The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-10-29

address Of Msssrs. We6ster, Leigh,
Barbour and Lyons, to the Ladies
a,se,nbled at the log gGtirs.
M. WsBsrER having signi6ed viii
i,iISfisss, since he was unable, from the
.f,ortness of his stay; to pay his respects
to the ladies' Of Richmond Individually, TO
meet aud address them in body, the
Log Cabin erecled by the Wings Of the
city was chosen as the place Of meeting,
and accordingly fair assemblage was
there collected on Wednesday morning,
when our distinguished visitant was in
troduccd to them with few appropriate
remarks by Mr.. Lyons.
Mr.. Webster therenpon addressed the
interesting auditory collected before him,
nearly in the following terms:
LAp.Es,--I an very sure / owe the
pleasure | now enjoy to your kind dispo-
sition, which has given me the opportu-
nity to present my thanks and my respects
70 you thus collectively, since the short
ness Of my stay in the city does not allow
me the happiness Of calling upon you sew.
orally and individually. And, in the first
place, l wish to express to you my deep
and hearty thanks, as l have endeayorea
to do TO your fathers, your husbands and
your brothers, for the unbounded hospi-
tally ] have received ever since came
among you. tits registered, assure you,
on grateful heart in characters of an en-
during nature. The rough contests Of
the political world are no, suited to the
dignity and to the delicacy Of your sex !:
but you possess the intelligence to know
how much Of that happiness which you
are entitled to hope for, both for your
selves and for your children, depends on
the right administration Of good govern.
inent, and proper tone of public morals.
That is subject on which the moral per-
ceptions Of woman are both quicker and
juster than those Of the other sex. do
not speak of that administration of gov
eminent whose object is merely the pro-
lection Of industry, the preservation of
civil liberty aud the securing to enterprise
its due regard. ! speak Of government
in a somewhat higher point of view. We
live in an age distinguished for great be.
nevolent exertion, in which the alfiucn,
are consecrating the means they possess
by endowing colleges and academies, by
uniting to build churches and support the
cause Of religion. and BY establishing
AthenRums, Lyceums, and all the other
modes Of popular instruction. This is
all well; it is admirable; II augurs we'll
for the prospect of ensuing generations.
But have sometimes thought that there
Is point of view IN which government
is TO be consideEed-I mean in it's power
;lnd It's duty--to augment the morals oil
Me community and to inspire it with just
sentiments 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
on the morals of the community for good
iDr for evil. Its example, its tone, whether
of respect or of disrespect to moral obi
gation, is most important to human hap
oiness because il is among those things
which most affect the political morals Of
mankind, and hence their genera! morals
MISC. advert to this, because there has
been put forth in modern times the false
maxim that there is one morality for poll
tics and another morality for other things;
that in their political conduct to their OPP
ponents, men may say and do that which
they wouldnever think Of saying or doing
in the personal relations of private life.
There has been openly announced max
i'm which Iconsider the very concrete of
false morality, which declares that call is
fair in politics" If a manspeaks falsely
or calumniously of his neighbor, and is
reproached for the offence, the ready ex-
cuse is this. it was in relation to public
and political matters-I cherished no per-
sonal ill-will whatever against that indi-
vidual, but quite the contrary; spoke Of
my adversary merely as political man.
In my opinion, the day is coming when
falsehood will stand for falsehood, and
calumny will be treated as breach of
the commandment, whether it be commit
ted politically or in the concerns of pri.
sate life. II is by the PRONUNCIATION 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
government. It is now generally admit
ted that public liberty, the perpetuity of a
constitution, rests on the virtue and intel
ltgence OF the community which ENJOYS
It. How is that virtue to be inspired!
and how is that intelligence to be commu-
nicated! 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, '.iDstruct the mothers of the French
people. Because the mothers are the
affec,ionate and effective teachers of The
human race. The mother begins this
process of training with the infant in her
arms. II is she who directs, SO to sneak.
its first mental and spiritual pulsations.
She conducts it along the impressible
years Of childhood and of youth :, and
hopes to deliver it 10 the rough contests