Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-05-31
Mr.. Webster im Fameuil Hall.

Inc -NoTtierh papers oring US the speech
of DANIEL WEBSTER. delivered before the
city authorities of Boston. and c~ongregated
thousands of the people. in Old Faneuil Hall.
Saturday week. Its length. greatly to our re
greet. precludes its publication nour columns.
The distinguished orator with much proprie-
ty avoided all discussion of party and conrro-
versial topics, and confined himself to the con
sideration of the elements and promises of ma
tional prosperity and grandeur. furnished by
our system of Government and by the beslow.
ais of Providence. We give a few extracts /:
This, he said, is a friendly, social, neigh.
borhood meeting; and ALLOW me to say gentle
men. in the next place. that fit were a hi oc
casion for me to express political opinions, /
humbly submit that | have no new opinions
to express, no new political character to
assume. (Arplause) What l think of the
present emergencies of public policy. has
been so often spoken of by me. and written BY
me. with a fall heart and an honest purpose, that
nothing, as II appears to me, remains to be said.
l say to you to-day, | have nothing TO add, l
have nothing to re,ract; | have neither expla.
nation nor qualification to offer; ] propose to
you. and to my fellow ~-citizens throughout all
the country. TO day, no platform but the plat.
form of my life and character. (Applause.)-
| have no promises with which to delude NV
country. | have no assurances to give hut the
assurances Of my reputation. (Cheers.) lam
known. What | have been, and what / am, is
known: and upon that knowledge l stand to-
day. with my countrymeu.a and the rest is theirs.
Cheers y"
In the course Of his remarks he said:
"The country is universally prosperous -
There may be some things which we might
wish were better. There are many things
which might happen for the worse; but upon
the whole, during the course Of the sun. from
Its rising to lis setting, where does it throw its
beams upon a more prosperous more enlight.
ened, and more happy country, more growing
In the fruits of peace and in renow n, than on
these States. thus united together! Now, gen.
tlemen, whence do these blessings fowl
Whence comes all this prosperity which we
enjoy? How is it that, on this whole conf
nent-from the frozen zone to Cape Horn
there Is no happiness like the happiness Of the
people OF The United States; there is no growth
like the growth Of the United Stetes; there is
no government or people tina: stand up before
the world like the government and people of
the United Sta'es-standu up boldly and fear
lessly before the whole world, like our own free
and educated peoplel How is i'll In nv opin.
ION, gentlemen, all this, or the greater part Of
1t, Is to be referred to our early acquaintance
with the principles Of public liberty. and to on r
early adoption II those principles in the es,ab-
l,shment OF a republican form of government.
The tory writers of England. gentlemen, as
you well know, whose labor it has been always
Z" MAINTAIN The supremacy Of the upper classes
who have been connected with the con.
trol OF the government, add have maintained
their share OF rule. have labored to explain 10
mankind that those above can govern better
than those below. That is not our pripciple:
We hold that there is nothing below, each man
participating in the public prosperity. and each
man sharing in their formation and in the ad-
minirtraIion Of the government"
This idea Mr.. Webster enforced by many
striking observations showing that the individ.
ual happiness and success Of men is to a very
great extent attributable to the form of govern
ment under which they live. and to the unre-
strained exercise of thought, invention, enter
prize and ambition. only tobe found where free
institutions prevail. 1t is true, he said, that a
mans personal condition may depend very
much upon his personal circumstances his
health. the state of his family, his means of Ev-
ing. his means Of educating his children. his
fortune good or evil. But all these things are
influenced deeply-mainly-esseniially inAu-
enced by the laws and the constitution Of the
country in which he lives. And that l take it.
he continued. is the great soIution-the grea,
solution Of the question Of the true nature of the
prosperity and the happiness Of the people Of
the United States.
We make room for the conclusion Of this fine
Grafton: |