Washington telegraph., 1850-04-03
Speech Of Mr.. Webster OH the Slavery
Question, i'm reply to Mr.. Calhoun.

speech we are unable to publish 1t entire
in our columns. We will, therefore.
merely give the essence of it, in the form
of a synopsis which we take from the
Baltimore Sun:
Mr.. Webster rose, he said, not as a
Southern man or Northern man. but as
| an American, and desired to do his duty
with fidelity, with the hope that the storm
| which wa, now rag ing i'll the land would
| speedily subside.
| He spoke for the preservation of the
Union with an anxious heart. for the re-
storation of that quiet and harmony, So
necessary to the prosperity and happiness
of the country; these were his objects,
and if he could do ever so little for the
promotion of them, his end would be ac-
complished. He proceeded to consider
the events which had led to present diff
cuties, commencing with relation Of
the war with Mexico, its battles aud tri-
umphs, aud the results which closed the
war. Prior TO tile negotiations which
ensued, the people of California, assisted
perhaps by officers aud people of the u.
States, revolted against the government
of Mexico and run up an independent
flag. The result was that tide Of emf
grafton set towards San francisco, from
every country i'll the world. The rich
and apparently lnexhaustahle gold mines
of California were subsequently discover
ed, and this new wonder had Increased to
an extraordinary degree the emigration
to those distant shores.
He referred next to the failure of Con-
gress to provide territorial government
for the people of this new territory, aud
said that, i'll this state ofthings. those peo-
pie had taken measures to establish a To-
| cal government, elected Senators and
Repre- and sent them here with
their constitution. to ask immediate adj
mission into the Union. This constiru-
ton, thus adopted and now presented
here. contained a clause prohibiting sla-
very in the new States, which provision
it was that had given rise to the oppos-
ton now made to her admission. What
ever was believed to be the object or
| manner of the commencement of the war
with Mexico, it would generally be con-
ceded that it was carried on with view
to the acquisition of territory-territory
was acquired. but the natural expectation
| that it would be slave territory, was dis
appointed 10y the action of the people OF
| the territory itself.
He then went into a historical consid
| Grafton of the institution OF slavery, from
the earliest ages to the present time. The
ancients did aot justify slavery upon the
ground that the more inl eliyent and there
tore the stronger party were superior to
the weaker. The Roman philosophers
| and jurists defended the institu ution of sla-
very upon the International law; arguing
rightly, that the conventional law of ma
| tions a Omitted that the captives of war
whose lives, according to the notion OF
that day, were at the mercy of the captors
might, in return for their lives, be made
slaves tor life; the obligation also resting
upon their posterily. They also contend
! ed, by the civil law, that there might be
slavery fifst, result of the voluntary
act Of an individual who sells himself
into slavery; second, as consequence OF
| debt; and third. for crime, bringing the
matter down to the Christian era.
He alluded at some length TO the con
scientious belief, pervading large portion
of the community, that slavery is a sin,
and incompatible with the christian sen-
timents of brotheriy kindness. He ex-
pressed his own conviction that there
was an honest belief of this character
But there were also men in the commu-
nity who i'll the too hot pursuit OF one
duty forget that there are mauy Others
which they overlook; there were men
who supposed that they could distinguish
between right and wrong. with the GER
| tainty of an algebraic equation; men who
| thought nothing good that Is not perfect;
those, who If they see spo; upon the
sun, consider that a good reason for strik-
ing the sun from heaven; there were men
too impatient TO wait for the slow and
gradual working OF great and moral
causes; they forgot that the miracles of
| Christ in 1900 years have converted but
q small portion of the world 1t was this
state of feeling which had done much to-
wards creating the present difficulties.
What was the sentiments i'll The past,
of the most eminent public men, iii regard
| to the institution of slavery! 1t was tor
maIly denounced throughout the country,
not as cruel and inhuman. but as pOllt-
ical evil, injuriously substituting slave for
free labor, aud consequently the most emi
Ient public men commented with great
acerbity outhe conduct of the mother coun-
try, who, to favor the navigator, inflicted
this evil upon the colonies. The question
| in the early days of government, was not
whether slavery was an evll-that was
admitted, and the question was now the
evil should I've dealt with. twas thought
that its day would be shortened by pro-
hibting the importation of slaves, and
a proposition was introduced to prohibit
such importation twenty years thereafter.