New-York daily tribune., 1844-10-03
THE T'RIBUN L
Mr.. WEBSTER'S SPEECH,
,,.,-sS O, tts Great .Hs'' Coruention PhdodepRte
October |, lsii.


rsyog Citizens of Penns, lvania. am very
,,,nv 10 meet you III this assembling of yolr-
..lees torether to manifest the interest which
nm take in the great cause.-The cause which
ss convened this vast multtude-the result of
,bs GREAT the Important election now before you
pn, fellow citizens, | come here, with no eX
,ee,aton of adding any tang OF information or
comment Ia that SIDE OF the controversy which
,,n and cspouse All The great questions con.
sc,ed with 1t, have been discussed before repeat.
,dv and certainly by aOle men on all sides -
Almost all reading men have had full opportu-
nifty of examining these great quest0ns-a
,biaking men have certainly had iull time to re
asct. mature Their Judgment, and come to d
decson upon them-to know how to decide
how TO act 50 as to meet the appreciation of their
i,lov countTymcn. One feels checred-and
is.l cheered by the sight of The glad and excited
soupreuances OF the many friends now before
me, who are bound up III one common purpose -
produce the same results, and all equally and fer
vsn,y united II patriotic devotion 10 their com
non country.
II this convention have the valuable effect o.
dong away Uith any yremtsSn.S SIS Of purpose or of
setion--if IL make the cOaotchon Of duty tg
Be perfumed sink deeper into mems hearls-if
i:awakens them fully to what the present Crisis
calls on them 10 periorm-;hen will this assem-
bling together do good, and we snail retire from
i, with the pleasing consciousness of having
served the public in what all must regard AS lis
greatest interests.
Although the great subjects before the country
have been discussed repeatedly and fully, yet
there is something little peculiar in the condi.
lion Of thngs in this Commonwealth of Pennsyl-
vana. The country is divided into two great
parties; and there Is one great topic on which
these two parties are divided at the Polls. You
will all, OF course, understand me to aude to the
Protective question. There is certainly a very
large as well as very important majority of one
Of these great parties in favor of full and ade-
custe protection to our domestic interests; whilst
The whole without any sensible difference) OF
the other great party is in favor of Free Trade,
and directly opposed to protecting the domestic
interests of the country. That is the simple
truth, my friends: that is the exact state of the
case This has become the great prevailing
party disiinction. Thus, for instance, III the
part of the country where live, the sense of a
yery large majority j, IN favor of the Protective
policy. And vet in certain districts where the
political majority is in favor OF the other party, Il
contrary policy IN regard TO the Protective prn-
eiple is also found 10 prevail. Thus, even in New
England, there are to be found States that are
opposed TO the Protective policy. This is the
case for instance, III Elaine and in New Hamp-
shire and in many of the States south of the
Polomsc, the feeling seems to be an almost unl.
versal one where the politics OF the opposite
party prevail. Thus, then, we say, that this
great question divides the two great parties by h
line 60 broad and distinct that he who runs can
readily define it-PRoTEcTIoN OR No PRoTEC-
rIoN TARIFF OR No TARIFF
Then here We have the peculiar feature IN the
position OF Pennsylvania IN the coming contest.
Pennsylvania we all know to be Tariff State.
majority OF lis population is favorable to Fro
,ective Tariff, Let US see, then, what is the
policy of those who are opposed to this Tariff,
when they come into this State to get your votes.
Do they sail inte your latitude under their own
Hag Do they come here with the avowod pur-
pse Of showing you that you ought to be Anti,
Tanff? Do they, IN anv way exhibit any hos
hIlv to the present Tariff Cries of No -
Certainly not-not at all hot at all They sail
in amongst you, like pirate, under false coors.
They say to you, "Oh you are in favor of this
Tanff well, we are III favor of that Tariff also
However this may be regarded az deelrable doc.
tine to be advanced to intelligent men, by those
who use Il, | can only say that IL is rerV told
poliey-it is hat presumptuous, at least
Ia all those States where the anti Tarltt pohcy
prevails, Mr.. Polk is supported because he Is
anti Tantf up To The hub And mere he Is recon-.
mended 10 the support of the people oil Pennsyl-
wanna, because he Is for Protection up 10 The same
hu6' If air. Polk should suddenly hrd himself
In the midst OF circle OF his friends from various
sections of the Union, his situation would 5e, 10
say the least of 1t, somewhat perpiexing. On his
right, we will suppose nm to have twelve cl'i,
tens OF South Carolina on his lef:, twelve Gin
zens OF Pennsylvania; and he is about to submit
10 Them the grounds of his clam III be chosen
President of the United States. What would ne
say
He would have no difficulty in addressing those
from South Carolina; he would say, and say tru-
y-"All through my life have been opposed 10
Proiecuon-all my votes and speeches prove 1t
nov repeat II tha: / am opposed TO the protec-
tive policy, and l now prove 1t AGAIN" II he
should Then Turn TO address his Pennsylvania
inenos 4 will not put into his mouth any thing
50 Inconsistent declaration that should DE Oh
HcLy adverse to Whit he had said to his South
Carolina frlends) but If he might be supposed to
utter to his Pennsylvania trends what his Penn
sylvania fri.nds nave uttered for him, and what
the papers have made hlm say, why then he would
say" Gentlemen Of Pennsylvania, L Go not
know whether YOU heard what have Just sa'd TO
my South Carolina friends or not, but wish to
Say 10 you that am rather better Isrlff mar
than Henry Clay himself Is
He would say, Il am for incidental protection
and that means in our language transcendents
protection, sno transcendental 1t is, for incident
al protection overridcs all other protection IN the
world. There IS of the old plays which is
known by the title of Which s the Dupe ~
And that question as applied to the political posi-
lion of this State, will De answered ere long. II
Mr.. Polk should by any remote possibility be
elected President of the United States, IN thevery
srs, message which he sends to Congress those
passages IN it relating to the Tariff will answer
ito your satisfaction beyond doubt.
have nc intention, my friends, on this occa
son to make anv attempt at oratory or eio9uence
4r display Ii ever once had any desire OF thai
nature, the time ior il has long since passed away
and my desire is to be useiul for what remains te
me Of this lie. And ii is the desire to be useiu
which has brought me here to-day. And shall
speak directly and ea.ncstly--as an honest man
ought % speak on the important topics which