The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-11
MIR. webster's Speech.

Mr. Fox once drank, AT a public dinner in London,
Thanks to Mr.. Burke for the discussion he has pro-
voked," (about the French Tevoluhon) We, in like
manner thank Mr. Webster for the speech he has deliv
cred in Philadelphia 1t is considered by OF his
friends unworthy of the orator-as deficient ability
it is exceptionable in its positions Following the cue
which he has caught from Messrs Clayton and Clay he
IS seeking to give II TO Congress-to whom this speech
comes forth species of manifesto But, unfortunate
l he has not the discretion, the moral force to be-
come the champion of the Senate, much less the leader
OF his party. The present effort is decidedly inferior TO
his speech in Boston in 1890 his reply TO Mr.. Clay in
1924. II is utterly destitute of the talent which marked
his discussion with Mr. Hayne of the eloquence which
graced his Bunker Hill address 1t is indeed, the speech
OF bunghng sophis and not of accomplished states
In fact, what opinion are we to form OF the statesman
who within the last four years. has claimed in his Off
cia character Secretary of State the whole of Texas
to the Rio Grande, and but the other day. in a pub
lie meeting at Boston, charges the President with violating
neutral Mexican territory by crossing the Nueces and
thus making war for himself although Congress has recog-
missed the war waged by Mexico? Mr. Webster
has even committed the gross blunder of declaring
that the President had been guilty of an Improbable
odence-when, if he had suffered the Mexcans to cross
the Rio Grande and invade Texas with IMMUNITY, he
might really have deserved an impeachment.
There are other passages, OF graver character
in his set speech Philadelphia 1t calculated to nspirit
the Mexcans precisely his in lsl2o damp
the spirit OF his countymen if he had influence enough to
produce any such efect-and to lower credit and
njure any loans which might hereafter be disposed
to make in England What, indeed, to think
of his statistics They inconsistent throughout In
his speech of the last session he estimated the tariff
bill to bring in only about twenty millions. The other
day, in Philadelphia, he backs water, and says may
bring in twenty-five millions, or more. Inconsst-
ent with himself he inconsistent with the facts for
ty millions of dollars.
The whole Speech indeed, teens with errors and m is
representations. You cannot put your foot down upon
Its broad surface without crushing insect or other
What, for instance to say OF the insidous asser-
hon that OF the most serious objections the annex
alton of Texas "And this he considered nsurmoun-
table, that would be subjectng country then free from
slavery, to the curse Of Stare population" Did the ora
Tor remember to forget that Texas had engrafed into her
constitution itself the right of holding saves3-and that
according to his showing in his Bocanegra letter of
ls42 Texas was rightfully an independent State and
had right to make such constitution And what is
morethat there then slaves and slavery in Texas
Mr. Webster attempts TO make the Mexican war odious
by crying up the very heavy debt of which he asserts
II will be productive He it up to one hundred mil
hons, the trar should end next spring Now the Sec
rotary OF the Treasury states the whole debt contracted
by the war up to the first of this month at little more than
SIX milons and he further estimates the whole loan to
Ve due up 10 june 1913, (and In all human probability
the war will not extend to that time TO mi
hons oniy-and that is allowing no graduation of the
public lands to be carried out no duties to be laid on tea
and Coffee and keeping four millions in the treasury to
meet any contngency-all which hope will be done y
But such the statistics of the orator of the
Philadelphia dinner Mr. Webster threw out during the
last session Of Congress- the bold assertion that the da
~ expenditure OF our government hall million
zee what mischief those idle and extravagant declarations
made. The whole opposition press caught it up. and
circulated it far and wde for the purpose of dampnp
the American spirit But these wild sayings went abroad
they were caught up by the Mexcans, who said in their
ohcla papers that we could raise the supplies for
me war-m fact, neither men money The same ia
oes went TO England, and they reappear in the Lon
don Globe" of the 10th November in the following form
In the meantime, the papers discuss the expediencv Of
PGc uemonstraons to induce Congress appoint com
ees OF investigation to inquire into the object expense
ana consutionaity of the late annexation by President
rk Of country four times large the United States