Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-01-02
Celebration of Forefathsr's Day
in New York.
Speech of Hon. Daniel Webster
of Massachusetts.

view l-lgiiuu CoCltty Ol Tue lily ui view
York, held their Anniversary al the Astor
House. Hon. Daniel Webster was called
upon by the sentiment
The Constitution Union, and
their Chicf Defend~ !"
Thus toast was drank with the most rap
iurous applause As soon as the enthusiasts
tic cheers had subsidized,
The Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER rose and
spoke as follows 49, MIR. President aud
gentlemen of the New England Society
We sous of New-Engl and--ye brethren of
the kindred tie. | have come here tonight,
not without some Inconvenience that might
behold such Congregation as NOW vat
ness-whose faces bear the lineaments of
New England origin, and whose hearts
beat win New England pusations. Gap
pause) willingly make the sacrifice -
MOI young man, with blood ia my veins,
not very young but thank God, yet pref
ty fully aud freely flowing, | come here to
meet this presentation Of this great of-shoot
of our Pilgrim Society in Massachusetts
the Pilgrim Society OF New York AID gen
iIenen, begin what have to say, which is
but litlle, 10y rendering you my hearty thanks
for the invitation winch you have extended
To me- and my wish that you may enjoy all
SORTS of happiness aud prosperity.
Gentlemen, this has been a stormy, a cold,
4 bolslerous aud Incienent day The winds
have been harsh, the skies have been Sc
we're, aud, # we had no house over our heads
If we had no security against the Inclem-
cncy of the skies--ii we were wan and
worn outfit one-haf of US were SICK, aud
tired and ready 10 descend to the grave
f If we we're on the bleak coast of Plymouth,
homeless aud houseess, with nothing over
our heads but the heavens, and that God
who sits above the heayeus--ll we bad a
distressed wife ola cur arm, aud hungry aud
sh,ermg children hanging on our skirts, we
would see something aud feel something. OF
The scenes which IN tie providence of God
were enacted IN Plymouth, on the 32d Of De-
cember, 1920 Thanks be to God who,
from that distressed condition, has raised Us
to height of prosperity and happiness
which our ancestors at that day neither en-
lofcd nor could have anticipated. Would
To God. my ifleuds, would 10 God that when
We carry our affections aud reflections back
to that period, we would arm ourselves with
the stern virtue that supported Them IN that
state of peril and eNposurel Would TO God
we possessed, aud hope we DO possess, tie
resolution winch they possessed, stronger
THAR bals Of BRASS OF irou and above all
that iaith, that original ialthi which sith iss
q ~ fred or hRagen. trsffpies GA ar imrs
earthly beneath IT'S urunPuant feet Gem
tlemen the scenes of tnis world, which our
ancestors saw and felt. ve shall MOI feel. -
HE severe duties of lie, and the call for
Cd.
were called upon TO exercise those austcre
virtues, the exercise OF winch, before the,
came here, must have made them, as II
were, ausiere men. Things have changed
In tue progress OF society, the fashions al
life, The habits of llie the conditions Of hu-
man l.e, have all changed. Their siernei
virtues We are not calicd upon, Ia every re-
> spect 10 emulate or commend or rather.
should say, To emulate, tor We should com
5 mend them, always considering The state @
society in winch they were exercised. The,
bad That religious sentiment, that trust ~
Providence, that determination To do right
and 10 seek through every degree Of tol
{ aud suffering the honor Of God and the pres
{ ervaliop of human liberty, which We ma,
. well cherish. Ia the progress Of human
sentiment, IT may be aud probably is tia
the mllder virtues belong more properly t.
Us. They were great Sufferers from intol
= erdncc. Ii was not unnatural that thei
lalth aud pracllce, III consequence of iha
, stale al things. should be somewhat rigid
somewhit intuierant. II may be hoped lha
IN spIrt of Christianity aud N the chart
! ~ OF the Scriptures, We may have somewha
Improved IA the sentiments winch pretalle,
among them. Undoubtedly they were at
' tached Ia particular forms ot public worship
/ aud TO particular religious lenets no doub
! they esteemed those religious lenets AM
. those obseryauces to be all borrowed from
e the authentic word of God
. Bat there is n change of society and o
, hablls, and IN The progress of society, IN Oh
j general advance ofhumdn sentiment we fla
; indeed what indeed they had not seen
, that a great tolerance of religious opinion
! a more catholic feeling among all who pro
, less reverence for God aud obedience To III
! scriptures IS not Inconsistent with thos
a principles OF liberty winch they proiessed-
as we see ~ our day, | think, without an
} departure from The established principles o
our fathers, a more enlarged and compre
= hensive Christian philanthropy, i'll may ;
c call IT, Ii seems to be our A uercan de.
; tiuy--lt seems to be the mission winch Go
II has entrusted 70 US here al the Wesler
{ shores of the Atlantlc--tu show that al
. sec;s aud denominations who profess /
d love his will, may be safely tolerated with
II out prejudice to religion. Applause. J.
c Gentlemen, we are Pedestrians. general
II speaking, but YOU all know that there pre-
!. sides at the head OF the Supreme JudIca
c ture of the Unlted States, Roman Ca,ho
&c lie, and no man, | suppose, throughout IN
e whole eff these United States, supposes ths
Il the Judeature of the country is less safe, c
&c that the administration Is less respected, {
l. less secure, because the Chief Justice
d the United States has been, aud Is, a pre-
Is lessed aud ardent adherent to the Catholi
- religion. (Cheers and applause.) And 5,
~ ia every department Of society with us-i
III both houses OF Congress, in all the depar
men's OF edusatIon-we 90 on the Ide
G that mans religion is above human law
=. that II Is question To be settled betwee
u him aud his Maker but when man come
into society-when social relations are e
tabllshed-when he forms a government {,
= the protection of ALT becomes indispe,
sable that his right of private judgmen