The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1850-06-13
M. WrrsrEa's rosrrioN.-Iy


Nh. wrrsrEz's PosirioS. Il.
. . gTeviesa usins 70 Be- forced 70
>Aks Sass Against Daaiel Webster ,bzt
hyshlie peS, however sxaised, zee
81 70 advocate opinions Of which We
cannot approve, We certainly feel IN
Der - obligation 70 yield our own
v,s~s Of . question q right. Mr.
Webster has parsed . very singular
course throsghoss the whole Of this
slavery coo,rovsry, and The most
marked feature Of shst course has
bsse ~ glarins inconsistency with
hls 20, professions, and iu incongrui.
y with even present professions. -
he has voted very differently and
strangely on several occasions, and
has made explanation after explAna.
s.on, 70 such "a exien. that there 10
no telling exactly where to find him.
Il is hard 10 say whether he was for
or against the committee Of thirteen |;
il u almost impossible 70 determine
whether ho is for or against the re-.
port Of the Committee it would puz.
sle himself u prove by the record
whether he goes for the admission Of
California A. al independent measure,
OF whether he is in favor Of using
that question As . whecl-horse for an
omnibus. At one time he professcd
u b. in favor Of Mr.. Mason's bill, but
whether it Was with the amendments
already before the Senate, or with
certain amendments he intended to
offer, the numerous versions Of his
speech. when diligently compared,
may possibly show to mon skilled in
cssaistry. At oil events he appears
70 have some amendment Of his own
h that neiarious project Of q law, bu.
whether they make it more or less
stringent may well be doubted. Up.
On two points, however, he is unpleas.
sntly clear and explicit. In the first
place he is decidedly opposed to the
application Of the Wilmot proviso to
the new territories, and in the next
place he is Cor was, at last advices,
: decided advocate for q severe law
to aid Southern masters TO recapture
the;r escaped fugitive slaves, without
giving to the alleged fugitive tho
right Of trial by jury. However
much Mr.. Webster may vacillate con.
corning details, he is Enthusiastically
committed uoou cardinal points Of
lolicy, and X 10 upon those points
that We, in common with q vast ma.
jority Of the people Of Massachusetts,
meet him with Incorporating op.
position.
Mr.. webster's Newburyport letter
Is one Of thel most remarkable pro.
auctions which ever fell from his pen
or his lips. II is not our purpose ia
examine that Letter critically today,
bat only to remark upon the singular
ly bad taste and spirit in which the
letter is written. II has q lectur.
ing, hectoring, offensive tone about it
which looks very like an attempt to
stop the mouths Of men Of Massachu
setss by a naked exercise Of authori
~. 1t seems to imply that Mr.. Web.
s.er has . prcrogative to settle all
question ia political ethics according
to his own Eotion, and the ieges ap
pear to be expected to submit meekly
and repentanuy 10 the powerful reas
oning Of their great Senator. Mass
achusctts is spoken Of and spoken t.
by name, as If she were a small child
requiring the edmonton Of her emf
ncnt public servant. But this slave
~ question is no. to be settled B.,
any mans dictum, and the people
viii not surrender their opinion at any
mans bidding. The wisest man is a
best only man, and the highcs. in
,ellects are not always the most un
erring. We shall take an early &C
casion to recur 70 this subject. il
some remarks upon the doctrines ad
yanced in Mr.. Webster's letter.