Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-07-19
PLAQUEMENL>
SATURDAY, JULY 10, 1851
Daniel Webster.

Daniel Webster.
| Mr.. WEBSTER delivered one of his admira-
Bile speeches few days ago at Capon Springs,
Va The following fine passage is strikingly
| Websterian in style:
The leading sentiment in TIE toast from the
| chair is the Union of the States. The UNION
OF THE STATES! What mind can comprehend
the consequences Of that Union, past, present.
and to come! The Union of the States is the
al'-absorbing topic of the day; on it all men
| write. speak, think, and dilate, from the rising
of the sun to the going down thereof. Ap-
plause1 And yet, gentlemen, fear its mpor
tance has been but insufficiently appreciated.
Like all common blessings, however great, it
has been of late years too little the subject OF
reflection The unthinking and careless hardly
take heed Of that atmosphere which supports
their lives from day to day and from hour to
hour As the sun rises in the morning, follows
its track through the heavens, and goes down
at night, we notice its course, enjoy It's light
and heat, and when we notice it shrink beneath
the western horizon, we have no doubt, we do
not think of the possibility that it may not ap
pear for another day. We are in no fear of
perpetual darkness, or the return of chaos. SO
is ii with our political system under united
Government and National Constitution. 10
these most of US were born; we have lived under
their daily blessings as if those blessings were
not only matters of course but impershable
ALSO But alas, gentlemen, human structures,
however strong. do not stand upon the ever
lasting laws of nature. They may crumbie,
they may fall; and republican institutions of
government will assuredly sooner or later
crumble and fall if there shall not contnue
TO be among the people an intelligent regard
for such Institutions, great appreciation OF
their benefits, and q spirited purpose to uphold
and maintain them And when they shall
crumble and fall the political catastrophe will
resemble that which would happen in the nat
ura world were the sun to be struck out OF
heaven. If this Union were to be broken up
by notification, separation, secession, or what
soever event of equally repulsive name and
character, chaos would come again, and where
all is now light and joy and gladness, there
would be spread over us darkness like that
of Erebus. Yet, gentlemen, have little pa
.ienee with those who talk fppantly OF Sc
cession and dsunion !; they do notappear to me
to understand Of what they speak, nor have the
least idea of its consequences If they have
any meaning, / do not comprehend that mean
ing. Suppose this Union were dissolved to-day,
where would be tomorrow? ] think state
of things would arise in which should feel dis
posed to take shelter in the cayerns OF the
mountains, or seek some other place OF obscuri-
ty in which should not witness the degrada-
| ton and ruin of the country.
/ Every such anticipation presents gloomy
and horrible picture; tits a vact Serbonian bog.
| I never saw happy man in it, unless he thought
he was about getting out. How could man
be happy in it hopelessy up to his middle in
mud z laughter Those who love the Union
ardently, and who mean to defend it CALAMITY,
are happy, cheerful, with bright and buoyant
bopes for the future, and full Of manly irmness
andresolution. But secession and disunion are
a region OF gloom and morass and swamp; no
cheerful breezes fan it, no spirit of health visits
#: il is all malaria 1t is all fever and ague..
fLanehter and great applause Nothing beau-
tifnl or nseftrl grows in it the traveller through
# breaths miasma, and streads among every
thing unwholesome and leathsome. 1t is like
the region of your great Dismal Swamp; it is
all n4s55 s
tangled juniper, beds Of weeds,
With many fen where the serpent feeds.
And man never trod before lLaughterl
For one, have no desire 70 breathe such
an air, or to have such footing for my walks
Applause.
Here is another capital extract:
Those who assal the Union at the present
dav seem to be persons Of one idea only, and
MANY Of them of but half anidea APPLAUSE
They plant their batteries on some useless ab-
straction, some false dogma, or some gratnt-
Gus assumption. Or perhaps it may be more
proper to say that they look at il with micro
scope eyes, seeking for some spot, ur speck, or
blot, or blur, and il they find any thing of this
kind, they are for at once overIuring the whole
fabric. ~
And, when nothing else will answer, they
invoke religion and speak of higher law
Gentlemen, this North Mountain is high, the
Blue Ridge higher still, the Allegheny higher
than either, and yet this higher law ranges
further than an eagles fight above the highest
peaks of the Allegheny. daughter no
common vision can discern it; no conscience
mot transcendental and eestatic can feel it tho
hearing Of common men never learns It's high
behests; and therefore one should think It Is
not ! safe law to be acted on in matters OF the
highest practical moment. It's the code, how