New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-25
Mr. Webster UNFOLDING the Law Of
Grayitatiop.


WILL ride dead horse We apprehend
the vice is incurable. Here is unquestion-
ably the Statesman of largest grasp of
thought and force oflogic of any living now
ia this country, or perhaps any other,-who
on several vital and liring questions is in
sympathy with the noblest aspirations of
our time, and might be popular if he only
would yet persisting in riding that deadest
of all by-gone hacks, National Union
Party, evidently deluded with the notion
that he may ride it into the White House
John Tyler's hopes of reelection, after the
whole country had ranged itself under the
banners of Clay and Polk respectively, was
rational compared with this.
Secession, even in its most abstract,
qualified, contingent, diluted form, has been
utterly routed wherever it has dared to
show its head. The bare suspicion Of it
disabled the anti-Whig party in Tennes-
see and Louisiana last year, while more
| open but still cautious avowal Of Disunion
principles has divided and temporarily pros.
trated that party in Georgia, Alabama and
Mississippi. No Wing State, the Wing
patty in no State, was ever infected by it.
Finally, even South Carolina has repudiated
it, though Disunion had been rampant and
chronic with her for nearly a quarter of
century. At last, after the last bone of
this dead horse had been ground into fer
tiizing dust, MIR. Webster attempts to mount
the memory Of its shadow and ride majes-
tically Palace ward. Such case Of hal
lucinaton was never before known.
We have noted the vigof of Mr.. Web
ster's logic; we may as well note also the
break-neck leaps and hurdle-races upon
which he .ru,s 10. DO but consider this
paragraph
There are persons, weak enough foolish enough,
to think to believe, and to say, that if the Constu
non which holds these States together should be
broken up, there would be found other he and bet
ter chains to bind them. This rash This is rash
l no more believe looking at the thirty-one States
which compose this Union, covering vast a coun-
ny-t embracing so many climates-so many noun.
taDs, so many risers-I no more believe il this Union
10 oissolved-held together as 1t now is by the Con
i Isl.
than believe that IT, by the fiat OF Almighty DO wer
the law of eravitation should be abolished, and the
orbs which compose the Universe should rush into
illimtable space, Jostlns against each other that
they could be brought back and djus,ed into har-
pony by new principle of attraction" Zap
plause.l
What is "the law OF gravitation which
holds these States together? Is it not the
result of common recollections, common
security, common afinites, and common
interests! How would these be "abol-
ished" by a Federal disruption Ii the
law of gravitation were abolished, of
course the planetary system would rush
into chaos and ruin; but not because of the
casual displacement of the planets while
that law endured. With all his seeming
zeal for the Union, Mr. Webster betrays an
utter lack of faith in it. In his view, it is
a inesse, contrivance, fortuitous con-
cussion, a dexterous maneuyer, coup
d'etat, and not the result of benignant
and all-pervading law We, on the con-
trary, regard the Union as necessity SO
palpable and benefceLt that if the present
were shivered To- morrow, a new one would
replace it within half dozen years, and be
at east as strong and efficient as the old
ore. But Mr.. Webster must live very long
to see any thing seriously like peril to the
Union. If Women should ever be allowed
to vote-as we trust they may be if they
choose-i it may be possible to frighten a
few of the eldest with the specter of Dis
solution, but not the great majority.
Yet it would be idle to affect not to see
that Mr.. Webster's denunciations of Dis
union and Disunionists are aimed at dis
sidents from Slavery and the Fugitive
Slave Law. National morality, good faith,
devotion to the Union and other fioe
phrases are used by him to indicate devotion
TO or the meekest acquiescence in the bear
ing away Of women and children unaccused
OF crime into state of eternal BONDAGE
aid chattelhood. He does not believe he
would not even pretend, that there is anv
considerable or. noticeable party at the
North in favor of dissolution per So bu,
be means te say, Ii you say or "a anv
thing against Slavery, you are in eg.rt
hboriDg TO destroy the Union We nro.
test against this covert deounciation. He
might as well argue that We, by oppssisg
The sale and use of Alcoholic LIQUORS.
While several States are larpelv aad d;soro