Washington telegraph., 1851-05-21
Mr.. Webster's Speech at Boston.

House:
| FeILoW- Citizens of Boston, You rather
take me by surprise this morning, but it
| is very agreeable surprise. l am as
| much pleased to see your cheerful and
satisfied faces as I am to see again the
| face Of that luminary which shines out
! from the heavens above; and if. gentle
men, you are half so glad to see me as
am to meet you, there is at this moment
great quantity of happiness and good
feeling in Bowdoin Square. [Applause.
Gentlemen, long and violent convul-
sion of the elements has passed away.
and the heaven and skies smile upon US.
There is ofteu all analogy between occur
rences in the natural and political world.
and sometimes political agitations pass
away, bringing after them sunshine, ;oy
and gladness. May it be so now!
l greet vol as citizens Of Boston. l
welcome YOU; | offer you my heart and
hand, with the deepest gratitude for what
you and your fathers have done for me
from the days Of my early manhood when
came from the North, to throw mysele
among you to partake of your fortunes,
for good or evil, to the end of my life.
| am not vain enough to suppose,
fellow citizens, that / have done any
essential service to my country in my day
and generations; if l have done SO, how
ever little or however much it may be,
owe it mainly to the constant, warm. un-
wavering friendship and support of the
people of Boston.
| am bound the way of all earth. l
shall ere long follow your fathers and my
fathers to my last home; but while live
and breathe, and while have the power
of language or thought, while my heart
beats or my tongue moves, shall feel
and shall speak of Boston as the cherish
ed object of my public, political, and, l
may say, friendly regard.
Gentlemen, you do not expect to hear
from me to-day any discourse. | come
to see you, and you come to see me. 1t
is not an occasion for the discussion Of
any political topics. You DO not expect
me to detain you from your affairs while
l rehearse any opinions of my own. or
state the ground OF those opinions. But
let me congratulate you, and let me ask
you to congratulate me, that the events
of the last year or two have placed US
under better auspices
We see clearer; we breathe freer; we
feel new assurance that our political
Institutions the rich blessing and inheri-
tance which we derive from our fathers
will endure-be perpetual-be immortal,
if any institutions on the earth can be
immortal.
Yes, fellow-citizens, the youngest of
your children will grow up to manhood
in the proud feeling that they are borh to
an inheritance of imperishabe liberty,
in the United States of America, and in
their ancient and beioved-I say beloved
and to be always venerated under all
circumstances aud venerated
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
NV fellow citizens, we need not be too
much seif-satished; but, after all, who is
there among you, at this moment, that
would change his political and social
condition for that which besalls the III
habitants or the residents Of any other
country under the wide scope of the
canopy which is over US!
Where would you go with the salts
faction that you would have under the IN
stitutions of your country! Where could
you enjoy pollticel power which is so
universally disseminated in popular prin-
ciples? Here every citizen feels he is
man. If he is one of the governed, he
is also one of the governors. and he has
voice in every transaction of public
policy and national concern.
Let others say what they wil.-let
others command what they please-let
them either like a more royal, more
despotic, or more democratic form of
government. For myself. and l believe
l may speak for you've are satisfied
with our constitution as people Of the
United States, aud citizens of Massachu-
sets, living under free, popular, and
glorious representative government.
Gentlemen. let us despair of nothing in
behalf of our country. We see it grow
ing in prosperity; we shall see that III the
returning of the COMMUNICATIVE great
principle of love Of liberty, and we might
add, and [ would add, with the emphasis
that can pour out of my heart. the love
of the Union will keep US together. Ap.
plause If I had ten thousand voices,
and l could speak so as to be heard here
and on the shores of the Paclic-if l
could gather round me the whole of this
vast nation-I would say-felow-citi-a .
zens-Union! Unionm Union-now and
forever! Tremendous applause.
What are all these petty distinctions!
What are all these cavils and questions,
and sectional quarres! They are not the
dust in the balance-they are not tit 10
inhabit the heart of a true American; for
the heart of true American embraces
his whole country, and if 1t is not big
enough for that he had better tear 1t out
and throw it from his bosom. Applause
I have said, gentlemen, that the little
| .lo.o IS boyo 1opo onvthInO :