The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-09
speech Of Hon. Daniel Webster
AT TALBANY-MAY %.

erected in the courtyard of Congress Hall, and
haV'hg seated himself, cheers, long and loud, were
gwen py the assembled multitude. The Hon. J.
" spencer, standing the piazza of the hotel
immediately behind the staging erected for the
speaker, announced that at the request Of the
inhabitants OF this city, the Hon. Daniel Webster
6aa @ consented to address them the present con-
dition OF the country and public affairs. He knew
ne ne would receive patient and cheerful attention
nus announcement was received with renewed
cheering. Mr.. Webster then rose and said:
Fefoo-cttiSenS-l owe the honor OF this occa-
sion-and esteem it uncommon and extraor-
ahinnary honor-to the young men of this city of
Albany and it is my first duty to express to these
young men my grateful thanks for the respect they
nave manifested toward me. Nevertheless--never-
.heiess' young men OF Albany do not mistake
y"a' OF your object, or your purpose. l am proud
,,,. :" myself whatever may properly belong to
''e as 'oken oil personal and political regard from
you 10 me- But know, young men of ALBANY. il
Is ho' l, but the cause-it is not l. but vour own
sehe!ous attachments to your country-it is not l.
us 'he CONSTITUTION OF the Union, which has
oo"uu toee'her your ancestors and mine and all of
u.s. ior more than half century II !. tb;s ,h 4,
mas brought you here to-day to testify vour regard
toward one who, to the best of his humble ab;1,,v
nSs rG, sustained that cause before the country
un.I uo on young men of Albany, Go on
young men Of the United States Earlv manhood
IS Inc chief prop and support-the reliance and
noPeE.or 'he preservation of public liberty and the
institutions OF the land. Early msnbood IS ;nasnn
GUS generous, just II looks forward to a ono life
orGa ' o. u'shohor-and It means, by the blessings
OF od' that II shall be life of honor of usefulness
and success, in all the professions and nprsr;, =,
me aud that 1t shall cose-when close il mns,-
WIN sone claim to the gratitude of the country
"o on then-uphoId the institutions to which Won
were porn iou are manly, fearless, bold You
tear not ing but TO do wronp-dread notb;,a h.,
to be found recreant to patriotism and ,o vour
country. ~ " y'ui
Gentlemen, certainly had no expectation Of
appearing IN such an assemblage as this TODAY.
IS NOT Pfooaoie, Tor much time to come-a long
une " cohierhat | may again address any large
assembage OF my feow.cit,zens III sbonld ne,
and II this were the last or to be among the lac, II
al Tue occasions IN which | am to appear before
any gfea' number oi the people of the country.
shall not regret that that appearance was here
hnd myself IN the political capital of the greatest
hnd myself invited here by persons of the hiobss
fespectaolIity without distinction of party. [ con.
sluef the occasion as somewhat august | know
that among those who now listen to me- there are
sucn as are oil the wisest, the best, the mos,
patriotic and the most experienced public and mi;
vale men oil the State OF NewYork Here ars
governors and ex-governors, here are Judge. ape
extJudges, oil high character and high station anc
here are persons from all the walks of professional
ana private lie, distinguished for talent and virtu,
ana emInence. feliow-ctlzens, before such al
assemhlage, and on such an invitation, | feel bounc
10 guard every opinion and every expression-tc
speak with precision such sentiments as | advance
and TO be careful In all that | say, that may moi
be inexperienced misrepresented. / am
requested, ielow-c citizens by those who invited me
hlther, without distinction OF party, to signify my
sentiments on the state of public affairs in this
country, and the interesting questions which are
before US.
This proves, gentlemen, that in the opinion oi
those who invited me here, there are questions
sometimes arising which range above all IA -ty and
all the Influences and .nJ inn
of party. 1t proves more. it proves that in their
Judgment, at whose request now stand before you
this IL lime in which public affairs do rise in i'm.
porlance above the range Of party, and draw to
them an interest paramount TO al party considera-
ions. III that be not 70, am here without object,
aud you are listening to me for no purpose what
ever Then, gentlemen what is the condition of
public affairs, which makes it necessary and proper
ior men to meet and confer together on the state of
The country! What are the questions which are
overriding, subdung and overwhelming party
uniting honest, well-meanng persons TO lay party
asidt-to meet and confer for the general public
veal shall, of course, fellow citizens not enter
at length inIo many of these questions - nor
iutp any Enlightened discussion Of the state of public
aiiars-bu shall endeavor to state what that con-
ul'lon ~, what these questions are, and to pro.
nounce a conscientious judgment of my own upon
The whole.
The last Congress, fellow, citizens, passed laws
called adjustment measures, or settlement mea
nal and domestic controversies which existed in the
country, and some of them for longtime. These
laws were passed by the constitutional majorites
OF both houses of Congress. They received The
constitutional appreciation of the President They
are the laws of the land To some or all of them--
indeed TO all of them,-at the time of their passage
there existed warm and violent opposition. None
OF them passed without heated discussion. Cow
ernment was established in each of the territories
OF New Mexico and Utah, but not without opposi-
ton. The boundary of Texas was TO be settled by
compromise with that State, but not without de.
termned and violent opposition. These laws all
passed, and they have become, from the
nature of the case irrepeaable it is not necessary
thai should delain you by discussing their merits
and demers. Nevertheless, gentlemen, desire
on this and on all public occasions, in the most
emphatic and clear manner TO declare, that hold
some OF these laws--and especially that which pro-
vded for The adjustment of the controversy with
Texas-to have been essential to the preservation
OF the public peace
will not now argue that point, nor lay before
you at large the circumstances which existed at
that tims,-ihe peculiar situation of things in so
many OF the Southern States, or the fact that many
of those States had adopted measures for The sepa-
ration of the Union-the fact that Texas was pre-
pairing 10 assert her rights to territory which New
Mexico thought was hers by right, and that hun
dreds and thousands OF men, tired OF the ordinary
pursuits of private life, We're ready 10 rise and
unite in any enterprise that might open itself to
them even at the risk of direct conflict with the
authority of this Government. | say, therefore,
without going into the argument with any details,
that IN March of 1850, when found ii nv duty to
address Congress these important topics it was
my conscientious belief, = sill unshaken ever
since contirmed-lhat if the controversy with Tex.
as had not been amcably adjusted, there must
have been civil war and civil bloodshed and in
the contemplation of such prospect it was of little
consequence on which standard victory should
perch although in such a contest we took it for
granied that no opposition could arise to the au
thoriiy OF the United States that would not be sup
pressed. But what of that. Twas not anxious
about the military consequences of things-I looked
to The civil and political state Of things and their
results, and inquired what would be the con.
diiion OF the country it, in this agitated slate of
thlngs-If in this vastly extended, though not gen.
orally pervading feeling at the South war should
break ont and boodshed should ensue in that ex.
ireme of the Union! That was enough for me to
inquire and regard and if the chances had been
hut one IN a thousand that such would have been
the result, should still have felt that that one
ihousandh chance should be guarded against by
any reasonable sacrifice BECAUSE gentlemen, san.
gh'he as am for the future prosperity of the coun.
Hy-slrongly as | believe now, after what has
passed, and especially after those measures TO
which have referred that it is likely to hold TO.
gs'her-l Yet believe firmly that this Union, once
bf"keh, Is utterly incapable, according to all hu-
man experience, OF being reconstructed in its orig
mai character of being re- reconstructed by any
chemistry, or art, or effort or skill of man.
lhen, gentlemen, let us pass from those mea-
sures ,es winch are now accomplished and settled.
California is in the Union, and cannot be got out
the Texas boundary is settled, and cannot be dis
tnrbed; Utah and New Mexico are territories.