Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-12-04
A SPEECH FROM MR. WEBSTER.

He was enthusiastically welcomed and toasted by
the large company, and spoke as follows:
The gentleman had alluded transactions which
he had had agency while connected with the Executive
Department Of the General Government and particularly to
the treaty Of ls42 between this country and Great Britain
That event of considerable importance, and proy
died. perhaps he could say without osenaon for the AMIGA
bic arrangement of international of no very lng
magnitude lie should not depart from truth saying that
all matters OF Hunters Clubs, Barnbuners'
he certainly would speak Of Barnbuners the
understood, with disrespect laugh forays from
side Of the boundary line to anoherhat these have all
ceased since that time. What slenced these forays We
had military force Of thousand along the line but it
was found inefficient General Scorr and other chietains
on the frontier could alay the eervesence of hostile feel
ing What did 50 The simple stipulation between the
that such persons committed crimes
in the one country and escaped into the other should
back on formal Demand for trial in the country where the Of
fence was peperated From the of the ratification
Of the treaty Of Washington there foray ALL
single espass the Bay of Fundy along the whole
tier of three thousand miles.
No such thing this had existed before in the history of
nations Previous 1912 there such treaty for the
surrender of ugves from justice between any of the Euro
pean Powers But since that time the example of the Uni
ted States had generally followed by the great
Europe Prussia, Russia France-a these had adopted the
principle, and generally adhered to the forms which were
thought wise here.
By the original treaty of 1888 the boundary line between
the British possessions North America and the United
States traced along he Lawrence and the great Lakes
and the forty fifth degree of north latitude pursued the
middle of and the lakes. 1t Fixed geographical
line and out by three commissions But
happened according This boundary that the vessels OF the
two nations could not navigate parts OF the st. Law
and the upper Lakes without esspassng upon the ter
ritory of the adjoining Power The American could not
hrouph LIKE Huron.
tavesng part of the Canada waters whe the other
hand in the long Of the ST. Lawrence, the channel and
the deep water the American sde For all purpo-
of jurisdiction well enough to let the line remain as
was but the purposes of navigation quite obvi
that the river and the lakes should be open 70 the ships OF
both nations from shore Shore This accordingly pro-
vded for in the treaty of Washington. The stipulation was
opposed some quarters as being surrender OF American
soil TO British INVASION but happily ratified and he
believed that every body convinced that the Povi
sion beneficial. Cheers.
His friend had touched upon another topic the great sub
ect of internal improvement. Why, what in the world
government instituted for except for internal improvement
Certainly wholly chiefly regulate the external rea
tons of nation and nation. Such relations were frequently
those Of war, of hostility But government not made for
At present. true, there extended CONNER
cial relations between different countries but they only
branch, and that not the most important bnch, OF affairs
which the attention and of Government should be de-
voted. lie took it that all really good government estab
shed do that for the people which needed be don and
which the people could not do for themselves Government
should be merely the united the concentrated force OF The peo
pie and therefore, prioy il the duty OF Government
consider whether that thing which necessary don
could be done without Governmental aid not the presump
ton clearly was that Government ought grant that aid and
do that thing Much applause Such had always appeared
him but fair Interpretation of the duty Of Government
and the popey OF this view he thought clearly appeared from
another consideration. New Hampshire could no, collect
dollar from any cusom-house within her limits Maslchu
sets of the great commercial States, could collect
dollar from any Of her custom houses All the financial bene
fits of the of the country accrued the Gene
raj Government. Most certainly then, il for the Gene
raj Government to provide for the necessities OF
Did require the protection of FORTS OF lighthouses of PIERS
of breakwaters who but Government bound grant that
protection
Take the case Of the breakwate in the Delaware work
opposed for twenty years upon constitutional grounds though
happily without effect who to expend million OF money
that The little State of Delaware She had interest
in the matera least exclusive ineresnot quarter
much as the city Of Philadelphia. Should be Pennsyl
vania New Jersey Neither alone interested in the
work. Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,, all New
England much concerned id that improvement any
part of the county, and in fact for New England
interested in the navigation Of the Delaware than
any other region, aud New England vessels
likely TO be wrecked there.
Take another nstancehc work projected the harbor Of
Mobile years since II opposed by the Representa-
ves of that very REGION but he had voted for it throughout
Returning from Washington at the close of session when
the unsuccessuy urged of his constituents
little vexed at the of proceeding had asked him how
he could support which strenuousy oppo
ed by the people il most designed to benefit His
ready because during the three years be-
fore, there had been several Massachusetts ships lost there
true that the whole country concerned in the i'm
provement of any of its parts. Paujits.]
But he supposed that ausion directly intended
to that branch Of the system of internal improvement which
regarded canals and railways
Happily had happened that, thus far private enterprise
and wealth had been able 10 accomplish in this respect about
all that necessary And there could be doubt tina,
what could be accomplished by private enterprise done
economically and TO better advantage than any other
way So far therefore, private enterprise could carry out
work Of improvement, the much wiser course rely
upon it. But with regard to the Improvement Of the West
waters this was the The aid of Government
mens had always been resisted, and he had heard grave
constitutional advanced against them that Nature
made any harbors the lakes and therefore il
clear she intended there should be any To which he
remembered TO have replied that, far he knew, people
brought into the world without being clad, and there
fore the argument good that they should
clothing LGireat laughter and applause
The great Western lakes straight line Of water.
They pursued zgzag We behcd Lake Erie stretch
ing down into New York if Accommodate especially
comparatively southern region. We another Of the chain
reaching far into the northwest accommodate that region
Whoever would look at the map that Nature
intended the lakes for the benefit Of vast different, and dis
ant portions Of the country. But il a remarkable fact
that there but very few natural harbors the lakes
What then should be done improve the advantages offered
by these immense sheets Of water The science of the age
told that expcdent to harbors but