The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-29

ofthe message, it does not expect to stand at ALL
(DANIsL WEBsrER's Letter to the Union Meeting
at Westchester.
MIR. Wsbster's Speech at Buffalo.
We publish this morning revised copy Of
Mr.. WEBsTER's last speech at Buffalo. Upon
one point of this speech--so much as relates to
his entire concurrence with President FILLMORE
in the measures of his Administrative have
already had occasion to comment. There are
one or two other topics suggested by it to which
we now desire to call the attention Of our read
ers.
And first, with regard to the Union meetings
that have been held at the North, and the mis-
representations (which they have been made the
subject. 1t has never been supposed or charged
that there were large bodiesof men in the north
ern States disaffected to the Union, or de-
sirous Of its dissolution. But it is perfectly well
known that the abolition societies and abolition
conventions of the North have repeatedly given
out, in their resolutions and addresses, that
they seek the abolition of slavery ssover the
ruins of the American Church and the Ameri-
can State" They have denounced the Con-
stitution as an 'satrocious bargain" and as ''a
compact with HE'LL" and have professed openly
to seek the overthrow of that Constitution
with the view of accomplishing the emancipa-
ton Of the slave. Separated from these men by
a mere shade Of difference difference SO thin
as hardly to be capable Of appreciation-is that
larger body of men who are disposed to agitate
the slave question in the political forum, to
make it the subject of party divisions and dis
cussions, to vituperate the stakeholder, to set
up claims in themselves to superior morality
and sanctity, and, by language offensive and
insulting to the southern States, seek to alien
ate them from the Union of which they are
members.
Under these circumstances, it was eminently
justand proper that the right-minded and Union
loving citizens Of the North, who regard slave
ry as matter of local jurisdiction, with which
they have nothing to do; who know and feel
that it existed at the time the Union was
formed, and that the Union was formed with
a perfect recognition of the institution, and a
perfect understanding of our relative rights and
duties in regard to it, should come together and
reafirm the understanding and the compact Of
their fathers, and repudiate the unlawful and
violent acts and language of the abolitionists,
agitators, and intermeddlers. 1t was obvious
enough that these acts and this language could
only terminate, if continued, in the forcbe dis
ruption Of the Union; for, with the extinction of
the spirit of amity and good will that makes
us one people, "the cement is gone-the cohe-
sion is loosened-and every thing hastens to
9 decay and dissolution"
Again: With regard to the Fugitive Slave
law, most important point is made by Mr..
WEBSTER, that cannot fail to impress every re-
fecting mind. The objection Of the men who
oppose it most violently is not to the law. This
is admitted to be no less favorable to the fugi-
tive than was the law Of General WASHING
roN's time-the law of 1898. The burden OF
their complaint is that the fugitive should be
surrendered under any circumstances, or under
amy forms. They cannot tolerate, in the Ian
guage Of one of their leaders, that any man
who has trodden northern soil as a s'freeman''
should be returned as s'slave." They as
sumo that escape is title to liberty, that the
fugitive is of necessity freeman, and that the
wrong consists in his surrender. Their objec-
ton strikes at the Constitution itself, which,
in the clearest possible language, commands
that such fugitive should be surrendered on
claim. This is the point which northern men
are to consider-indeed it is the only point in
volved in the controversy. Shall the Consti-
tuition be obeyed in good faith, or shall it be
nulliied and held in subordination to that high
Or law which prevails only where every man is
= law to himself2
We apprehend that the only mode in which
the Union can be preserved is by sacred re-
gard to the Constitution by which it is estab,
lished; and the men who raise an cutlery
against positive and precise provisions Of the
Constitution--who seek to evade them, to null
lily them, to render them Of no avail-are in
every sense Of the word just as distinctly dis
unionists as those who raise the standard of Sc
cession and revolution. We think that this topic
is 80 forcibly urged by Mr.. WEBSTER, that il
cannot fail to produce strong impression upon
the public mind of the North; and that, in con-
nexion with his remarks on the inducements to
the Union meetings in that section, it may
convince the people that there is quite as much
danger to be apprehended from the men who
pursue policy tending to disaffect and ALLEVIATE
the southern States. AZ from those who have
openly proclaimed their intention to resort 10
revolution in consequences Of their hostility to
the North,