New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-03-08
webster and sia very.

as proper. Those times are not al Oyg'he
they are here now Men arc tined By them daily
and some found wanting
At such crisis Is the present, there IS no sal9
Iigh. but that Of principle. He who tres 10 be
guided by any other viii Ia the iruitiess vague
or land himself and his followers IN the ditch TX
pediency may dictate the steps 70 be taken DIX
must be principle that determines the end. From
thatend 10 10 an can securely sworye.
He is a true statesman who gathers wisdom
from an intimate rapport with the People, aud who
If sometimes apparently before the age, is neverhe
hind it, By the People we do lot mean the leading
residents Of cities, merchants and money-ieuders
their business is % buy and sell and care for the
interests Of trade and for profits on stocks and
loans We mean the People who are scattered over
the wide expanse Of the country, who Ill the land
AID make the work shop vocal bose good sense
is both just and generous, whose faith N Freedom
Humanity aud Progress is unextingnished ana
living. and not counted IN dollars and cents
Ittakes courage to face en- enemy IN battle u
takes more courage greatly TO confront great
emergency in politics Then ordinary oonsidora'
,;ons are worthless The traveller in a straight and
narrow path must not be afraid Of shadows the
leader il political struggle like that now passing
will hest consult his own reputation and prospects
bv taking counsel of neither prospects nor repu'a
ton. He that would gain his life must lose IT,
says the inspired record
We do not criticise the manner OF Mr.. WEB
s,er's speech we do no, find fault with It's de-
tails all that is of minor consequence II " us
substance that We pronounce unequal 70 Inc o'oa
.on and unworthy Of its author
It does not do all that Slavery has boon bescech
ing of Mr. Webster 1t does not profess TO offer 30
3O> nor any minor compromise between Slavery
Extension and Freedom but it offers one, notwith-
standing II takes the ground Of Senator BELL Of
Tennessee 1t proposes, not directly but indirectly
% balance California with new Slave State taken
from Texas, and to abandon the Proylso Tor the
Territories
Mr. Webster says the Proyiso is useless and
migratory, because nature has excluded slavery
from California and New Mexico. How has she
excluded III BY climate and soil, he will say
This has been said before often enough, and IS
none the trper for being said again. Have these
advocates for natural exclusion never heard Of
Russia In that country there arc fifty millions
of slaves distributed through every variety of ell.
mate and soil from that Of North Carolina to that
OF Greenland Have they never heard OF Mary
land nor Kentucky, States which raise neither col
ton, nor rice nor sugar, and yet employ slaves p
Its absurd ~ say that Slavery knows any limta
tons ID climate, or soil, or occupation 1t goes
wherever il can be made profitable. II the law
guaranteed slave property in California can any
man who knows enough to count four fail to see tina,
thousands of slaves would in two months be dig
aing gold there Beside Slavery is not mere
industrial institution IN this country and does not
depend for it's existence upon its profits alone. IT
is a great political machine, whereby the minority
IN the Republic has long ruled the majority That
Is why il is adhered to with such ianatcoi persist
ence That is why in Kentucky, for example 1t
resists every consideration which interest ana
sound reason urge for its removal II is not proh'
able there but ii remains NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 30 IL
would have got into California, had 1t dared -
there so it will now occupy New Mexico, unless
It is restrained.
Mr. Webster thinks the Proviso is originally OF
Gods epsctina, aud therefore will not reuhirm it
This is new principle Of legislation as well as
new point of rhetoric Hitherto 1t has been thought
necessary for human laws to follow another course
The law of God is freedom, and yet by Consitu
tons and statutes we establish aud guaranty iree
dom. But, does Mr., Webster mean to hsve us an
derstand that God designs some portions oil 'he
earth for Slavery and some for Liberty Does he
interpret any part Of the divine will as ordaining
any climate any soil any locality, for the woes ana
inhumanties of bondage II God has speciaii!
enacted that they shall not exist IN New-MoNico'
A. for xh feh he has made
different enactment But this whole argument Is
puerile MIR, Foote might have used It with pro
prie,y, but not so the man who speaks for Massa
chusetls
The time was when Mr., Webster saw the Wi
mot Proviso in another aspect, We do moi object
to his changing his sentiments but cannot ind ms
reasons sufficient to convert us also
The position that Northern States and their Cit
zens are morally bound 10 recapturc fugitive Slaves
may be good for lawyer, but is not good Tor n
Man. The provision is on the face OF the ConsttU
ton True. but that does not make ii the duty o.
Mr.. Webster nor any other human being, when a
painting fugitive presents himself at ms do'f Deg
sing for shelter and the Of escape to arres'
and bind him and hand him over 10 the PSfsaeIs
who are hot upon his trail In this the Constitution
does net reenact the viii Of God but the VIII @ ga
tan, aud so is nugatory among treemen' though you
enforce it with all possible statutes and penalties
When the public sentiment gets ahead OF Jaw
TIA, law loses ell efficiency. Pass law here II
New.lork tina, man who steals sheep shall be
hanged, and does Nj w ebsteg suppose he could hnd
Judge or Jury to execute it : Just SO with the
provision Fox The return OF fugitive Slaves. 1t re
mains in force ncminAny and legally you will bat
morally il is abolished in the Free States has long
been 80, and SO ever viii be. Public sentiment i,
ahead OF 1t and cannot be dragged back again 80
We cannot be converted ldo Slave csicbers. no'
can Slave caichers operate freely auaoae VS. Ever,
dav diminishos the usefulness they may once bsv,
had 10 their employers Ii Nh. Webster suppose,
that any mere lcga morality can override tina
which God puts into the heart u every sen0i0,
freeman he is mach mistaken
We have read this speech not without regret
The opportunity was Snd is ye, great enc ioF
man endowed with a grea, mind, great heart an