The southern press., 1852-07-13
Mr.. webstsrss speech at Boston.

mr.. Webstorps speech ~ DOssV"
There is but one political religion And
DANIEL WEBSTER is its prophet! The sincere
lovers of the Union who, admiring it as great
good, forget thatiti is not the greatest-the Con.
sodationists who welding by superior numbers
the power of federal organization, sincerely
cherish it as source of wealth and an access OF
force to themsel ves--the self-styled Unionists
of the South, who in the masses prefer the re-
pose of submission to the activity of selfprotec.
ton, and in the persons of their leaders, love
the gded servituds of federal office more than
the simple dignity of independence--al these
are continually vocal in praise of the Great Er'
FOUNDER. We propose to take up the last leaf of
his political commentaries, and examine how
much of the doctrine there set forth is fanatlcam,
and how much is cant We refer to the pub
lished Boston speech. and shall only allude to
its leading points. H..
The people of Massachusetts are there in.
formed that their earlier worthless fought not for
the liberty and prosperity of the strip of land
lying between New Hampshire and Connect
cut" but for the primary object of liberating
this continent from European power-that they
would have preferred to foR with the other col
onies rather than achieve liberty without them
and tL.t when Massachusetts, shall cease to
rect her glory, past, present and future, on this
broad basis the orator hopes that the sods of the
valley will cover his head. And here it is re-
ported that Mr.. WEBSTER, moved to tears, was
obliged to use his handkerchief amid the ap-
plauses of the crowd, reminding us of the con-
ventiona pathos with which the opera hero stabs
himself to music. In reply to these assevera-
tons, we submit-that the sort of philanthropy
here set forth, is irrational and mischievous-
that the eminent patriots TO whom it is falsely
attributed, and who earned for Massachusetts
an early and lasting glory, were actuated by
patriotic devotion to the rights and interests of
their own strip of land" as we'll as by love
of liberty and philanthropy true and commend.
able because practical in its scope, and in its de-
sign, subordinate to their first and highest du.
ties-and finally, that the more recent conduct
of Massachusetts,, and of her distinguished
leader, has not evinced love for the liberty,
and regard for the rights of others in conform.
ity with the large basis of philanthropy on which
he seeks to erect the statues of his State and
of himself
Creative design has affixed to the province of
every day human action certain limits, up TO
which it ought to expand, but within which its
efforts should first and chiefly be exerted. Ii
may be dficnlt to find for these limits salts.
factory definition of general application, but
they are none the less we'll defined 10 the in
stincts of every feeling heart and every right
mind. Nor is their wisdom less apparent than
their reality. Power must have certain scope
in order to act at ALL but it must be concen;ra.
ted to act with efficiency. To such coucentra
ton, and to such instincts are due all the great
actions in the drama Of humauity-ocal in their
performance though general in their influence
The instincts which Providence has given 10
direct human effort, are essential to the welfare
and even the preservation of the species, but
they often present phenomena which must be
paradoxical to the mere casuist, and shocking
to the pseudo philanthropist The best hearted
man is found in real life to be more afflicted
and anxious about the perhaps passing illness
OF child at home, than by the accounts Of q
famine in Ireland or an earthquake in Peru
As good citizen, the same man will leave the
bedside of the sick to extinguish q petty fire in
his own village, or even to deposite his vote in
an election involving questions important TO his
State or community. To the suffering foreigner
he may, with opportunity, spare something from
his superfuity, but not TO the extent of material
retrenchment involving the health or wel.being
Of bis family, nor his means Of usefulness in his
own sphere. How can this universal fact be
indicated! We answer, by the testimony Of
the universal God.inplanted conscience. That
different theory, selfstyled more liberal, pre-.
walls in Massachusetts and elsewhere, 10 spite
of natural law, and with which Mr.. WEBSTER
himself has been infected we do not deny-bu
we maintain that wherever found il is popular
only for the same reason that IL 10 false and
hollow, because IL y cheap. Mrs. JELLYBY !.
devoted to the cause Of Africa, and imagine,
herself the victim of intense mental suffering on
account Of that unhappy country-but the truth
is, that she finds its superintendent q conve.
nient relief from the irksome practical dutie.
Of teaching young Master J. his alphabet, Of
seeing that the Misses J. are well washed and
well shod, and that Mr. j., senior, has a good
breakfast prepared in time to get to hi. Office
Now, the effects Of her sy mpsthy for Africa are
predetermined, while there can be no sort Of
doubt as TO the good that would result from I
proper training Of the young JELLYBYs, and 4
may even be fairly assumed that the Commercial
enterprise Of Great Britain and its incidents
influence on the progress of the world, would
be promoted by sending Dir. }. to his counting
house 10 suitable humor for intellectual labor
False patriotism, false religion, and false philan
thropy are all cheap commodities, and the rim,