The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-31

Kentucky. amongst. thoee who know him, ths
charge hat be would sufsr hsis 81 hIs hoad 10
DO enlisted in the cause Of such enemies - his
Icountry's peace, would be met with in1igns-
tion Daniel Webster--thc great mental c01os-
sus az the age, who presents a. this ttns - ths
admiration OF the world spectacle vhich. for
moral eublmity, Was never surpasssdi whD has
breasted, like mighty rock, tho fury Of ths stosm
Of fanaticism, as il ragged sround him--who
has rebuksd, with boldness unsurpassed, lite fell
spiritwho, in his late letter 70 the friends of the
Union in New York. cast defiance in tbs very
teeth Of the unprincipied disorganixcrs; who
in all he has said and all hc has done, in this con.
test has lowered far above party, superior 10 all
sectional prejudices, and proclaimed end defended
THE RIGHT with daring seldom equalled and with
synpathizr and adlersnt Of Sssosyd Ysa Bsrsw
| aud Giddings!-Have we lost ALL gratitude? Has
I justice departed from midst? OF tho opinions
| Of the Postmaster General know nothing, bot
believe him q gentleman and patriot; and though
am candid to confess that many Of the ssutiunsate
contained in the speeches Of Mr.. Corwia msst no
approval from me, yet 1t - understood that he
| ton Of this law. The President Of the Unitsd
| States needs defence from His senti-
| ments avowed during tho campaign Of lo4S HE
embttored assaults made upon him by the abolition
leaders and presses, assure all that in this trying
crisis he will stand by the country--stand by tho
Constitution It 10, and execute the laws in good
faith and with unquailing heart. Why, thon, this
attack upon the Administration? IL there a Turk
ing desire, amidst this fearful conflict, 10 break
down the moral influence and power OF tho Gov.
eminent, for partisan ends and sectional purposes
believe the Administration will plant itself upon
high ground-upon q national plAtfoTm-and look
to no one section, pander to no unworthy preudices
but appeal to the sober reason and conservative
spirit Of the whole American people, If IL will do
this the nation will sustain it. Buff il fasr under
or hampers with faction, anywhere or for any pur-
pose, it will be deserted, broken down, condemned,
as it will deserve to be. n
appeal, them fellow citizens, to your good sense
and patriotic Judgment. and ask in what position
do we now stand? You well know that for years
past the South has been struggling against the WI
mot propiso, which was sought TO be imposed upon
the territories acquired from Mexico. We consid-
cred this odious measure az an unjust and disnon-
orable cncroachment upon the rights Of the whole
South. This was the main cause OF disaffection,
alienation and alarm in the minds Of our people.
Has this obnoxious measure been incorporated into
any of the acts of Compromise which we have been
considering? No, no; not one 1t was defeated, in
every shape il was presented, during the progress
Of those acts through Congress- It is true that, when
the constitution of California was first reported TO
Congress, the charge was preferred that the Ma
tiona Executive had dictated the slavery restric-
ton to the people of that country but the recent
letter Of that gallant officer, General Riley, has put
character ofthat firm old patriot who then presided
over this Government. Throughout the struggle
on the Territorial bills the doctrine Of non intscen-
fi0n was triumphant.
To those of you from whom differ upon ques-
tons Of party politics, would respectfully address
one consideration In the Presidential campaign
of lS4S you voted for General Cass. You claimed
that he avowed in his Nicholson letter the doctrine
of non intervention He voted for those measures
of Compromise He gave his great abilities and
influence to their support. Does any one oelieve
ferent from what il has been Senator! If not,
would any of you who are opposed to this Compro-
mise, have abandoned and denounced his admins
tration? For his recent exertions in tho Senate to
settle fairly and honorably these great questions
which had long divided our people, he 10 entitled
to the gratitude, not only of the South, but Of the
whole Union To the attack which the gentleman
has thought proper to make Henry Clay, for the
part he bore in this struggle, have but word OF
reply As bitter and unjust as it was. ne will sur
vive it. Such shafts cannot reach him. Arrows
they fell harmless at his feet. His fame and char
acter belong to the age in which he lives, and his
name will adorn the pages Of history as true pa,
triot and great statesman, when those who assail
and traducc him shal have gone down into oblivion
and have been forgotten foreverl
The question comes back upon us-shall we stand
by the Compromise? Distinguished men, OF both
great political parties, united to perfect and pass
It, Webster, Dickinson, Cass, Mangum, Clay, |
Houston, Foote, and others, worthy the confidence
Of the nation, commended side by side, and devoted
their abilities to the restoration Of harmony to their
country. Il is q question above party, higher,
vastly higher than its success; upon the issue Of 1t
may depend every thing that is worth preserving
under our Constitution and Government. 1t ia
platform upon which all can stand. Let US say, |
then, to the North. s'Ths is position. We
will stand by the Compromise. If you execute the
sail rights and disturb our domestic tranquilh-
ty, we nre with you; but if you repeal, nuiiify,
destroy. or alter, against the Constitution, that
aw--if you renew your unjust and mad attacks
upon our institutions, upon your heads must rest
the consequences; for before God, we should not,
every impulse Of justice, honor and sef-preserva-
ton demands that we should not, and we scH not,
submit to it."
Then, SHALL WE STAND THE CoMPRoMIsn
That is the questionthat is the issue, not for the
South alone, but for the North, for the West, for
h,ta IIrnn N hnr1 /
depends the preservation Of this Union. What do
we behold? Whilst the fanatics of the North are
proclaiming their determination to set at defiance
one branch of those laws we find at the South
those who would move heaven and earth to excite
resistance to other parts, who advocate secession,
who proclaim that disunion is far preferable to
submission to them. Have such men, North or
South calculated the terrible consequences of such
rashness? Have they reflected we'll upon the effects,
the humatipg, the meancholy-ay, the awful
effects which must be produced BY dis
solution of this Union? 1t would be ruinous, not to
State alone, not TO any particular section, but
to each and every State and to all sections. Does
any man believe that but one Confedoracy could be
formed of the slave States!
Who supposes that the Northwest would ever
surrender the mouth of the Mississippi? The free
navigation of that father of waters is as mecca
sary to the prosperity of the vast population who
live upon its tributaries the trunk Of tree is TO
the life Of its branches, the body of man to the
healthiness Of his limbs If we cannot now, whilst
living under tho same paternal Government, recon-
cile differences and natural rights and
peace, what will be the condition of things when
the bonds that unite us together shall be broken
asunder3 VIII heart burnings,, jealousies, and
chickering's be done away? Will they not rather
increase moro and more in Bitterness until brois,
border violence, rapine, and war war Of exter-
nnaton, war OF horrors never yet known TO the
bloodiest pages OF history, must follow? Would
the South Be able to protect her property without
Gordon Of military Poss along the whole line which
would divide us? With the cauldrons Of fanaticism
the subject of slavery boiling all sides Of U.S.
crnittinp their poiaonOt1a cYhalatiOne through