The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-03-19
I S P Il L G II
OF DANIEL WEBSTER.
On the Subject of Slavery.
IN THE SENATE or THE UNITED STATES,
on THURSDAY, MARCH Z,

The wee IrcSlucnt. nc RESOLUTIONS suD-
mtted by the Senator from Kentucky were
made the special order Of the day at twelve
o'clock On this subject the Senator from
Wisconsin (Nlr. Walke) has the floor.
Mr. Walker. Mr.. President, this vast au-
dicnce has not assembled to hear me- and
there is brit one man, in my opinion, who can
assemble such an audience. They expect
to hear him, and feel it to be my duty as
well as my pleasure, to give the floor there
fore to the Senator from Massachusetts.
understand it is immatcriai to him upon
which of these questions he speaks, and
therefore | will not move 10 postpone the
special order.
Mr.. WEBSTER. beg 10 express my OBJ
legations TO my friend from Wisconsin, (Mr.
Walker.) as well as TO my friend from New
York. (dr Seward, for their courtesy IN al
lowing me to address the Senate this morn
ing.
MIR President, wish to speak to-day, not
as a Massachusetts, man, nor as Northern
man. but ms an American AMI Il member Of
the Senate OF the United States. 1t is Tor
tunnte that there is Senate Of the United
Staes--a body not yet moved from IT'S pro-
prietv, not lost to "A Just sense Of its own dig
niiv and its own high responsibilities. and
body TO which the country looks with conf
dcncc for wise, moderate, patriotic, and heal
ing councils. 1t is not to he denied that we
live in the midst OF strong agitatlons' ana are
surrounded by very considerable dangers TO
our institutions OF government he I'M
prisoned winds are let loose. The East, the
West the North and the stormy South, all
combine to throw the whole ocean into com
motion, and to toss It's billows TO the skies,
and to disclose its proloundest depths do
no, affect to regard myself, MIR. President.
rs holding, or as fit TO hold, the helm in this
combat of the political elements hut have
duty TO perform and mean to perform 1t
with fdeIity-not without sense OF sur
rounding dangers, but not without hope. !
have a part TO ac!, not for my own security
or safety. for ! am looking out for no fray
ment upon which to float away from the
wreck. il wreck there must be. but for the
good of the whole, and the preservation Of
the whole and there is that which will keep
me TO nv duty during this struggle whether
the sun and the stars shall appear, or shall
not appear for many davs. | speak 10 day
for the preservation of the Union. /" Hear
me for nv cause" | speak to-day, out of Il
solicitous and anxious heart, for the rcstora-
ton to the country Of that quiet and that
harmony which make the blessings of this
Union so rich and so dear TO US all. These
are the topics that propose to myself TO dis
cuss; these are the motives, and the sole
motives, that influence me in the wish to
communicate my opinions to the Senate and
the country and If | cai do anything, how
ever little, for the promotion OF these erds,
| shall have accomplished all that DESIRE
Mr.. President, IT may not be amlss to recur
very briefly to the events winch, equally
sudden and extraordinary, have brought the
political condition OF the country to what 1t
now is. In May, 1876, the United States
declared war against Mexico. Her armies
then on the frontiers, entered the provinces
of that republic; met and defeated all her
troopsi penetrated her mountain passes and
occupied her capital. he maine force oil
I the United States took possession OF her
( forts, and her towns on the Atlanuc and on
the facllc. In less than Two years treaty
was NEGOTIATED by which Mexico ceded to
the United States vaet territory, extending
seven or eight hundred miles along the shores
Of the Pacific; reaching back over the noun,
tains, and across the desert, until It joined
the frontier OF the state OF leXas. 1t so hap
pened that, IN tie distracted and feeble state
of the Mexican government, before the de-
claration Of war bv the United States against
| Mexico had become known in California,
( the people of California, under the lead OF
/ American officers. overthrew the existing
] Provincial Government of Caliiorna-the
Mexican authorities and ran up an indie
pendent flag. When the news arrived at
San Francisco that war had been declared
by the United States against Mexico, the
independent flag was pulled down, and
the stars and stripes of this Union hoisied in
its stead So. sir, before the war was over,
the powers OF the United States, military
and naval had possession of San Francisco
and Upper California, and great rush Of
em;grants, from various parts Of the world,
took place INTO California in 1876 and lS47.
But now, behold another wonder.
In January, of 1913, the Mormons, it is
said. or some of them, made a discovery OF
an extraordinarily rich mine Of gold-or,
rather, of very great quantity of gold
hardly ft TO be called A mine. for it was
spread near the suiface-on the lower part
of the South or American branch of the
| Sacramento They seem to have attempted
to conceal their discovery for some time but
soon another discovery, perhaps of greater
importance, was made Of gold in another
part of TIE American branch of the Sacra-
mcnio, and near Suffers fort. as il is called.
The fame of these discoveries spread far and
wide. They excited more and more the
spirit of emigration towards California, which
had already been excited; and persons
crowded in hundreds, and flocke! towards
the bay of San Francisco This, as | have
said, took place in the winter and spring of
1913. The digging commenced in the spring
] ni Int . f, IL I,a