The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-27
III + R EP u BLIC. /.

'N''''N'''''
Hon MosEs III. GRINNELL presided, having
the Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, Secretary of State,
on his right, and Sir EDWARD LyTroN BUL
WEIR on his left. Among the invited guests
were General MosQUERA, eX President OF New
Grenada; Brigadier General WHITING. United
States Army; e. p. X. James. Esq; Rev.
Drs. VERMILYE and BErHUNE, and Rev. Mr..
Bellows Mr.. BUNCH, the British Nice-Con-
sui, and other gentlemen.
After number of the regular toasts had
been Offered, Mr.. GRINNELI. very happily in7
roduced the following toast, mot in the cata-
ogue:"
The Constitution and the Union and their
great DEFENDER
This sentiment was received with warm APP
pause, which broke forth, and was prolonged
in lumutuous cheers, when
Mr.. WEBSTER rose 10 respond. He spoke as fol-
lows
Mr.. President, and Gentlemen Of the New York
New England Society Ye sons of New England
to- night, not without some inconvenience, that
might behold such congregation, whose faces
bear lineaments OF New England origin, and
whose hearts beat with full New England pulses.
/ willingly make the sacrifice. Nota young man
with blood in my veins not very young, but, thank
| God yet pretty full and freely hoWing-I came
here meet this great oiishoot OF the Pilgrim So
ciety Observation-Disclosures Pilgrim Society OF
| New York. And, gentlemen, ! shall begin what
have to say-which is but little-by rendering ~
you my thanks for the invitation extended to me,
| and by wishing you all, all sorts OF happiness.
Gentlemen, this has been a stormy, cold, bois
ferrous, and incement day. The winds have
been harsh, the skies have been severe; and if we
had no houses over our heads-if we had no secu-
Nf the. GlF1a
| were and worn out--it half of us were sick,
and tired, and ready to descend into the grave-if
we the bleak coast Plymouth houseess,
homeless, with nothing over our heads but the hta-
vens and that God who sits above the heavens-if
we had distressed wives upon our arms, and hun
CRY and shivering children hanging upon our
skirts-we should see something, and feel some
thing, Of that scene which, IN the providence OF
God, was enacted at Plymouth the 22d of De-
| cember, 1920.
Thanks be to Almighty God, who, from that dis
tresscd early condition, has raised us to height OF
prosperity and happiness which our ancestors mel
ther enjoyed nor could have anticipated. Would
10 God that when We carry affections and re-
| ections back TO that period, we would arm our
selves with the storn virtues which supported them
in that state OF pedl aud exposure. Would to God
that may possess the resolution which they pos
sessed stronger than bare of brass ron that pa
tience, " sovereign DER transmitted ills," and
above all, that faith, that religious faith, which,
with its eye fast fixed upon heaven, tramples all
things earthly beneath lite triumphant feet. Cen
tlemen, the scenes of this world change. What our
ancestors saw and felt, shall not feel. The calls
for the severer virtues Of life theirs. They
were called upon for perseverance, abstinence, and
labor TO exercise those auserer virtues, the exer-
else of which, before they came here, made them as
| they were, austere men. Things have changed.
In the progress of society the iashions of life the
habits of life the conditions Of human life have all
changed. Their sterner virtues not called
on, in every respect, TO emulate or commend, -or
| rather TO emulate, for we should commend them
| always when consider the state of eociety In
which they were exercised.
| They had that religious sentiment, that trust in
Providence, that determination 20 do right and 10
seek, through every degros Of tol and suffering,
the honor oil God and the preservation Of human
liberty which shall do well 10 cherish. In the
progress of society il may be, and II is true, that
the mildcr virtues belong NOR especially TO us.
Tney were great sufferers from intolerance; and
their faith and practice, as a consequence, became
rigid II may be hoped that, in the greater spread
of the benign principles Of Christianity, we have
improved upon the sentiments hat prevailed with
| them. They attached TO particular forms OF
public worship and rel yious tencts. No doubt they
esteemed their religious tenets and Tho Obseryanocs
which they praciscd to be all borrowed from the
! authentic Word of God II il true, ] think, that,
in the progress Of society in the general advance
ment Of human sentiment, we md, what they do
not seem to have found, that create tolerance oi
/ religious opinion, cathuc iCelng toward
all who profess reverence for Cod Is not inconsis
tent with the religious liberty which they proiesscd
We have, I think, without any departure from
tho established principles OF our fathers, more en-
larged and comprehensive CHRISTIAN philanthropy
II seems to be the American dcsiiuy-tho mission
which God has entrusted 10 US here ON this Attain
tic shore-to show that all sectf and denominations
that profess for the authority OF God and
live hy His will, may be safely tolerated without
ejudce either 10 our religion or 20 our liberties
You all know that there presdes at the head OF the
Supreme Judicature of the Unitcd States Roman
Catholic; and no man supposes that the iudicature
OF the country is less safe The administration Of
Justice ess respectable or secure because the Chief
Justice of the United ststcs has been, and u, an
ardent adherent Of the Roman Catholic religion
And is IL in every dcpa rtment OF aociety with
us In both houses OF Consress, in all departments
! Of education, we gu on the idea that a man's reh-
gion is n matter above human law; thatlt ~ ques-
tion to be settled between bim and hs Cod because
he Is responsible 70 none but he God for II. And
here is the great distraction which - sometimes
overookod--which afraid II now 700 often
overlooked. Men, for their religious sentiment,
! are accountable ~ God Religion is a communi
cation between man ard HE Maker but when men
come together in society, and when they form a
gov crnment for the protection Of the nghts OF all,
II becomes indispensable that this right Of private
judgment shall la measure be relinquished
and made subservient 10 the whole. Religion may
exist while every may be left responsible only
to God But society, civil rule, and civil govern
ment, cannot exist while every man u responsible
70 nobody but 10 his own opinion.
And our New England ancestors understood tins
quite we'll. Gentlemen, thoro is the constitution
winch was adopted on board the Mayfower IN No.
ycmbcr, lbZO. What ~ III inoec htn nohvt'"
God-proiosscd 10 obey oil his commandments
live In his obedience But they say, nevertheless
that, for the establishment of civil poty Tor the
greater security aud preservation OF their civil
tights and liberties, thcy agree that the lave and
ordinances shank God, they put I'm the word
constitution they say, after invoking the nam,
Of the Deity their resolution, . those laws, and
ordinances and constitu tons established by thoss
whom we shall appoint 10 enact them, we will, n
all due submission and obedience, support" Ih'
constitution is not long but II invokes religioi
sanction on their ctri Obligations. IL was no doc
trine OF theirs that civil obedience was matter o
erpediency
''In the name Of God. amen--We, whose names
are underw rittcn, the loyal subjects Of our dread
: Sovereign Lord King James,by the Grace OF God
! OF Great Britain, France and Ireland, and King
: defender of the faith, &c, having undertaken ioi
the glory Of God and Advancement Of the Christian
faith and honor Of cur king and country,a voyage
to plant the hra colony m the heather psrts o
Virginia, do by these presents solennly and Inu'
tually in the presence Of God and Of one another
covenant and combine ourselves together into a
civil body polite for better ordering and pre-
scrvation, and furthersnce of the ends Aforesaid
. and by virlge hereof 70 enact, constitute, and
frame such Just And equal Ave, ordinances, acts
constitutions and Offices, from time to time as shall