The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-10-04
from ihs n. " Iribune..Erira.
MIR. wEBsTERs SPEECH AT rANEuIL
HALL, BOSTON

|
admission. AT precisely IL O'Clock, A. NJ, Mr.
WEBSTER came in, attended by COMMITTEES oil gen
tlemen, consisting of the Hon Jeremiah Mason, Ben
iamin Russell, President Quincy Gov. Armstrong,
| II. q. Otis, Benjamin Rich, Abbott Lawrence, and
many others. lie was introduced to the audience by
the Mayor in very neat and tasteful Address, TO
which he replied nearly as follows
| Ii know mott know not how II l., MIR. Mayor, but
there is something in the echo of these walls, or IN
the OF upturned faces when see around me- OF
| In the genius which always hoyers over TINS place,
tanning into life ardent and patriotic feeling with ev
cry motion of its wings know not bow II rs, out
there is something that exces me strongly, deeply,
too deeply allow adequate expression Tor my emo
tons Ii will not be doubted by you that this saluia-
ton that this greeting is greeting felt here AT the
| heart Boston is my home-my cherished home III
| is now moro than Internationally years since came
here, with my family, 10 pursue here IN inns ehiight-
ened metropolis those Objects both pubic and pri-
vate for which my studies and education were de-
signed 10 fit me- Ii is twenty years since the ntelli
gent citizens of Boston asked To loan myself TO
the public trust their Representative and gives
me infinite pleasure to see here to-day occupying
those seats assigned to the gentlemen more advanced
| in life not few of those who were originally IN
strumental in indicating the course oil HE by
| which have endeavored to serve the people oil
| this town.
from this way home-I have felt, neve theless, at
tracted to the spot TO which all my local affections
| tended and now, that the progress OF time mGst
| bring about that perod-even II 1t should not DC
fastened by the progress Of cyens-when the duties
| of public life must yield to coming advanced years
cherish the hope of passing among these assocla-
tons and these friends what shall remain of my life
when these public services shall have ended which for
good for evil all the inheritance have to leave
! to those W no shall come after me.
| The Mayor has spoken kindly OF my public ser
vices and especially of the results of the negotiation
which has recently been brought to close, ana IN
which was engaged. hope, iellow-ctizens, tuat
some thing thus done permanently uselui 10 inc
| country. present claims of particular merit
| endeavored to do my duty. had hard summers
work but am not wholly unused to hard woik'
had many anxious days, and some sleci less hghts -
But if the results Of my labors melt the aPprooa
ton of the country shall but richly rewarded, and
my other days will he happier, as my other nights
viii give still sweeter repose. sought TO disPerse
the clouds which threatened a storm between Eng
land and America For several years past there has
existed class of questions, which did not Away 5
threaten war but which never assumed the aspect If
permanent peace
The highly lamented pcrson--to whom so just
tribute was paid by the Mayor-at his inauguration OF
President in lS4l, called me to the place now occu
py; though know it is in bad taste to speak OF one
self, yet among my friends and neighbors here Twill
say word or two, if you please. had the pleasure
of seeing him several occasions at ms mousse ana
elsewhere have never made any boast oil the con-
fdence the President reposed in me, but crcumstan
ces hardly worthy of serious notice. have rendered IL
proper that should say that as soon as Gen Harr-
son was elected President of the United States, WITH
out word from upon the subject he wrote TO
me inviting me to take place IN his Cabinet leaving
choose, and asking my advice as 10 the persons
| would wish associated with me.
He expressed rather a wish that should take the
department Of the Treasury BECAUSE he was pleased
20 say he knew had paid some considerable atien-
ton to currency and finance and he felt that the
wants of the countryhe necessity Of the country on
the subject Of currency and finance were among the
causes which had produced the REVOLUTIONARY reVo
luton which had resulted IN placing MN III ue Tres
dent al chair
1t so happened that preferred another place-that
which now occupy. felt all its responsibility; but
can say truly and correctly, that whatever attention
| had paid to currency and finance, felt more COM
petent carry other concerns OF the Governments
and was not willing to undertake the daily drudgery
of trade was not disappointed IN the exigency that
existed in our foreign re ations, The whole danger
was at no time publicly developed; but the cause OF
the difficulty kncwand knew too that an outbreak
seemed to be at hand / aude to that occurrence to
which the Chairman aluded-which took place du-
ring the year l84l, with which was connected the
name of Alexander Mcleod. year or two before
the British Government had authorized military
ncurson into the territory Of the United States,-to
destroy a steamboat alleged to be employed by
power hostile to the peace of Her Majesty territory
in Canada. The act was avowed by the BRUSH Ho-
yernment as public act. Alexander Mcleod, a
person who Individually receives and deserves no re-
gard sympathy, happened TO be one OF the agents
who in military character performed that act and
coming into the United States some time afterwards
he was arrested by the authorities OF New York on
charge of homicide and held TO trial as for pri-
, vate felony.
, Now, gentlemen, according to my approximations,
proceeding of that kind directly adyene to well
settled and well received principles of public law !;
and of all others likely to the Indignation not
only of the Government, but also of the People OF the
country aggrieyed. So it would have been with us.
If citizen of the United States, under the orders Of
his Government, and as military man, obeys an or
der which he either must obey or be hanged, should
find himself in the territory of the power against
which the supposed crime committed, and should
be seized and tried an individual for that crime,
there is not man among who would not cry out
for redress and vengeance, Any elevated Cove m
ment, in where one of is citizens, in the per-
Torrance of his duty should be seized and sought to
be made answerable, every elevated Government,
maintain, would say. 81 am responsible for this
act in the story of Nsus and Euryaus, she would
eXclam-
"Adsum qui iesi--n me conyertite terrum."
! Now, gentlemen, when the dispatches of the Br-
fish Government first reached this country-though
do not think it useful or important to say much of
themyet if you all knew their contents, you would
that the commercial Interests of the country the
shipping interests OF this city must have been crush
ed at once. That crisis thought could be ayerted !;
in the first place, by UNFOLDING the acknowledged
principles OF public law, and in the next place, by
, demanding apology for whatever against these
principles OF law had been done by the British go
vernment Let us put OURSELVES right in the first
place. aud insist that shall do right in the next
4 place
While in England in 1889, happened to be called
a on to address a large assembly OF English persons,
and in abiding to the relation Of things between the
two countries, | stated there what | thought aud
what now think OF any points in controversy which
might terminate in war between the United States
and England, and to the results of such contest de-
claring at the only advantage which eth won d
enjoy would be IN possessing the right OF the
With the right on our side we match for Eng
l..l tLo- Lar IL l.. L.