The republic., 1851-04-18


the Constitution requires this; and every consids-
ration of the public good demands this. If the
Administration cannot stand upon the principles
of the message il does not expect to stand at ALL"
[DANIxL wEBsrER's Letter to the Union Meeting
at Westch<ster.
A few weeks since the popular branch of
the municipal government of Boston passed, al
most unanimously, resolution inviting Presi
dent FILLMORE to visit the city. This reso-
luton was laid on the table by the Board Of
Aldermen.
On Monday last some one hundred and thirty
of the most respectable citizens Of Boston made
application to the city government for the use
of Faneuil Hall, for the purpose of giving
public reception to the Hon. DANIEL WEB
srER. Their petition was not acted upon at
the public meeting Of the Board of Aldermen,
but was referred to secret session, when it
was rejected by a vote of six nays to two yeas.
On the following day special session of the
Board was called, and, after discussion of two
hours and half with closed doors, motion to
reconsider the vote by which the petition was
rejected was lost by tie vote. The details
Will De IOunQ Ia the cAudCtS HUN tuC DooeOH
papers which we give in another column.
Thus a marked indignity has been offered by
the upper Board of the municipal government
of Boston to the President and to the SEcRE
TARY OF STATE. And what is the moving
cause Of this wanton insult?
Something more than year since, the coun-
try was convulsed with struggle which
threatened the overthrow of the Constitution
and the Union of these States. Any man who
pretends to doubt that our institutions were at
that period in imminent peril is either ignorant
Of the history Of the times, or willingly de-
ceives himself and the country. Unless we
are prepared to set down the leading men of the
South as knaves and braggarts; to discredit
the resolutions of their popular assemblies and
of their Legislatures; to believe that there was
no truth, or manlness, or courage in what they
did or said, we must admit that there was then
every reason to believe that some change
of policy must be adopted on the slavery
question, or the result would be inevitable rev.
oluton. If, under the circumstances then ex-
isting, the Wilmot proviso had been forced
upon the southern States if slavery had been
abolished in the District Of Columbia; if Cali
fornia and New Mexico had been admitted as
States, with the prohibition of slavery in their
borders and if force had been resorted to, with
the view of coercing Texas into submission, we
have no doubt whatever that our affairs would
have been brought to sanguinary issue, and
that the Union would have been sacrificed in
desperate civil war. This we believe, because
all the indications of southern action pointed
to that result; and because we believe that no
race of men are sufficiently craven and coward
to shrink from the execution Of their deliberate
and recorded menaces-and, least Of all, our
gallant, generous, and steadfast brethren of the
southern States.
Under these circumstances Mr.. WEBSTER
came forward in the Senate of the United
States to speak in behalf of the Union and the
Constitution. 1t is necessary only to allude to
that mastery and magnificent effort, by which
he has entitled himself to the everlasting graf
itude of the country. Raising himself above
all local and temporary OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ing aside all sectional feelings and commit
tals-speaking for the nation and for posteril
ty-he pointed out the policy by which we
could escape from the evils that threatened us,
and, rallying the good and patriotic of all sec
tions to his side, entered on the only path that
could lead to safety and peace. He knew that
the Constitution under which we live was the
result of concessions and compromises; and
that it could be perpetuated only in the spirit
in which il was established. He knew that the
i of ha IN on
the dallying and paltering with dangerous
topics; which had been 80 long practised by
bad men and aspiring men, with the view to
personal advancement and the gratlhcation OF
personal am bition. Sectional prejudices and
sectional interests had been SO long and 80 in
dustriously appealed to, that the public mind
had grown too sensitive and too much irritated
TO be trified with, and it was obvious that there
must be an end of this fratricidal strife, or ar
end of the Union.
Mr.. WEBSTER expressed his views with di
rectness, courage, and patriotism. His speech
produced strong impression on the public
mind everywhere. 1t did much to alleviate tn
exasperated sentiment of the South. II wa
hailed with delight by the wise, prudent, ant
rejecting men Of the North. The masses o
the people--the men who have no interest II
disorder-the clergy, the workingmen, the pro
fessional classes-all but the politicians VIII
hoped to profit by excitement, rallied to tn
support of Mr.. WEBSTER. The numerou
Union meetings of the North, composed o
men Of all political parties, responded witt
hearty acclamations to the doctrines ant
sentiments of his speech. WHes and Dem
ocRArs alike approved them. But ther