New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-23
Mr.. webster's speeches-A Card.

l Observed in an article in The Tribune of
Thursday last, headed Mr. websters Works" the
following remarks:
while Mr.. Webster lived, il was deemed expedient
by his editors nost unwisely in judgment) 10 sup
press Of bis earlier Federal and anti-Wsr speech
&C. el their diffusion should impede his progress to the
Presidency
The assumption which is here made s founded in
misepIrehenson Of tie facts will appear from the
following statement:
Immediately after Mcssrs. Little and B.owl had en-
tered into contract TO publish Mr. Websters "W Orks
Twas directed by him to collect all of his speeches
that could find together with such Of his addresses
diplomatic papers, and letters az had been printed and
also to select from his correspondence such letters
might throw light his public life, and transmit the
whole to Mr.. Everett, who had kindly undertaken the
aboroue work Of experimenting the publication and
examining the proofs. was Mr.. Websers wish, as he
told 10 spare Mr. Everett all unnecessary labor and
especially the task of collecting the materials for tho
In accordance with Mr.. Wcbsters direction
examined all the various reports Of debates
in Congress, many volumes Of newspaper files,
especially those printed during the period of
Mr. Websters early Congressional career, ond
collected oil that could find OF Mr. Websters printed
publications, all which, with the three volumes OF Mr..
WebstoIs works previously printed placed In Mr. Ey
erets hands the materials for the six new volumes.
In searching for the speeches made by Mr. Webster
during his early public life could only find few
paper sketches and no fan reports. Ths aiterward
learned owing 10 the fact that few speeches
published unless they were made by members Of the
dominant party reported by the speakers them
selves, practice always irksome to Mr.. Webster and
which, even in Inter lie he could rarely bepreva21 upon
TO adopt My attention was particularly called to this
subject, from finding among Mr. Websters files the let
fers Of Judge Marshall and Judge Story in cOnmenda
fon OF Mr. Websters speech the 10th of June 1879
(see Mr.. Websters Works Vol |, PIP. Xxxvii aud also
he made while member of the 18th and l4h Congress-
had been found they undoubtedly would have been in
cluded in the edition. inferred Also that the
three volumes Of his speeches which had been collected
and published separately embraced all that existed
deemed worthy OF preservation at the date OF publ
cation.
Norestrction was imposed by Mr. Webster except the
single and characteristic one, "to omit the publication
OF those speeches. suppress those passages in hem in
which he had spoken with undue severity OF his political
opponents far it could properly be done, he did
not wsh 10 perpetuate the remembrance OF any I'M
pleasant personal contests.
There then intentional suppression OF any Of
Mr. Websters earlier speeches and OF his later ones all
were published that could be embraced within the limits
of the volumes which, by the terms Of the contract
with the publishers and with the subscribers TO the
works, the publication was limited.
Your obedient servant, e.. j. ABBOT.
rY~ Mr.. Abbott do you or do you not as
sert that the edition of Mr.. Webster'S Works
edited by Mr.. Everett gives an incomplete and
accommodated view of Mr.. WebSter's early
course in opposition to the Last War with
Great Britain, and of his later declarations Of
sentiment in opposition to Slavery and the
Extension of it's power? If you do mean
this, and Mr.. Everett will by any meaas in
dictate his concurrence in your positions, We
will endeavor to justify all we have set forth
ON the subject.
1t isquite possible that Mr. Webster's early
anti-War Speeches were not found by you in
Washington, yet we are confident that very fair
reports of the most important of them would
have been found somewhere if such finding had
been deemed desirable. And as to his later
Anti-Slavery Speeches, it is very likely that
these were the identical Speeches which
"could not be embraced within the limits Of
the six Volumes" while room was found for
others of less enduring consequence. If Mr..
Everett will indicate denial on his part that
Mr. Webster's Works" were got up with an
eye to Southern and Democratic support in a
Presidential canvass, We will show cause for
our belief or publicly recant it, Ed. Trib