The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-06-03
I H Z r EPU BLIC
From The Neio York Express.
Speech OF Daniel Webster TO inc ei"-e'
syracuse, May 70, 1881.

speech OF Daniel Webster TO the Ciu-ehs "a
syracuse, nIay 70, 1881.
Iphoaogropsieally reported BY 4. r. -dndreios.I
Thomas Il. Davis, esq, having introduced
Mr.. Webster to the citizens of Syracuse, Mr..
Webster spoke as follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS OF SYRACUSE, LADIES AND GEN
rLEMES; thank you cordially for the pains you
have taken to assemble this afternoon, forming SO
broad an assembage, 10 welcome me TO your I'M
porlant and growing city OF syracuse: nave
years; some of those visits were made before the
happy faces before me were born, or when they
Were in their infancy. j have watched lis pro
eress with interest, connected, as II has been, win
the interest of the great saline OF the State, ana as
the capital of thanoble county OF Onondaga' winch
have always regarded with admiration
Lades and gentlemen, the Presiden. ana "a ms
friends were invited three weeks ago 10 attend lhe
celebration of the completion OF that great me OF
communication the Eric Railroad. We lett
Washington with other purpose-certalniy
none ON my part-than to attend inc ceieotat oi
the completion of that noble work had not the
slightest expectation of being here. nor had the
sIishtest idea or wish Of being called upon TO ad-
dress YOU or any other body of the United States
upon The political topics Of the day.
Ladies and gentlemen, my time OF life for such
public dscourses and illustrations may be consiu-
cred as pretty much over. There is q time for all
things and there has been time when it was not
unpleasant to me 10 meet masses OF ladies and gen
tleinen in the open air upon topics which were not
But there must come time when we advance III
life and age-when what do for the public must
be more in the closet and less in the field
Nevertheless, ladies and gentlemen, q large num-
Der of the people of Syracuse, having signlhed to
me by letter that it was their desire that should
meet them to-day, and address them on public
subjects-as far as may be in my power gladly
conform to their request.
On the great question of the day, my fellow citi-
zens, have secrets. have nothing to conceal
and nothng to boast Of trust that all OF you
know pretty well who am, and what am, and
what my principles of political conduct have been
for the last thirty years. They not likely TO be
changed, and it is not likely that any earthly in
ducement will prevail upon me to depart from
those settled notions and opinions which imbibed
in early life, which have followed in the councils
of this country, for good evil for thirty years,
and which find myself settled upon in judgment
more and more every day of my life.
Ladies' and gentlemen, know very we'll that on
the agitating questions OF the present day have
the happiness to concur with all the people oil
Syracuse or the county Of Onondaga, or other
parts of the State of New York. i know there are
varieties of sentiments, and l know the sources OF
that disag reement Some of them are very justi-
fable, and some Of them, am sorry to believe, are
not capable of much defence. But know there
are differences of feeling brought about by differ
snces of association, by different reading, and by
different degrees of knowledge and information
respecting public affairs. But since am requested
10 address you you must take from me the honest
continents OF my own heart, the convictions OF my
own conscience. lay claim TO your approval
of my views and ask no favorable reception Of
them, 'farther than you see the suggestions make
to you worthy Of your regard"
You here in the centre, the very centre OF the
greatest State in the Union, the place where con-
gregatc all parties and all views,
and you have here all sorts OF sentiments ad-
vanced, all sorts OF doctrines espoused, and you
have very fair opportunity of forming judg-
ment, n fair, conscientious judgment, OF all great
questions before the public.
Now, ladics and gentlemen, it Is matter OF no.
toricty all the world over, and especially in SYRIA
cuse, that the origin Of the important questions
chat for years have agtatcd the country Id the
condition of the southern States in respect TO the
institution of slavery in those States and the rights
the parties connected with that institution IN the
Government in which we live. You cannot state
strongly than feel that this original, an
cient, unhappy institution Of the slavery OF the
African in the southern States Is forever and
ever 70 be depored II has been, III We course
OF history, much deplorcd by the southern
States as by ourselves, and thirty yearsago more So
When the Constitution of the United States was
adopted, the northern people did not feel the evils
of Rlavery, because it not among US. The
southern people did feel the evil, because 1t was
among them. And they all thought, and all said
1t was evil entaied upon them by the British
government, for which they were full OF lamenta-
ton and regret, and, If they had known how to get
rid Of it, they would have embraced any reasonable
measure 10 accomplish that end. Such were the
feelings, and such the opinions of the principal
of the South; of such men Chancellor
Wythe, Jefferson, Mason, and Chancellor Pendle-
ton, and other leading men of the South who were
concerned in the formation OF the Constitution OF
the United States. And if you, young men, will
look into the history OF those times, you will ind
what state to be true--that the southern people
were more filled with regret at the existence OF
slavery among them than the northern people
were, among whom it did not exist. The thirteen
colonies, originally OF English origin, coming here
ut different times, settling along the coast under
ynrio ~ all ted W
origin, found themselves opposed by the mother
country in rs, and in rs declared their independ
cnce. That was an act of Union it was united act
of the thirteen colonies it that united that
snadc us free OF England and, united under that
act. the colonies fought the war of the Revolution,
and afterwards established common government.
There was at that time no more idea of prohibiting
savery in the southern States than there Of in
Producing il into the northern States. These do
mestic State institutions, the State establishments,
were considered as the proper subjects for the lc-
gslatIon of the States themselves
For purposes of general defence and general
welfare, and for purposes Of commercial equality,
and similar objects, the States afterwards agreed
TO become one government and, to all the rest,
II wac expressly agreed that every State should
take of its own rights, and regulate itself in
relation thereto. Upon these principles we came
together under the Constitution which vas then
adopted and Washington, unanimously chosen
by all the people, was our frat President.
That was before your day, fellow citizens, and
that you know that this matter of The existence Of
slavery in the southern States never became an
agiiating subject for mere than fifty years after
wards. For than fifty years the northern
States never supposed that they had any thing TO
do with it, but in process Of time, and in process
Of things, public sentiment has changed at the
North. There 10 now strong and animated, some
times an enthusiastic, and sometimes a religious
feeling, against the existence of slavery.
But persons entertaining such feelings and sem
timents, as think. disregard the line of their own
duties, and adventure upon fields which utter
Iy forbidden.
Ladies and gentlemen, there are in this country
Abolition societies and Abolition presses; and il is
no new thing for me to say-ior | said il twenty
years ago, and have ever sipcc-that, in my opin-
ION, all these things have prejudced the condition
of the slave. Twenty years ago, convention OF
the whole people Of Virginia held upon THE
subject, and there free discussion OF the sub
lect OF lberating the slaves, and of gradual cinan
cipation, The subject ffeely and openly dis
cussed, and there was no fear, no reserve-follow-
ing In that respect the advice of Jefferson, and
Madison, and Marshall with all of whom have
conversed upon this subject-all Of whom desired
10 see way IN which the gradual emancipation OF