The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-04-21

into the breach. and to sacrifice a portion of his
| public good.
Ihave had OCCASION carefully to observe the pel..
ical course Of Me- Webster as long a. have had
any knowledge Of affairs. For ten years we we're
together In Congress, and at all other times have
had great personal opportunities to be veil &C
lie questions, and with his ends and objSces - q
public man. have not in every instance agreed
WIN him as 70 individual opinions and measures;
dstrust of my own judgment. This, however, j
| will say, that from the Declaration Of Indepen
| dence TO the present day the country has never
been serysd-nO not in !s best days and BY ts best
with purer patriotism than by Mr.. Webster.
itrequircs but little ingenuity in difficult times,
and in reference TO a subject on which the requi
lie sentiment, 10 urge objections against any prac
ticable line Of policy. That the measures Of the
last Congress- in reference to the subject which Is
shaking the Union to the foundation, were not At
10 we'll known That II was his duty, ~ II II that
OF all good citizens, TO acquiesce in those
after they became, and while they continue, the
law Of the land, need not say. And It ]. my 6rm
opinion that il ia in small degree owing 10 The
manner in which Mr.. Webster has performed his
duty, in the responsible position and the arduous
| circumstances in which he has been placed, that
the frends Of the Union at the South have been able
to stand their ground against those who seek its
dissolution, and that blood has not flowed 1t the
North in forcible resistance to the law Of the land
We cannot shut our eyes to the fact that persons
holding extreme opinions, at the South and at the
North, are straining toward dissolution Of the
Union. The number Of persons desiring this object
at the North suppose to be small. and not very
large at the South except in one State; but there
Is very considerable number, fear, in both sec
hons OF the country, who reason upon the same
general principles the extremists, and are tend
ing-Perhaps unconsciously-to the same result
Where the same measure II pursued by different
persons for directly opposite reasons we common
~ say that the views of one or the other
In the present deem it certain that the ex.
pectatons of both parties will, in the event Of
separation Of the States. be wofuy disappointed.
Nothing will be gained by the South in the way OF
security from anti slavery agitation; it win gather
new violence and strength. Nothing will be gained
at the North in reference to the existence and ex-
tension Of slavery; it will DO guarded with greater
vigilance and will seek to spread itself in the d.
rection Of Cuba and Mexico, with energy of pur-
pose not yet displayed. All the restraining and
sofening influences on both sides, which flow from
the kindly union of North and South in one body
polite, and which have insured US sixty years OF
almost uninterrupted prosperity, will be at once
blasted. Every existing grievance complained of
at the South and at the North will be UNNECESSARILY
augmented and cmbittcred, and superadded 70 all
will be the horrors, crimes, and sufferinGs of civil
war, Regarding these the results Of q dis
solution OF the Union, know no language too warm
to express the gratitude we owe to Mr. Webster,
and the patriotic of both parties who have acted
with him, for their recent strenuous efforts 10 avert
| this calamity. ssFsSs
remain, dear sir, with great respect, your friend
and servant, EDWARD EVERETT.
To Hon. NATHAN HALE, Boston.
The public will be gratified to learn that the
common council, at a meeting last night took
measures to vindicate the character Of the city and
wipe out the stain which the conduct Of the alder.
men had thrown upon it. The very best spirit pre-
vailed in the popular branch Of our municipal gov
eminent, and the country may rely upon It that
the members Of this body speak the real voice and
sentiment of Boston. The following resolutions
were submitted by Mr.. Otis KimbaIl, and adopted
by the council: - Feft'ie,
whereas, Faneuil Hall has been s'consecrated
and dedicated to the of the inhabitants of Bos-
ton upon oil suitable occasions;' and whereas the
exclusive custody of the Same Is exercised by the
board OF mayor and aldermen Of this city; and
whereas this branch of the government has learned
with great surprise that the mayor and aldermen
have denied the respectful petitions of the citizens
of Boston for the use Of said hall for the ton
Of the Hon. Daniel Webster; and whereas this
board is unwilling to be compromised by the ac-
ton Of the board of mayor and aldermen in the
case, or to be identified Herewith: Therefore
Resolred, That the common council deeply re-
greet the action of the board of mayor and alder
in closing Faneui Hall agaihst the Hon. Daniel
Webster, illustrious fellow citizen, whose high
Official position, whose unwavering attachment to,
and unwearying defence of, the Constitution,
whose long service in the Senate of the United
States, and whose untiring efforts in support of the
Union, have justly endeared him to the whole peo.
pie of the United States. tssEf
Resolved, That while this board would not inter-
iere with any rights which the mayor and aldermen
may have over Faneuil Hall, it cannot but consider
their action in the present instance unprecedented
and injudcious, calculated to increase, rather than
diminish, the public excitement. 1,e
Hesojred, That 1t would have given to the COM
mon council of the city of Boston the highest plea
to have met our disn guished in
FaneuIl Hall. eYchappe cor at,fIa vuiNh
him, and hear him once more address his friends
and neighbors in support of law, order, the Con-
stitution, and the Union.
The question the passage of the resolutions was
taken without debate, and the vote was unanimoxs
Messrs. Ezra Lincoln, Henry Lincoln, Solomon
Carter, Samuel d. Crane, and Edward Reed, were
absent. r
On motion of Mr.. Thompson, it was voted, that a
certified copy of the foregoing resolutions be for
warded to Hon. Daniel Webster.
The following order was also adopted by a unau-
imous vote, on motion of Col. Thompson:
Ordered, That Messrs Thompson, Jewell. and
Smith, with such as the board Of mayor and alder
men may join, be committee to tender TO the Hon.
Daniel Webster, in the name of the city council of
BostoD, an invitation to meet and address his fell
low-ctisens in Faneuil Hall, at such time as he
shall elect $50 ~ fr
Mr.. Smith submitted the following preamble and
order: t.sv
Whereag;bis board, by a unanimous VOTE pass
ed an order for the appointment OF joint special
committee TO invite the President of the United
States to visit this city in which action the board
OF aldermen refused to joint Therefore
Ordered, That special committee of the coun-
Gil, consisting Of the president of this board to-
gether with one member from each ward, be ap-
pointed, with full powers to invite President Fill
more in the name of the citizens of Boston, to visit
this city atsuch time may be most agreeable to
him.
One member asked if it was competent for the
council alone to invite the President in the name
OF the citizens of Boston," and Mr.. Smith replied
that he did not know; but inasmuch as Il was I'M
deratood that the President was coming North
during tho summer, and inasmuch the aldermen
had refused to concur with the council in making
preparations to receive him, it become necessary
for the council to take action in the matter.
The preamble and order received q general sup |