Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-03-02

andto prosper
But If we and our posterity reject reI-
g1ous instruction and authority, violate the
| rules OF eternal justice, trihe with the iniupc-
tons OF morality, and recklessly DESTROY the
political constitution which holds us together.
no man can tell how suddenly catastrophe
may overwhelm us, that shall bury all our glory
In profound obscurity. If that catastrophe shall
happen, let it have no history! Let the bor-
rible narrative never be written; let its fate be
like that OF the lost books of Livy, which no hu
man eye shall ever read, or the missing Pleiad
OF which no man can ever know more than flint
| it is lost. and lost forever
When the last page of this learned, elomuent
and feicitous address fell from his hand, Mr..
Webster stood silent for moment, as ifhesita-
ting whe ther ne should say more. There were
evident expressions of desire and expectation
that he would go on, and he continued:
But, gentlemen, L will not take my leave of
you ina tone OF dependency. We NAV t,ust
that Heaven will not torsake us so long as we
DO not forsake ourselves. We must strength
en- ourselves and grid up our loins with new res
olutlon; we must counsel each other and ayoyy-
ing TO sustain each other in the support of the
constitution, prepare to meet nlanfully and uni
teddy whatever Fate may have in store for us
Are we OF this generation so dereiict! Have
we so little of the blood of our revolutionary
iathors courslng through our veins that we can
not preserve what our ancestors achieved! The
world will cry out shame upon us if we chow
ourselves unworthy to be the descendants of
those great and illustrious men who foupbt
torthe1rllberty and secured it to their posteritv
by the constitution.
NOW, gentlemen, exlgencies will arise in the
history OF nations when competition and rivalry.
disputes and contentious are powerful Ext
gencles arise in which great men and GOOD
men OF all parties, and all shades of political SEN
!lment' are called upon to reconsider their opin
IONS to re-adJust their positions, and to bring
themselves together if they can in the spirit Of
harmony. Such state of things, in my opin-
ion, has happened in our day An EFFICIENCY
mas arisen. We have great and wise copsti-
tuition We have grown, fourshed, and pros
pered under it with degree of mpidity une-
qualled IN the history of the world. Founded
on the basis OF equal civil rights its provisions
secure perfect equality and freedom to all; all
who live under it are equal-all enjoying the
same privileges. In case. like ours it is to be
presumed that all the wise and good men of the
nation have the same end in view, though thew
may wish to take different means to obtain that
end.the preservation land protection ofthe Con-
stitution and Government
IT, then, they have the same object in view,
they must pursue conclliating course, and each
be willing to surrender somewhat to each other,
to secure the harmony of the whole. This gen.
eral object then, being the preservation of the
constitution, the only efficient means to accom-
pllsh this end is the unian Of all its friends.--
Applause. The constitution has enemies,
secret and protested; but they cannot disguise
the TACT that 1t secures us many benefits
These enemies are unlike in character, but they
all have some fault to find. Some of them are
enthusiasts hot-headed, selfsufficient, and head
strong. They fancy that they can make out for
themselves a better path than that laid down
tor them Phaton, the son of Apollo, thought
he could find better course across the heavens
for the sun
"Thus Ph@ton once amidst the ethereal plains
Leaped on his fathers and seized the rens
ar from his course impeled the glowing sun,
I'LL natures laws to wild disorder rum
Other enemies there are more cool, and with
more calculation. These have deeper and
more traitorous purpose they have spoken of
forclble resistance to the provisions of the con-
stltutlon; they now speak of secession! Let
me say, gentlemen, secession from us is accession
elsewhere. He who renounces the protection
OF the stars and stripes shelters himself under
the shadow of another flag; you may rest as
sured OF that. Sensation and applause These
malcontents find it easy to infalne mems pas
slons; they lay all misfortunes of individual men,
OF Individual States, OF sections and comnluni-
ties, al want OF prosperity, to the Union. The
cooperation OF what are now called antagonist
principles is made sewiceable in the endeavors
to overthrow the constitution. Extremes meet
and concert together. Some there are, who, in
their own words, profess to hate the constitution
because it tolerates in the Southern States the
INSTITUTIONS existing there some because it does
not more theoretically sustain the speculiar in
stitution''
Both parties are willing to overflow the con-
stltutlon, and concert their measures accordingly
to accomplish their ends. Now, to counteract
the efforts of these macontents the friends of
the constitution must rally-ALL its friends, of
whatever section, whatever their sectional opin-
Ions may be- must unite for it's preservation
Ihey must forget the things which are behind,
and act like a band of brothers. They must
forget the past, the little chickering's and tri-
fling disagreements which have hitherto separa-
ted them. They must look forward only to the
future, and unite their efforts to preserve the
boon bequeathed to the world by those great
men, their ancestors; they must grid up their
IONS to the work. ! give my confidence, my
INFLUENCE, heart and hand, to all those good and
wise men who are willing Go stand by the con-
stltutlon, and to acquiesce in the means necessa-
ry to maintain its priceless provisions, without
reference to the past or pledge for the future,
will quarrel with no man about past differ
ences. | will object to the cooperation of no
man. We stand here now upon "a broad consti-
tutlona basis, and let us act in that spirit of
union which actuated our ancestors when thew
framed the institutions we must concentrate our
efforts to preserve. But do not carry my toll
Grafton so far as justify inthe slightest degree
any detection from the principles of the Union.
The great point at stake is its preservation |
cannot hesitate moment on this question, nor
act well and harmoniousy with those who do.
Other questions, questions of policy, are subor-
dlnate; this is paramount. Every man who is
attached to the Union should come out boldlys
and say so, without conditions and hypothesis,
and ifs, aud ands, and butts laughter What
says Cicero: "Denique inscrptam SIT, patress
co"scr,pt,, IN tronte cujusque ciois, quod de hac
Teseat'at." Let every man bear inscribed on
do in that matter. '''
fnefe are persons weak enough foolish