Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-06-10

rressive speech TO the assembled people.
u is not because our readers have any
thing absolutely new TO Lear, from any
body, oi the transccnGent abilities, the
ptlriotc aud generous impulses Of Mr..
w BsTER-or the great services which
he has rendered during IL long public
li;'. and which might be confidently
relied uJon we're l,e called To the Prcsi-
dency-Ihat We now place before our
readers the material part Of TIE Speech
referred 10. But il is because oi the
high charact r of the orator himself, and
out q respect due to his unoblrusivc
merit, that We republIsh so much OF
what he sail on this Orcasion. He said,
perhaps. not much more than, IN the
course of The discharge of our Editorial
duties, We have, at one time or other,
cndeavorrd to impress upon the minds
of our readers. But it comes with re-
doubled force form the lips OF a man OF
the elevation OF character and soundness
ol judgment OF MIR. WooD, and we trust
that our readers will lay il TO heart
National MteHigencer.
EXTRACTS FROM A SPEECH
Delivered by GEoRGE WooO, Esq. before
n committee u The friends Of DAsIEL
WEBSTER. al Constitution UaH, Nep
York, on Tuesday erening May 4, 1852
Fellow ClrizrN.: Ihe cause OF our
ASSEMBLING is to consider the propriety
, OF nominating DAsIEL WEBSTER as Il
candidate for The Presidency AT the gen
eral Viii. Convention which Is soon to
assemble. think very erroneous views
D., a.
tipn OF Mr.. Webster before the people of
the country, and think II is high time
that those errors were removed. Ii
shall be NY rndeavor this evening to
present him M the true light. In doing
so, J shall not attempt TO disparage any
Of the other Wing candidates, whom |
hold in high respect. have some per-
sonal acquaintance with most Of the
candidates on the other side shall
say nought agar ST them either. My
subject does not require il, and have
no disposition 10 do 70.
| look upon the selection Of n high
officer o, the Government in n very dif
iCreut light from that m which ii Is gen.
eraly considered. 1t is usually esteem
ed and treated as pririlege That is
The point Of view in which il is held IN
the country from which we sprung,
where all power and authority are pre-
suIncd 10 cmanate from the Crown
Hence an election is held ioith as
grand gala day-a festive amuscmen:-
the subject OF excitement, enthusiasm,
and cnloymcnt- such rs set Of slaves
who had Just emerged from bondage
might indulge in. consider, on the
other hand, the elective franchise on the
part OF the people as an exercise of high
political power, as an important Junction
Of the Government. Like all such pub
lie functions, it is attended with high
responsibilities, and should be performed
under "A deep sense Of duty. The max
ing Of n legislator or "A President is as
important an act of political power as
the enactment OF laws or the administra
tion of executive iunct ons. Ii is part
! and parcel oi'our system Of Government
and no part of it ought TO be exempted
from sense OF duty. |, is Just as much
the duty of those concerned in the selec-
ton ol IL President to look TO his fitness
! and qualifications az 1t is the duty OF a
| Legislature TO enact good and whole.
some laws or Of the President, when
\ elected duly To administer hem.
/ II we all viewed the subject in this
light, and acted up TO it. how differently
would our elections be conducted. We
should not then he guided by mere per.
sondi predictions or preferences. -
I What en- admirable lesson we may take
on this point from the history of Crom-
WELL He is generally held up as a
\ tyrannical usurper, who sacrificed his
kmg that he might rise upon the ruins
! Of monarchy 10 supreme power as Il
military dictator. When he took the
r-ins OF Government his first effort was
| to select the ablest and most efficient
| men for office. He looked around for a
chief justice Of England. He saw one
who Ioomed largely above The heads Of
all others as an eminent Jurist.
| 1t Was the venerable Hale, the defender
OF Land, the opposcr Of Cromwell urged
\ him take the office Lord Hale was
reluctant, because he was opposed to
| hun, and was conscientious, and cou'd
| not su.tain him. But Cromwell told
him he had seiec lcd him as the " tttesi
man ia The cOuutry," and for thai reason
alone; and Hale finally concluding to
take the office, though he was opposed
to the Government, tor his couutry's
l good. VIII the free people OF this free
county be outdone byssa tyrant in per
II forming the important function OF select
i ing q high officers OF the Government
\ | should nope not. Where two candi-
dates are equal IN point Of fitness. per-
sonal preferences may be indulged IN
| Not So where there Is superior fitness,
especially when that superiority Is clear
and decided
There are two topics TO be specially
considered when candidate is proposed
| for popular suffrage qualification and
! availability. Quallfc ,iion stands first
in order, ami is oflar deeper importance.
1t seems like work of supcrcroga
/ ton TO dwell upon the qualifications Of
/ Daniel Webster. He is we'll known To
\ be deeply vers,d in the constitution of
his county; he is skilled in public law.
II No man il so extensively and minutcly
\ acquainted with the public history ol
/ this country, in all its details. He is
thoroughly acquainted with the foreign
relations Of the United States. His
reputation for talent and requirement as
II "A siatrman. both ~ home and abroad ia
lar greater than that Of any other man.
\ His talents have breadth and comprc-
Il hension that have seldom been equa led,
never surpassed, Ills experience has
been great in all the departments OF
lcyisali, and of Executive Govern
mrnt. To all This I've adds deep and
extensive knowledge of the laws OF this
country. ! think ] may venture TO say
/ that no other candidate would venture 10
compete with him IN all the elements OF
s,atr smanslip, and when we consider