The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-21
Remarks or the Hon. Daniel Webster az
New York.

| '-'NNN~ VI o"ioNJ, ePP"'"'~N ~ NHN S''"s Ohioh
meeting and other friends Of the Constitution,
when HIRAM KEToHUM, Esq, in behalf of the
committee, addressed him in happy and APP
propriate manner We find the following
sketch of Mr. WEBsTER's reply in the New
York Cypress:
Mr. WEBSTER replied, in substance, that he was
| highly gratiied to receive such delegation from
the committee appointed by the general Union
| Meeting in Castle Garden and other gentlemen
who had accompanied them The purposes of that
meeting, its aim, and objects, met with the approval
of his head and heart-and with all his mind and
his might, he would always be ready to defend
them, and to carry them out. [Applause.l
There were crises in public affairs, when it was
necessary to revive and reanimate attachment
to the Union, and to recall the principles upon
| which it formed, and the motives for which it
was formed-and of these crises now.
And, in his opinion, there place for this
vival SO becoming among the men for whom the
Union was formed, and whose influence confirmed
and established the Union
| The Union was created for many purposes. One
was to pay OF the national debt, another was to
secure the proceeds of the public land for the pay
| ment of that debt Yet others were to make US
one people and to give peace at home, and
spectability abroad.
But it will be found by those who inv gate the
matter that the main purpose for which it was
formed was to aid, and to protect trade and com
| merce. Under the old confederation, the business
interests Of the country continued in the most de-
| porable condition; and though the of hide
pendence had given the people liberty, it left them
little but poverty, and little hope for the future but
| a continuation of that poverty.
To create a government which should protect
| trade and commerce, which should have one sys
tenn of duties upon imports, and one regulation
| to exports, which would make the conflicting bus
| mess Legislation of thirteen independent States
the Legislation of but one Government, was the
| main argument urged for the adoption Of the Fed
eral Constitution.
1t will be found, in perusing the reports, the ar
| guments, the newspapers of that day, that com
merce and trade more than any thing else, created
| the Constitution, and when the Constitution is in
danger, commerce and trade first naturally rally to
| protect it. Applause
As long ago az 1887, just after the peace, it will
| be found that your Mr.. Jay and MIR. Madison
urged one Government, and that Union Govern
| ment upon these grounds, and for these reasons,
and when the Constitution was brought before the
people to be adopted, its main defenders and pro-
tectors came rom the commercial classes.
| In your own State it on the tide-water alone
that in the Convention the Constitution had hearty
support, and hat but for these tide water counties
| the Constitution never would have been adopted.
| So in Massachusetts,. The Federal Constitution,
| when it came before the Convention, had its de-
tenders and protectors in the commerce of themari
| time part of ths State.
The great Counties of Worcester and Hampshire,
| which had received many blessings from the
Constitution, not its advocates, but ts sup
porters came rom Suffolk, Yarmouth, York. and
Cumberland, and others.
Thus, it WILDE found, that trade and commerce
which projected the Constitution TO be received of
the Confederation and which it projected to protect
trade and commerce, were in the State Conventions
its main defenders.
Thus now, when that Constitution is assaulted
when its contracts are denounced-when its whole
spirit of amty, concord, and friendship is threat
| cned with breaking up-the commercial classes,
here and elsewhere, first call for its support and
| first call upon the people to the rescue. Zap
| plause.l
| The Union is not in danger, gentlemen, when
the spirit of the people is awakened for its defence.
| The danger will blow over, when such inter
csts as ace here before come TO the rescue I'm
der the blessings of God, shall escape the pres
| ent peril. we have escaped all other pcrils
Conventions may be held in the North and in the
South that teach unconstitutional doctrines, and
that threaten notification; but they will blow over
| and the men who start them, will blow over with
them. The great objects for which the Govern
| rnent formed are greater now than ever; and
it 10 possible that the people WILL after refec-
| ton, endure an abandonment Of them.
We have lived together people now sixty
| odd years and more-and shall continue to live
together a long we cherish the interests that
4 h. chi foFer
ment is protection TO property home, and respect
and renown abroad.
| Amid all our discussions upon subordinate sub
jects, the Government has given this protection
| at home and this rcnown abroad As long as it
thus it's end and aim, it will not be in the
power Of parties, factions, cabals, to abolish it.
II has given commerce respectabilty. and pro-
| lection abroad. and il has created and animated
| your commerce here.
Gentlemen, it not my fortune 10 see your
city till many years after the formation Of the Con
stitution. passed through il on my way for the
first time to take my seat in Congress 1t then had.
including Brooklyn, think, some l25, 900 inhAbi
| tants.
Il now approaches, including Brooklyn and other
| circumjaccnt populations, am told, three quar-
tiers Of a million. In this wonderful growth, and
this great prosperity, which has lined your wharves
with ships and your streeb win Warehouses, you
no doubt are greatly indebted to your own enter
| prise, but you are much more indebted TO this
Union-this being one government-this being one
| people.
when General Washington took his oath in
Wall street TO support the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States, administered to him by Chancellor Lv-
ingston, and surrounded by the officers and men
who fought with him 10 achieve the Independence
that gave them the power TO create that Constitu-
| tion the merchants Of this city, who then looked
on, for the fret time felt that they had Govern
| ment, and that this was one common country.
| Without this Government, without tbis Union,
| your enterprise would not have existed; but It
would have struggled with rival governments,
with distraoting interests, with elements even that
would have constantly threatened civil wars. 1t is
natural then that when you feel this Government
in danger, you first start to its rescue.
| As that country has extended, you, the success
sors Of these merchants, have grown with its
growth, increased with it's strength, and every in.
terest then existing for the creation Of this Govern
mont is ten fold now. [Applsuso.l
| Wr. Webster, concluding with come other re-
marks, then thanked tho gentlemen for their kind
ness, and wished them health and prosperity for