Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-03-28
DANIEL WEBSTER.

DANIEL w LIDO LIN
"How arc the mighty fallen" One year
700 Daniel Webster stood up as giant in the
Senate, battling manfuly for the great cause OF
.ioht and humanity and we felt disposed to
Iorego our former doubts of his political recti
lude; for the position he then assumed was a
noble one Of itself, and one that seemed also
auspicious of great good to his country in AID Of
her effotts to redeem herself from the curse and
reproach of slavery. We could not but honor
the man. both for his great powers, and the
trustworthy use he was making of them on
that occasion. Indeed he then stood on San EN-
i,ence, and glory covered him." But where is
he now? All that glory has departed. Ten
thousand fingers are pointing at him in scorn
and indignation, and ten thousand lips are NUT
terinr the word traitor! And traitor he most
Justly is cnlled for he has proved himself one
n traitor to the high trusts reposed in him by
the pcople Of his own state, whose free soil pfin-
ciplcs lie had publicly pledged himself To sup
,,ort--u traitor to the well known principles and
feelings of vast majority of the free states,
and traitor to what he knows 10 be the best in
terests of the whole nation. So great, and pal
pabe is this betrayal Of trust, indeed, that but
few Of his own party dare come out openly and
sustain him, though enough Of the leading press
cs have done so to show that he is to be sustain
ed by his party IN the monstrous and unnatural
position he has assumed as a Northern slave
proplgandist, and the supporter of the slaveo.
cratic administration, Of which, to the full inca
sure Of southern interests, he has now become
the unblnshing defender and champion.
His speech is now being echoed and re'ech'
ood through the entire South with exu ting APP
probation, and the poor slave is pausing from his
labor in dsmay, as he listens to The shout, which
to his ear is the announcement of a great and
unexpected help to his tyrant master for perpet-
Mating hs bondage.
This speech is chilled even by MANI who dis
sent from his posi- tons, mastery effort. A
mastery effort at pettifogging it may be- But
for sound argument, for candor for elevated and
enlightened views, it strikes US to be the very
weakest Of all his efforts and in many parts it
is absolutely disgraceful to his character as a
rcasonnr, as an impartial historian, and as a
statesman. In bringing up the slavery of the
Jews, the Romans, &c, as an apology for Amer
lean slavery. why did he not 90 on to show that
with the former, even in those days of mora
darkness, slavery was limited even to degeee
which woull satisfy the majority of the oppcsers
of slavery at the present day, because so years
at flrthest, would end the work. What an op
portunty was here to draw u contrast whicl
would lave told with effect on the South, in
stead of being used IN extenuation of her con
luct.
His reasoning on the effect Of the discussion
Of slavery at the North, and the course of tn
\ rr,-rroiicrs, believe 10 be unsound, an
against the experience of the world as regard
the results Of peaceabIy conducted moral an,
political reforms. Again, he has openly repudi
a;cl one Of the grert cardinal doctrines of rcpub
)icanIsU,-that OF the obligation of the represcn
tstive to obey the instructions of his constilu
cnts.
Such, to us appears to be the general charac
ter of Webster's so called great speech. To u
it presents one Of the most melancholy instar
ces on record Of the pervelsion of great power
to ignoblo purposes, and one that should pac
him on the same list with tho:e whom the pc
Of thcp ct has stamped as
"Thc wlscst, meanrst of mankind"
; But as suicidal to him, and as abhorpnt TO III
feelings Of the Moth, as are the doctrines
his speech, he seems bindly bent Oh trying
maintain them. lie now avows his purpose
, is snid, Of slumpng it, after the session close
through all the principal places in his own stat
and perhaps the rest Of New England, in SUI
. port of his position, and in waging an indiscrim
nate warfare with the free soil party, which
V and his fellow apostate, " inthrop, have decide
t must every whore he put down. Well, let the
7 try it. Though they may count themsev,
-. Simpsons in strength and influence they mn
| vet since they have laid their heads in the |,
/ vt the Southern lilnh, find themselves sho
. of their strength with the people, and like o h
Y nen, except in the measure of contempt and i
. dgnaion which will be heaped on their hea,
$ by the outraged community they have so base
4 betrayed