The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-06-26


Lehgh in the stove, handful Of light
ashes.
THE GREAT SPEECH
OF THE
HON. DANIEL WEBSTER,
70 The Inhabitants Of Buffalo, on Me Questions 0,
The Day
BUFFALO, May 90, 1851.
Concluded.I
And again, gentlemen, the Mexican war
broke out. This vast territory was acquir.
ed, and the peace was made; and, much
as disliked the war, dsliked the peace
more, because it brought in these terrific
ries. That territory was unknown. | did
not know what i, might be. The plan
came from the South. knew that certain
Southern gentlemen wished the acquisition
Of California, and New Mexico, and Utah.
as means Of extending slave authority
and slave population. did not fall into
their idea much, but seeing a quarrel, as
conceived, seeing how much it would dis
tract the Union. | voted against the peace
with Mexico. voted against the acquisi-
ton. wanted none of her territory, Cal.
ifornia, New Mexico, nor Utah. They
we're rather ultra American. They were
far from US, and saw that they nigh, lead
to a political disturbance, and | voted
against them aIl-against the treaty and
against the peace, and am glad Of it.
Seeing that i: would be an occasion of dis
pute; that. by the controversy the whole
Union would be agitatod, Messrs. Berrien
Badger, and other respectable and distin
guished men of the South, vol ed against
the acquisition, ard the treaty which secu-
red il: and if the men Of the North had vo.
ted the same wav, we would have been
spared all the difficulties that have grown
out of it. (Appause.) Now, there is no
sort Of doubt, gentlemen, that there were
some persons in the South, who supposed
that California, if il came in at all, would
come in as slave State. You know the
extraordinary events that arose there
You know that California received rush
from the Northern people, and that an AZ
rican slave could no more live there than
he could on The top Of Mount Hecla. Oi
necessity il became free State, and that
no doub: was source of much dsappo!nt-
ment to the South. And then there was
New Mexico and Utah; what was TO be
done with them? Why, gentlemen, from
the best investigation ! have given the sub
ject, and the reflections have devoted TO
il, was Of the opinion that the mountains
Of New Mexico and Utah could no more
sustain American slavery than The SHOWS
OF Canada. saw i, was impossible.
thought so then, and think so now
Therefore, gentlemen, when it was propos-
ed in Congress to apply the Wilmot proviso
to New Mexico and Utah, it appeared to
me just as absurd as to apply it here in
Western New York saw that the snow
hills, the eternal mountains and the climate
Of those countries, would never support
slavery. No oman could carry slave there
with any expectation Of profit. 1t could
not be done; aud as the South thought that
it was irritating and disrespectful, was
not willing to do it; and, therefore, saw
no occasion for applying the Wilmot provi-
so to New Mexico or Utah. voted ac-
cordingly, and who doubts it now! The
law admitting those territories passed with
out any proviso. Is there slave, or is il
likely there will be one there? Why, there
is not n man ia the United States SO stu
pid as not to see at this moment, that such
a thing was wholly unnecessary, and that
il was only calculated to rritate and ofend.
And am not one who is disposed to ere
ale irritation, or give offence TO our broth
ers, or TO break up fraternal friendship,
without cause. The question was open
whether slavery should or should not 60 to
New Mexico or Utah. There is no slave
ry there. There is not the shining face OF an
African there. 1t is utterly impractcab'e,
and utterly ridiculous to suppose il; and 10
one who does not mean to ngitate will
urge it.
Well, gentlemen, we have race of agi-
lators all over the countrv-some connect
ed with the press; some, am sorry to say,
connected with the learned professions.
They agtate-their livelihood consists 10
agitating-.heir freehold. their copyhold,
their capital, their all in all, depends on the
excitement of the public mind. Gentle
men, these things went on at the com,
mencemen, Of the year 1850. There were
two great questions before tho public
There was the question of the Texas boun.
dary, and Of government for Utah and
New Mexico, which consider as one ques-
tion; and there was the question of making
provision for the restoration Of fugitive
slaves. Gentlemen, on these subjects ]
have something to say. Texas, as you
know, established her Independence OF
Mexico, by her revolution and the battle OF
San Jacinto, which made her a sovereign
power. have already stated to you what
| had anticipated from the movement, tina
she would ask to come into the Onion as I
slave State. We admitted her in lS45