The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-05-04
SKETCH OF THE REMARKS
OF THE
HON. DANIEL WEBSTER

having introduced Mr. Webster to the meeting with the
following sentiment -
Honor to the statesman and iurst who is an honor
to his country
Mr.. WEBSTER and said: Before proceed to make
any remarks IN answer to the sentiment that has been
given you will allow to say that am for the first
time hoping to make visit among my fellow citizens of
the southern States, Owing to the circumstance that
at the seasons suitable for such visit my duties have
confined me elsewhere, have been no traveller in my
beyond all my previous ourneyinSs and underta,pes
am DESTROYS to endeavor portion the country
have never yet seen to travel to the people in the
most uncerenonous freest manner in which fellow citi
zens may meet and interchange civties 1t is not my
purpose to make any tour for addressing mutudes
discussing political questions There is but little of
that little is well known have new lights and don't
belong to the school of new lights. ! am pleased to
meet many persons in this growing and beautiful citv
to their faces and show mine and exchange with
them the sentiments and feelings that belong to men of
the same generation and the same country
After the complimentary aluson of the President al.
low me to say,n the whole of my public life ac.
knowledge with pride. and avow that have looked to
chief Of them all the Constitution of the United States
as the great production of the age that preceded
honor as much as any man the military achievements of
the men OF the revolution II was bold revolution
They trusted to the hazards of fortune They hazarded
every thing for the Independence Of the old thirteen
States Bat wha at last military achievements? II
is true, they hare fired The fate ofnations turned the
tide Of human affairs But, after dH what istheir end
prosperity Beyond that there is no rational no chris
tian object in cpH partare It's only Just object is 10
establish GIRL and religious liberty 10 raise 10 the
then military achievements are unWorthy of human re-
gard
From the constitution itself have looked to the era
OF the constitution, the period when the country threw
oil its dependence (Which is true it accomplished by
military achievements) We look to a narrow part of
the theatre in which acting, if think the con-
stution matter Of isolated interest Let us look back
to the period of l775. What there then that exh
bted the practical utility of such constitution Was
it the existence Of large growing confedraed free re-
publics! There was nowhere such a republic There
was indeed the constitutional monarchy of England
nf IN
principles favorable to liberty and great limitations upon
the prerogatve federal sovereign But need not
say-every body knows-that there government
founded on the principles of representative ibery-no
government of any extent responsibility importance
oher works OF our ancestors have always considered
the establishment OF the constitution In 1889 their
greatest and noble achievement WheniI consider the
Time OF its formation, its excellent fabric and con-
stantly more convinced that it is wise constitution
cannot old believing that it founded in Providen
tal arrangement With all the new lights of our age
give US one who say that could make such con
stitution desire to thank Almighty Providence that
it was not left to day to make it, 1t eyinces deep
reflection deep study of the nature of human
ment Let us take it as an inheritance come down to
us from men at least wise ourselves and acting un
DER circumstances more favorable than ours
Two obvious views may be taken this constitution
The hrst is its effects upon ourselves upon the country
preserved we are apt to be regardless of that human
cause to which these blessings Had we gone on
under the OLD confederation, what would Virginia and
now be- Who would have respected them
or cared for them But when the constitution was
adopted-when that T. piuribus unumn spread over
them all, 1t gave them character, new destny-
Who now asks whether man is from Virginia New
York. Alabama Texas, 1t is enough to saw he is n
citizen of the United States of America The consttu
ton gave our country what the lawyers call stand
ing in court right to be heard in the tribunals of the
world An American Is not said to live Massachu
sets Bay, or James River but he is citizen of this
great republican government
What, then, has given this momentum to the prospe
rty OF the country! We can find no human cause but
united government Il is true in party strfes or
tied. mai IL mai
gress retarded but let look to the aggregate result
Let US go back for sixty to the time of the
vouton Since that PERIOD in other parts of the world
thrones have trembled tottered and faen couyusons
shaken nations blood AoSed-but have not property
and liberty in this country been secured! Has tyran-
nous power trampled on our rights Property, life IL
berty have been well secured in the best govern
ments OF Europe 1t may be said We are the great
taxed among nations Our government has not been an
expensive government few thousands. or hundred
thousands may have been improperly Appropriated but
who can say that the government has oppressed the
people by weight of taxation Whilst taxation is not
the great end Of government think eyery government
is called collect taxes for the good of the nation
In all countries and in this country especially there
are certain objects which government may accomplish
and which cannot be accomplished otherwise. look
upon the government as the leader, the conductor.
whose duty 1t is to lead on the country Thus hare
always thought the Improvement Of harbors rivers &c
Dtmn the constitutional Uiew Of the Government; and
Think the Government is bound to take the lead in these
matters Of substantial importance The government an
pears to me to be like the conductor railroad whose
business II Is to go forward and draw the after
him and II he neglect his duty 60 wrong in any way
1t is no wonder if the train push forward and throw
him off the track Much laughter and applause)
The most pressing purpose of the trainers of the Con-
sttuton in this respect doubtless the regulation Of
commerce with foreign nations but they the cloth
broad enough and wide enough to embrace these
also do notascribe to Washington Madison and their
companionsh force of intellect to contemplate all the
contingencies which should arise in the country after
them They did not imagine that there Mould be 800
steam Ucsseis on the LAKES, that the great Msussipp
from its mouth to its source, wouldbe ours, constituting
sort of great inland SEAL Laughter and applause
mi he tuti hev
efustifes and present execu
ton OF that policy shall comprise the whole country
as one country both to internal terna
They did not mean that the powers Of the
should be determined by the taste of the water whether
fresh or salt or by the circumstances of the position
some paltry port of entry In this branch the constu-
ton Is ample and large enough to accomplish these ends
with the observance of just economy. know of no
true economy but the just proportion OF expenditure
object Absolute saving is mere meanness In a coun-
try Of such extent this the objects of government
should be to give variety to labor bring the ac
tive energies Of the people, and deveope its peculiar
abundance.
In Massachusetts, we cultivate a barren soil NV
learned friend here (Dr Hichcock knows the whole Of
it, 1t is hard, sterile granite II has Virginia beds
Of coal no substratum Of iron, salt springs 1t
without all these sources f may speak, of subter-
ranean wealth. Nowhere are these advantages more
beautifully conferred than upon the happy inhabitants
OF virginia Within fourteen miles OF city Gas my
learned friend tells mel there geological
bed of coal thirty feet thick resting granite rock
Our New England granite knows such company
Now it always appeared to that labor enterprise
ment, in order to draw these of mners wealth
from the earth | have too always been a man for en-
nails and railroads to n just extent. When Louis XIV
established his grandson the throne Of Spain he said
There are no longer Pyrenees." But trust we may
soon use the phrase in useful and proper sense
and that shall proceed with canals
until we can say There are longer Allcgheniesp
Under these general impressions of the constitution
believe that our ancestors set example great
things We have had no battles Of liberty TO engage in
whatever other battles it may have been the policy of
our rulers to undertake) [laughterl born
IN ha M mi kntro aaotf
Of justice and right the observance Of the precepts of
law, religion and moraity-these the Obj which
we have to look Our government IL designed less for
achievement than for perseverance in the
public order the public good the conservation of the
public institutions
We may look with pride and cxultation abroad TO geo
where this has placed in the eyes of the
world Is not egostical to say while we take no pre-
emnence, that though may conquer and subiugate
nowhere this great republic is the observed of all obser
vcrs We cannot that It is or even the work
Of our great orefathers The great result has followed
because sentiments and principles inherent in the people
OF the old thirteen States fitted them to be free sent