Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-04
From the Baltimore Sun
SPEECH OF DANIEL WEBSTER AT CAPON SPklNGS
MousrAIN HOUSE (CAPoS SpalSGs) I
u {

As soon his arrival became known in the nrghoo'i,
,hc citizens of The county determined offer him public
dinner which Oft here to-day, and was attenaea ny
sbuu 500 persons, including seventy indies,
Al The table noticed Sir Henry Bu"er, and Mr. fento
his secretary of the Britis! Legations John Batney hs
IF Baltimore; Lewis C. Levin, ESD OF Phlludeipma
Mason Campbell and Edward o. Hinkley, Esqs, OF ba'
more, DC. w ,,a b,
Col Hugh II. Lee, as vice president -,
After the removal of the culh the Chair announced 'e
following regular toass
JNc Righs IF the S!utes-Their best security faithiu
observance u the guarantees Of the Federal Constitution
q The President Of the United States.
l. The Army and Nary Of The United States-Iheif ms
daniel IPabster-Our distinguished guest. The Juris
md STATESMAN who has illustrated The glory OF our country
nm chnmuiun of the Constitution and the Union who has
sown seed of constitutional oery broad cast over the CT
yiIized 40 Id. ,r. c,Ju,
oIe counryNatufe in making our divisions has de-Teed
our Union. 1,. r. ,,d shorlIs, ;,
shulr in the vi the kevululuni they VIII DC haho IL
hand in maintaining the Union
s Our Distinguished gucst-The harmed and accom-
,ished Minister from The court Of ST. ies, who uphoS
the dignity Of his eminent naon guards the interests Of MS
avn people, and wins The good will nf ours.
g. England and the United Ssates-One language, one
creed, one mission.
II. The Fathers Of The Unon-May their sons prove al.
WAYS wutny nt their sires.
The Od dominion She VIII ever cncrl3n TIC Staes
ard staiesiirn 10 whom she has gwen birth.
b. The Ladies' The charm vi the present. the hope oil the
future
EXCELLENT and we.timrd remarks upon The feelings ent.-
tanned BY the people Of Virginia towards Mr. Webster on
count his devotion The Union The toast warmly
received and enthusiastically cheercd.
Mr. Webster responded with great ervency He cnmpii-
nencd his auditors the beauty OF their mountain rrglun
and the great richness and fertility Of the soil throughout the
whole valley Of the Shenunduh and he hoped lo oppor
fhnr
He discaimed having done anything In The support and
defence and in the maintenance OF the constitution
what he had done in copctaon with other uoer men, with
men Of high character and true devotion 10 the country.
He had BEEN bred he would almost say in admiration
OF our political Institutions He had studied them lung, and
in fact had studied but little else ul political nature All
the public f his life had been performed in the service
oil the Gene al Government. lie had held office
under any State government, and with the exception
few days had never been In State Legislature He Was
LAWYER and necessity had Iaovruus one. He
knew the bread q" deness tasted for he had
had bit OF in his mouth Ii in The discharge his pub
lie duties in performance public SERVERS his pri-
yuc interests had suffered he amply compensated by
the hope that if he left broad estues, rich accumui
lions he should Lave at least Inheritance (rnhusIas
appause) mol entirely usePn'aCis ~ ose VINO Should Come
alter him.
He pruessed have acted upon those principles which had
governed those around him. and his New
England in The times that tried mems souls that
to say the revolutionary struggle and that other
porun period wcn witnessed the establishment Of
All know that in this astInd high important pro
crednI Virginia took eminent lead. She tina
the disgrace Of the county, the debt Of The revolution
ninrd unpaid, and that gallant officers und brave soldiers
who had brought wounds and and broken limbs from
the battle fields Of liberty reduced IN poverty and
want and of them almost literally begging their bread
The great and good o other States felt the evil
and their hearts rung by similar anguish.
An English puel has said, that time when for
an Enpisnman il was fume enough
That Ch.ha'n's language was his native tongue,
And VOLTS great maine cumpl riot with his avn
Now, gentlemen, said Mr. W. II fame enough for me-
il may be thought that in my political conduct have main
taned defended and acted upon the principles of Veinn
and Massachusetts, those principles proclaimed aud
sustained in great epochs In the history of
try the revolution and the adoption of the present cunsu
tiuna government If have worked steadily this end
that whether much has been DONE little has been
DONE been directed towards good purpose All that
say to-day and oil similar OCCASIONS wish be the
spirit Of Washington and Madison Pcndeton and Wythe
and the prescribed patriots Of massachusetts, Hancock and
Samuel Adams If these ana other great founders OF our lib
erty and fathers Of Constitution erred then have erred
ami been the ncorgibe OF political sinners. But If
they were right then venture to hope That mn right also
and neither municipalities nor powers nor things present
things COME shall eradicate that hope from my breast
The sentiment proposed the union OF the States. The
union of the States What mind comprehend that
union The Union the topic which all men speak
write think and debate from the rising Of the the
going down thereof There probably
young comprehend and appreciate the Invaluable bles
sings of this Union We ENJOY its benefits, We daily
pursuing The various ayocaons and duties OF life uncon
scious and unthuughtfu OF the benefits which we conn'
ally experience from this Union AS the sun rises pursuc
its daily Course and sinks night without thought
upon our part but that will rise again the morrow
live without thinking OF the darkness, obi, on coniu
sion and chao which would that sun were stricken
from the heavens if this Union. which the great In
mnary of political SYSTEM were stricken our, would
Darkness oblivion and chaos upon social and po
Itical institutions But expect nc Union 10 continue,
they look for light upon the political woi do for
that of the upon the natural world but the same dire
consequences would follow that light be botted out by
crsslon disnOn notification, or whatsoever name may
this great atfclion be styled.
He drew picture Of the consequences Of disunon and
declared that those who desired SECESSION &c. knew not of
l,ot, ,hnt hi
son notification &c as one vast Serborian hog He knew
how could be happy in il. No heahful breeze
tanned it, Nothing useful or beautiful could grow upon IT,
How could within il hupelessly TO his mddl. in
mud be hnppy. lie compared il TO the dismal swamp where
all was nIalIra, ana
Tangled juniper, and beds Of grass
Aud many fen where serpent feeds,
And rvd before
He had no desire To breathe such an atmosphere Mr.. W.
then drew brilliant between this sene the picture
of dsnun and the rich harvest fields of the Cnon and
loudly and repeatedly applaudgd.
He attributed this honor paid To him because Of his
support of the compromise lie had thought il rrup:r
take course in accordance with his early
imbibed principles II occurred il true, al advanced
vi his life and he only sorry the occ sn had MOI
arrived He regretted had occurred when he
of age and possessed the youth and vgUr Of his friend
before him. Mr Barney Prolonged laughter and applause
The true patriot like faithful sailor, who under
obligation his duty whether the winds hew high low his
duty kept him his and where the gales blow he must
60. So with The friend, Of the Unor they stop
stand still upon absnse and 'n"tapysch points, on one
idea Tney do their duty regardless OF such ncetirs
There The North lnnatca societies. who h ID not
dca-bu huff an idea To such il useless speak
Of the constitution, and of their duty obey they have
found higher law, and though Of the mountains in
this vicinity high, he dnuotrd much whether any
OF them reached the altitude Of this higher law Laughter
and applause
So the secessnnsts the South they had more ell
oquence and spuke fine words still he did not know that
any pressure could he found whih if applied 10 their ideas
could produce thing which could be or felt Ap
plausc They, however doubtless thought themselves rgn
bat he could discover grounds which they act.
ed He had read all their pupcrs, and their speeches, and
resolutions could discern nothing real or substantial
In their complaints To pleas like theirs he would say az
lawyers would say bad pen bad in genealdsnurer ol
want of substance Laughter and applause
While he said nothing account Of which ncse gentlemen
al the South had these measures ne would not re-
pr0ac them he Thought il better and wiser to leave them Ia
reason and 10 indulge in the hope AMI expect IN they
would return TO their devotion 10 the Union lie had never
INDUCED in reproachcs eaukus. But let thea: ~ nn res
oluons and conventions nothing III out lei
them take that frat sep towards secession He would say S"
long as lie Connected with the government mat Inc mo-
nent the law Of the Union resisted and set at dehance
that law would and hnd be enforced by every power OF Tie
general applause He would not De at
tached 10 government ne would not be member OF cho
net who would enforce every law by all lis pwes and
to lis fullest extent. Renewed applause and cheers
upon this subject vi SECESSION he regarded me acuon OF
Virginia cnncsve 1t settled The question oil dlSso-
nj ilp IInfnn N Offrr