Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1845-04-09

The annual meeting OF tho Garman iSencSo"
len. Society of New York. was held at the As.
tor House on Tuesday. where tho annual dinner
was served up. Mr.. Webster attended as an ic.
vited guest. and introduced to tho company
by this ,oas: from tho Presidents:
DANIEL WEBsER. tho defender Of Constitution.
al Liberty in his land. he cannot b. indif-
freas 10 the Struggles OF Other lands for the like
blessing.
Mr. Wobs,er-I Acknowledged !, a. rare good
fortune for the first time IN my life To meet G,r.
mans in cil,racicr AMI sentiment, so,tlod
rnong not nv good fortune has il been
10 WIS.,, the land Of yoar bir,h, or of thas OF
yoar fathers; bat | have ma je nlyScf sotI,o'
VIVA. acquainted with tho comnercc. tho lit
craiurc and Tho social character Of tho coun.
try. am not altogether a stranger to tho
names ,ha, adorn il. | know, indeed. too little
of tho Schlers tho Sche,eis. and III, kIopst ocks.
name. tia, will 10, die. feel that in its lit.
orature, its enter ptse. and III its social intor.
course. no nation in Elrope has manifested sr,ch
real sympathy with every thing American as tho
Germans.
Beginning with Columbus, and g,ing b,ck 10
those who inhabited the country bef,ro tho dis
coverv, German Iiteratura has explored their
manners, l1ngurg,s and ha bits. beyond my 9th.
or Europeans- beyond ourselves. Sir, | be.
liavo tiero now collections in Germany mors
full and numerous. of works relating to Am,ri.
ca, than any where else to be found on. OF
our country.
But, Mr.. President, my avail myself of this
opportunity to refer - what is now occurring in
tho country from which you descended. or whore
you were born, as being Of inieres. to all man.
kind. We have developed IN Germany a
system tina, is TO have great influence upon tho
destinies OF Christcnlom.
refer t,the Customs Unon--l look upon that
rs opening new viows Of intercourse between
States, and establishing new prospects for tho fu-
turc.
Tho progress Of free intercourse among nn.
tons in modern times has ovcrv where m1do ra.
pid advances b., nevertheless it his found itself
frustrated by what is known among gnvernm, nts
having colonies as tho colonial policy. policy
founded ON the idea of n restricted trade and ex.
elusive intercourse between the colony and tho
mother country. There can BE- no real recipro.
city on this hypothesis between nations having
colonies and those which have nonc For M.
tons having colonies consider then prrt Of
themselves here. But who have no colonies.
have North and South. East. and West,
with climates. products AMI intarests as dissi;n.
lar in m1ny respects as colonies ana mother coun.
try. And yet nro in tho rcyIri Of Othor ma.
tons, ns in fact. ono n,tion; mn whom wo m,kc
treaties, wo commit and engage ourselves ono
nation.
In your country. gcn,'on,n. like union is O..
Your German Union presents like
spectacle; and when Won Offer reciprocal troatios,
YOU Offer do. trade with millions and tons
Of mions--your Union now including moro
than % millions, and therefore roal recipro:.
" as numbers. Tho Commercial Union Of
Germany proceeds upon this principle, that rs
Germans ono, so 10 speak, III language--wIh
Il common origin. common wants and Il common
literature, thev must have common commerce
and common destiny. Nnbody can rejoice
more than in this now hope for nations--in Iced
in this now na,ionality--1nd without being Ir,.
p1red TO say what nro Gallo reciprocal trontics.
bn, Of which tho reciprocity is all ons side,
may be permitted TO say that nothing in modern
times has ars,n TO cacDlrig, II, no. OF tn
eventual settlement of The commercial intercourse
of nations upon trnc philosophical basis, %
much as the Gorm1n Union.
Gentlemen, onter fully into tho feeling which
assemblies you here to night to do honor to tho
land Of your birth, Of TINT Of your fathers;
and gladly aval! Of tho occasion to say. that
far rs know, tho character of Germans is hold
in great respect among US. Wo honor their 20.
MUS their probitv their in lustrv. AM th-ir order.
lv scf-rcspoct. For ono, | bid tlion heartily
to our land. Whercvor thcro is subor.
dna,in to law. lovo of liberty, disposition to
be good and to do gooI--t desire to welcome all
such most cordially 10 our civil, social and family
relations.
After some further rem1rks in tho same 20.
moral strain, Mr.. Webster concluded with this
toast
Prosperity TO the German Society Of n York.