New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-02

days and weeks before that memorable
occasion. The public may recollect some
thing of the assiduously deferential tone of
The Union newspaper toward Mr.. Webster
at the time. This Is merely an index to
what was going on in private circles. The
Southern men got Mr.. Webster to make 4
Southern speech. Outside they called 1t
Z" NATIONAL" But, in doing it, Mr.. Webster
never once thought he was sacrificing
Northern support he only thought he was
gaining Southern. He made that speech to
get friends at the South-never doubling he
could hold his own in the North, and not
dreaming of the possible detection of Mas
sachusetts. Mr.. Webster never had the
credit of holiness in making it, for none Of
his friends thought he was running the risk of
losing anything, politically, by so doing. On
the contrary, it was imagined that 1t was
great stroke, and would make Mr.. Webster
eminently popular throughout the South and
South West, and would achieve the culmi-
nation of his political fortunes by electing
him to the long coveted post of the Presi
dency. This was undoubtedly Mr.. Websters
own view; and far enough is it from the
idea of sacrifice"
There were a few st Washington who
saw, at the time, how great was that delu-
sion, and how deep was the pit Mr.. Web
ster had dug for himself But when such
intmated that Mr.. Webster would not be
likely to sustain himself in the North, and
that he might even lose Massachusetts, the
idea was derlded, and the suggestion that
he could by any possibility fail to carry his
own State was laughed to scorn. Yet now,
in the encomiums upon Mr.. Webster which
we see drifting about the public prints, we
find those like the following from a st.
Louis paper:
On an occasion when he had 1t in his pow er
to secure the support of party who, unfortu-
nately, seem to control the affairs of MaSSachu-
SETS and thus to strengthen the influence which
he has long deservedly exercised in that State,
he adopted the very course which was to weak
en- his power among his old constituents, and by
which he was to sacrifice all prospect of future
benefit from Massachusetts,. He lost his State
to preserve the Union He abandoned his own
interests to further the general welfare. He
severed his party attachments to secure the pub
lie good
We are perfectly willing TO give Mr..
Webster all the credit to which he is fairly
entitled. His situation is not enyiable, and
his course on the great questions of the
time does not add to his present happiness
neither will it add anything to his future re-
nown. Let his friends praise him. We do
not object. But let them not cOyertly cen
sure others of our most distinguished men
in doing it; neither let them be guilty of
the Justification of history in the bestowment
of their encomiums. Mr.. Webster's intellect
is great. In point of mental ability he is an
ornament to his country. But of his unset
fish devotion to principle, of his moral in
trepidity, it is not worth while for his friends
to be profuse of commentator. On that
If any body has made sacrifices it is
the men who were steadfast to principle
against all the shocks and all the stealthy
assaults upon their virtue in that time of
trial. Then, and subsequently on the In
stallation of Mr.. Fillmore's administra-
ton, rating was easy, and could very
readily be made profitable. The men
of the North, who were true to their
past professions and to their convictions
Of duty, were those who incurred oblo-
guy and made the sacrifices" II was
they who were put under the ban, denounced
as sectional, as fanatcal, and temporarily
denationalized, SO to speak, by the savage
attacks made upon them. But they were
not swaycd from the narrow path Of recti-
tude and honor, by any consideration of pre-
sent or prospective advantage.
They are the men, if any, who are spe-
cially deserving Of being held up to the
country and the world as preeminent in the
discharge of the duties demanded by princi-
pie and by patriotism. And when impartial
history shall review and record the events
of the time in which they were actors, 1t
will be their glory, and not Mr.. Webster's,
that will Gid the page on which that record
shall be made.
Charter Elections.
MmMArKEE-An Indenendcnt Reiom