one, or to
set up a standard of excellence formvself
ormy friends, as being pure and without
reproach; but come TO speak to the
whole people of this place, on the sub
Ijects which alike interest all.
Party distinctions are but transient; but
the distinction that we should all be
proud of, and that should particularly dis.
'tlngnish the great people of this great ma
| ''s"'i' iSs tiahS We sIC ltCC duu
the only truly free people on the face
OF the earth. CHEERS And this is the
distinction that shall ever be deeply
priced by me, and by my children to The
last moment of ourlives. (Cries Of BRA
70, and loud and repeated cheerng.)
see that our opponents propose to be
here Tomorrow, to speak also on the to.
pics that interest all the people. | an,
glad oft. | wish they were here to-day;
Tor ! wish MT to speak merely to one
party--but to talk to all American ci,i-
zens, and plead the cause of truth before
the jury Of the whole country.
Now, my friends, you know / have
been some time in public life, and i have
been too long in the councils of the nation
not TO be in some degree marked char
acter. Mt ''marked doUa,'' as you say
Iof, quail and partridges, (great laughter)
no, not jusf yet. But am somewhat
marked. and what | say will therefore be
marked and commented upon by others
than yourselves.
/ VOufu ho ,,Ilro,,n.1 ~ =. .....- T.,