Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1852-01-31
Mr.. WebSter's Speech at the Congress
SiOnaI BanQHet to KOSSuth.


thies are as broad as his intellect is profound.
Mr.. Webster rose and responded as fol-
lows:
l have great pleasure in participating in
this festival. 1t is remarkable OCCASION
He who is your heRored guest to night has
led thus far life of events that are viewed as
highly important here, and still more impor-
tant TO his own country. Educated, spirited,
full of feeling of liberty and independence, he
entered early into the public councils of his
native country, and he is here to day. fresh
from acting his part in the great struggle for
Hungarian national independence. That is
not all his distinction. He was brought to
these shores by the authority of Congress-
He has been welcomed TO the capital of the
United States by the votes of the two houses
of Congress.
Mr.. Seward, (interrupting) He is vel
come I and there were loud cries of Welcome,
welcome + from various parts of the house.
Mr.. Webster, (rssuming) ! agree, as
am not connected with either branch of the
Legislature, in joining, and / do join in my
loudest tone, in that welcome pronounced by
them to him. Great applause. The House
of Representatives-the immediate Repre-
sentatives of the People-full themselves of
an ardent love of liberty, have joined in that
welcome; the wisdom and sobriety of the
Senate have joined in it; and :he head of the
Republic, with the utmost cordially, has aP-
proved of whatsoever official act was neees-
sary to bid him welcome TO these shores. And
he stands here to night in the midst of an as
sembly of both Houses of Congress, and others
of US met here in our individual capacity, to
Al. Il l.
with what pleasure we receive him TO the
shores of this free land-thS asylum of op-
pressed humanity. [Applause.] Gentlemen
the effect of the reception thus given hin can
not but be felt. It cannot but have its in
Auence beyond the ocean and among countries
where our principles and our sentiments are
either generally unknown or generally dis
liked. Let them 60 forth /; let it be borne on
all the winds of heaven that the sympathies Of
the Government of the United States, and all
the people of the United States, have been
attracted towards nation struggling for ma
tional independence, and towards those Of her
sons who have most distinguished themselves
in that struggle. [Great applause.
have said that this cannot be without its
effect. We are too much inclined to under
rate the power of moral influence, and the in
1uence Of public opinion, and the influence
and principles, to which great men, the lights
of the world and Of the age, have given their
sanction. Who doubts that in our own strug-
gle for liberty and independence, the majestic
elOqusnce of Chatham. the profound reason
| ing of Burke, the burning satire and irony Of
Colonel Barre, had influence upon our for
tunes here in America? They had influence
both ways. They tended, in the first place,
somewhat to diminish the confidence of the
British Ministry in their hopes Of success in
attempting to subjugate an injured people
They bad influence another way, because all
along the coasts of the country y-and all our
people in that day lived along the coast
there was not a reading man who did not feel
stronger, bolder, and more determined in the
assertion of his rights, than when these exhil-
arating accounts from the two Houses OF Par.
lament reached him from beyond the seas
He felt that those who held and controlled
public opinion elsewhere were with US; that
their words of eloquence might produce an
effect in the region where they were uttered
and above all, they assured them that, in the
Judgment of the just and the wise. and the
impartial their cause was just. and they were
right; and therefore they said, we will fight il
out to the last [Applause.
Now, gentlemen, another great mistake is
sometimes made We think that nothing is
powerful enough to stand before autocratic
monarchical or despoiic power. There is
something strong enough, quite strong enough
and if properly exerted, will prove itself so
and that is the power of intelligent public
opinion in all the nations of the earth There
is not monarch on the earth whose throne il
not liable to be shaken by the progress o
opinion, and the sentiment of the just and in
telligent part of the people. 1t becomes u.
in the station which we hold to let that pub
lie opinion, SO far as we form it, have free
course. Bravo, bravo. Let it 60 out; lei
it be pronounced in thunder tones; let it open
the ears of the deaf let it open the eyes Q
the blind; and let it everywhere be proclaim
ed what we of this grea. Republic think of thu
general principle of human liberty, and of tha
oppression which all abhor Applauss. l.
Depend upon it, gentlemen, that between
those two rival powers, the autocratic powe
maintained by arms and force, and the powe
maintained by opinion, the former is constantly
decreasing. and. thank God, the latter is con
stsntly increasing. [ApplAuse) Real hu
man liberty and human rights are gaining th'
ascendant and the part which we have to &C
in all this great drama is to show ourselves il
favor of those rights, to uphold our ascenden
cy, and to carry it on until we shall see it cul
inmate in the highest heaven over our heads
!, Applause.
On the topics gentlemen, which this occa
, sion seems to invite, have nothing to say, be
cause, in the course of my political lifs-nO
now short one-I have said all that wisl
to say. and all that wish to transmit to pos
} tcrity connected with my own name and his
tory. What l said of Greece twenty-five year
ago, when our friend was too young to be ii
political life. I repeat to night ver6saa pos
uerquna, exactly what said then. Grea
t ApplAuse) What said of Spain at late
5 period, when the power of the restored Bour
bons was exerted to impose upon Spain dy
nasty not wished by the people of Spain. tha
l repeat in English, and Spanish, and French
: | opd IN ovorv otbar lan0uoOo &c fthav cbooao 1