The republic., 1851-12-15

real and immediate dapgsI; and that opinion is
his crime In that conviction, be devoted himself,
as the hrst duty of wlsdVm, Ui morality, Of bu-
manty, 10 save and streng then aud preserve ~
aud that devotion 10 his crime Ia the conflict ot
duties, he seected the largest 10 be performed hrsi
and that selection is his crime In the coInpcu-
tion OF evils, he chose the least, believing that the
present passing regretted i'll would be outweighed
a million fold by the ckrecding and eternal goDd;
and that choice is his crime In day Of insubor
dination and rcslessness amid revolt against gov
crnmeut and all institutions, he has taught obed-
ence to the fundamentals law; and that is his crime
lie has deemed that the duty Of the inhabitants
OF the free States, in this days extremity to the Re
public, 10 little too large, and delicate and din
cult, TO be all cOmpTchended and exhausted IN the
single emotion of compassion for class in the
STATE in carrying out the single principle Oi aD-
srac and natural and violent justice to one class,
but comprehend other clements of care and inter
est; and that opinion Is his crimel lie has con
tnued to hold fast TO the 'OldiashiOncd faith Oi
Washing gton-that that duty Of the Old Testament
and the New, which literature, art, science, the
concurrent teaching Of the wises and pures Of the
race in all periods have done much TO ennoble,
adoru, and regulate mean the duty Of loving
with specific and unsbarcd love our own coun-
try; Of deeming il the noblcst object which phi
lanthropy can be expended; Of prcerring II 10 all
others into which the will Of God had divided the
race; Of guarding tsactual territory; OF keeping ts
true honor from corruption; OF advancing us pow
or, eminence, and consideration, bul by no guilty
arts Of empire; of seeking with due regard 10 its
organic form and constitutional character, to
mould it into indissoluble whole, obeying,
within the sphere of its national nature common
will, vivifcd by common life, identified by a sin
| gle soul he holds that patriotism is virtue; and
lhis opinion is his crimei
He has shown that he believes that true chris
tian and philosophical and moral statesmaDship
does not consist in aad is not usefuy displayed by,
taking single idea and working il 10 death;
single duty, and disocating il from its connexions
and Independence and e8aggerating il out of its
afr NV anHi nHpp eff md
throwing up for the huzzahs of the crowd glitter
ing generality into the air; by taking the Declara-
ton Of Independenceor the Lords Prayer, and graf
iy shallow, self colDD Dlacent audience by dcduc-
ing from them fraudliaently, the dogmaUf instant
and universal emancipation; by haranguiug, in nd
out of season. the rights OF man and the claims
of ma ture-but rather by soaring to the large and
grand conception that noblest and most pleasing to
Ced yet moet difficult OF all the achievements OF
secular wisdom, is the building and keeping of
State; that noblest, most difficult most pleasing 10
God in that kind is the building and keeping OF
State; that TO that great achievement demand
ed, in large measure sobriety and reach of mind,
disciplined and practical reason to discern what 1t
bear and what 1t cannot; the power of combin-
ing ideas, OF tempering and blending and reconcil-
| ing antagonisms; of correcting extreme specula-
tons and dscordant theories by the concessions and
| compromises of noble poiitice approximating to
the ideal good paying the demanded price for the
| tranecendant blessing, deducng from oppositions
| and counter actions the harmony OF the social
| universe; and this is his crime He believes, as
|
thropy, Enlightened from on high. SECS this day
no grander work for her hands TO do in this Ameri
| can world than that Of advancing the dearest
interests Of humanity through generations count
less, by that unmatched security OF peace and
progress, the Union OF advancing the interests
Of each State, each section, each reatoa-the
master and the slaveaike by subjecting. by means
of it's agsncy; whole continent all aatir and on
fire with the emuousness OF free republics, through
ages Of household calm, 10 the sweet Influences of
Christianity and culture. and the great, gentle,
and reformer, Time; and he has sought TO
that erd, first, and chiefly, to pcrpeuate this great
security of peace earth and good will to men
union-whcreof may come at length liberty, it's
autumnal fruit, its mobiles. offspring; and this is
his crime Res, in the Judgment OF fanaticism
and sciosm, Of the shallow and revolutionary
ethics Of agitation, Of morality, falsely called,
looking of q loop hole, unexercised, unbreathed,
profoundly ignorant of the true nature OF the State
as practical agency OF good; its value. its inhu-
cnce on happiness and virtue, its dangers, the
means DF its preservation, the maxms and arts
imperial of its glory; all this has been his crime
But in the vocabulary and ethics of an instructed
people, by the verdict of conGcience enlightened by
knowledge and guided by truth, il is virtue hcroi.
CAL worthy the grateful feelings and the reward
ing honor Of EARTH emitting, after this mortal
change, to the crown OF gold "amongst the en-.
thronud gods on santcd seats"
From such patriotism, SO tried, has any section,
any interest, any spot Of American earth, any drop
of American blood, any thing to fear! Has it not
every thing to hope? Whatsoever is large enough
if il be nos distant and minute that the eagles
flight may not overiake and the eagles eye discern
it, ia not all safe in the embrace OF that capacious
and generous nationality.
II has seemed to me, aiso fellow ciizcns. that
there is somewhat in the qualities of Mr.. Webster's
character and understanding, and the balance of
his public sentiments and principles, If may
judge hin from the past, which fits him in
taordnary degrse to conduct the foreign relations
of the country iii the actual state of the European
world.
,l.,I - yh,t
darkness rest on its future Of the next four years,
you all appreciate. II seems if the prerogatives
OF thrones and the rights of man, andsth boarded
up revcngeg and grels OF centuries, were uneheath
ing for a conflict in which, in the apocalyptc
vision, blood shall flow TO the brides Of the horses;
in which the clock of time shall be found to have
struck another hour; Ill which one age OF the race
shall pass away forever; in which society itself is to
be tried by fire and steel, whether it be of nature
and OF God, no.
In such conflict have we nothing to fear2 Has
not the whole oxpanse Of the Atlantic, since Wash,
ington put forth his proclamation OF ncutraty-not
the least OF his tites to pure well brilliant
fame-has it not contracted, as it were, to hands
breadth? That same cross sea, that confluence of
all winds and waves, through which the great pilot
scarcely secred the ship Of State; is there no dan
ger that this, that than this, will strain
iasienings and rend away sails and carry our
masts by the board? Shall any seamanship but the
highest hold the helm in such prospect:
Who does not how difficult and delicate n
part the New World may have to act? To OBJ
serve neutrality steadast and impartial, yet main
tain our rank and fulfil our mission as the success
ful republic, whose sound has gone into all ma
tions TO keep peace in this war Of giants, if such
there shall be, yet so to cause our light to shine
before all men that all, seeing with what felicity
with what glory, the people may rule themselves,
may be stimulated to pass on the torch Of liberty,
till its radiant round encirclcs the world-to mete
out public sympathy in time and measure, yet
hold unbrokon every title of the public code to
which the rePose OF the world is entrusted Such,
hard TO reconcile, may be the trials of the next
four years.
To steer our course not between Scylla and Cha
rybdis, but across whole archipelago of rocks,
seen and unseen, who shall be our pilot? Who Of
our statesmen, in circumstances more perpexing
than those OF the administration of Washington,
may win second time such praise such envy as he
extorted from all the world from the very bel
ligcrents who could not, would not, adopt the
wisdom OF his policyl* Does partiality deceive
us, is it he, in whose intellectual and prudential
character are so felicitouely adjusted the autago-
nisms of conservatism and progress, institution
and reform, liberty and law, the highest freedom
compatible with tho scheme oi actual things on the