Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-06-28
PLAQUEMINE:
SATURDAY, JUNE %, 1851.
DANIEL WEBSTER.

The foleyng is the conclusion of Mr. Web
ster's speech st Albany:
Friends Fel]ow-citzens' Men of New York!
Does this country not now extend from Maine
to Mexico, and bevonda And have we not a
State beyond Cape Horn, belonging neverthe
less to us as part of our commercial system
And what does New York enjoy! What do Mas
sachusetts and Maine enjoy! They enjoy the
right of carrying on the coastng trade from
State to State on the Atlantic, and around Cape
Horn to the Pacific. And that is great source
of wealth and emolument, of comfort and good
living, a thousand times greater than any 9TH
er commercial source whatever. 1t is this ex-
elusive right to the coasting trade which the
northern States possess, which was granted to
them, which they have ever held, and which up
to this day there has been no attempt to rescue
from them.
Now, what would you say in this day of the
prevalence of notions of free trade! What
would you say if the South and the West were
to on together and repeal this law !-and they
have the votes to do it tomorrow. What
would YOU say if they should join hands and
saw that these men of the North and New Eng
land who put this slight on their interests shall
enioy this exclusive privilege no longer-throw
it ali open and invite the Dane, the Swede, the
Hamburger, and the commercial nations OF Eu
pc who will carry cheaper, to come In and
carry goods from New York, coastwise, on the
Pacific What do you say to that Now,
gentlemen, these ideas have been thousand
times suggested, perhaps, and if there IS any
thing new in them am glad of it. But know
what was said in Syracuse and Boston; 1t was
this; "You set up profit against conscience !;
YOU set up the means Of living. We go for
conscience" [Laughtcrl That is flight of
fanaticism. All have to answer is, that if
what we propose is right, fair, just, and stands
well with a conscience not enlightened with
these high flights of fancy, it is none the worse
for being profitable and it does not make
thing bad which is good in itsef, if you and !
can live on it and our children can be supported
and educated by it. Renewed applause. Cen
tleman, believe in Cromwell's time-for lam
not very fresh in my recollections of that his
toric period have had other things to do than
some of YOU Younger men, that love to look in
to the instructive history Of that age-but |
think it was in Cromwel's time there sprung
up race of saints who called themselves Fifth
Monarchy men-a happy, felicitous, glorious
people they were, for they had practised so ma
nv virtues, they were so enlightened, SO perfect,
that thew got TO be, in the language Of that day,
above ordinances. That is the higher law Of
this day exactly. [Laughter.] 1t is the old
doctrine of the fifth monarchy men OF Crom-
wells time renewed. They were above ordi-
nances, walked about like the man in the play,
firm and spruce, self-satisfed, thankful to God
that they were not as other men, but had at
tanned SO far to salvation as to be above ordl-
nances. Renewed laughter.l Gentlemen, we
live under different constitution. 1t has made
us what we are What has carried the Amerl-
can flag all over the world What has constl-;
tuted that unit of commerce that wherever the
stripes and stars arc seen they signify that II IS
America and united America What IS 1t now
that represents US so respectfully all over Eu- '.
rope-in London-at this moment, and all over
the world9 What is it but the result of those
commercial regulations which bound us all to-
oether. and made our commerce the same CON-
merce which made all the States, New York,
Massachusetts, South Caroliua, in the aspect
Of our foreign relations, the samecountry with
ont division, distinction, or separation. Now,
gentlemen this was the original design OF the
Constitution. We in our day must-and it
will be equally incumbent on you, my young
friends Of Albany, to see that this spirit is made
to preyade the whole administration OF the
Government. The Constitution of the United
States was to keep united, to keep flowing
in our hearts u fraternal feeling, must be adj
minstered in the spirit Of it; and if | wished
to learn the spirit of the Constitution in its
living, speaking, animated form, l would refer
always-always-- the administration OF the
first President, George Washington, vehement
cheering; and if were now to draw the IDEA
If were to form the idea of a patriot Pres
ident, 1 would draw his master strokes and copy
his design. would present this picture before
d me as constant study for life ! would pre-;
sent his paliey-a'ike LIBERAL Just narrowed
down to no sectional interests--bound down to
no personal objects-held to no locality-bui
but broad, and generous, and open--as expan;
ave as the air which is waited by the winds o.
heaven from one part of the country to anoth' !
er. Cheers.]. would draw picture Of I'm h,'
foreign policy-just, steady, stately but with
n proud, and lovely, and glorious. No mar
could C say in his day that the broad eseutehsor
of the honor of the Unioh could receive elthe
injury or damage, or even rontumely or disres
F# Isa6i sa.s !a1s St s@}