New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-08

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?. = g., his defect In moral perceptions. for th
jneouNi, OF bis moral TO his inieleetael iscauyI ns
saw here a. have said elsewhere tnat nshcs cams ~
.,sr;Itv ~ ,houeh. the want OF generaTal7n IN M
-o.cha. ana h I. curious fact that housh ne wrJ,
ara rL with an sbi, that impresses the wofa mere
not single remarkable sentence, not soss NGls -
aThorism which can pass inc heTs.Ire ns,,.
-Four years ago night. one OF those ,tscss
IN history when gre At questions are to be detsrme1
the powers of right and wronA are % Do uus'sIei ~
conflict and il lies with one MAJ 10 give tas,las 49,
Mr. Webster most urexpectedly threw his whole weight
on the side Of Slavery. and effected threasn ms 2's2n
authority the passage of the Fugitive save OH.
remarked Of the Americans that they value dsxtey TOO
much and hosor too little. Now the defect and ehamf1
of this country the defect and calamity OF Mr. Webster
namely the appeal to physical and menta toli! wnes
his character ssssied His speeches on the ith OF
March and the following speeches az Buffalo. Syracuse
Albany and Boston cited in Justification Of his course
and &r Websters literary editor belives thai II WAS his
own wish his fame the speech Of the 18th of March
Now. although have my own opinions on this speech
and the Others and think them very transparent and
very open criticism yet have TO that the second
arv merits of speech not here in question. Nobody
doubts that Daniel Webster could make good speech
Nobody doubts that there many good AID plausible
things be said the part OF the South Ihs was not
question of ingenuity, Of syogsm of sides. Hoe
came he thfreP Applasse There are always texts and
thoughts and arguments but lie the genius and temper
of the man which decides the question whether he will
stand for the wrong for the right Who doubts the
rover Of any clever and fluent lawyer to defend any Of
The political parties either side of suit in the courts
There the statute ia England and the same com
mon law for Jeffrey and York read Slavery out Of and
for Lord Mansfield read Freedom aud in this country
we row see that there margin enough for liberal and
upright Judge read law and constitution one way, and
servie Judge another Bus the question wnich history
will ask in the final hour is prior to that namely In the
conflict Of forces when he was forced by the perempory
necessity of closing armies 10 take sides did he take the
side Of great principles OF humanity OF Justice or the
side Of abuse, oppression and chaos Webster decided
for Slavery and that when the aspect of the insu
,on was no longer doubtful no longer feeble and spoo
gttic ard proposing coon TO end itself but when was
strong and aggressive, and threatening an imtable in
Then he listened to State reasons ana hopes ana
left. as we are told with much complacency, to
the sstonished State of Massachusetts, his speech
of the Seventh of March with is motto Vera pro gratis
True thrg s instead of pleasant onesa motto which is
nrnsed and con graduated the felicitous of all
confess it se ms ghosy -esu of all these years
of experience in aarsth that there was nothing better
for the foremost in America, the most American man
TO tell bis countrymen, that Slavery was now al that
strength that they must put down their consciences and
become kidnsPptr; for it APpSufe It Was lie ,t the
through life but now find thee shadow! Ii is
question of moral law il is question OF ages and settled
always in the same way our greer Jarl'1s nancy na
do All affirm this and cite these names because they are
lawyers and practical statesmen They could not hide
from themselves this simple truth Here was the question
Are you for the good OF man. or are You Tor his
hurt and harm p Ii was question whether mau
should be treated leather, whether the Of ne
croes should be the Indians in Spanish America
a species of money Whether this institution, which is
a kind of mill or factory for converting men into mon
keys should be upheld and enlarged; and hr. Web
There are no limits the mischief of that extraordinary
bsne People were all expecting from Webster totally
different Ii any man had in that hour possessed
the weight with the country which he had acquired, he
would have brought the whole country to its senses But
not moment pause allowed The decision OF Mr.
Webster was founded everything offensive to free
dom and good morals There something like
deliberate attempt dshauch ihe moral sentiment of
the clergy, and the elersy and the youth. =, lAP-
member that "he would pardon something to the spirit
of liberty" but the first hint Of opposition was
sharply called treason by Mr. Webster and prosecuted
So lie told the people at Boston that they must con
ouer their preiudices that agitation of the subject
Of slavery must be suppressed lie made very low bows
to the Christian Church and went through all the Sunday
decorums but when alluson made 20 ethics and the
sanctions of morality he very frankly expressed his dis
belief of the bnGng force of any higher law and If the
reporters say the truth this wreched atheism FOUND some
asghter and applause in the company said had never
IN my life suffered before from the slave institution IL
was like Slavery in Africa, in Japan, for me- There
was Fugitive Law but it had become, or was last DO
coming dead letter. and by the genius and laws Of Mas
sachuses imperative But new bill was passed which
made operative, and required me to hunt slaves ana
il found citizens in Massachusetts, willing to act as Judges
and captors The fact now disclosed that Slavery
was no longer mendcan, but was become
aggressive and dangerous The way IN when
the country dragged in TO consent to this BILL aad the
miserable cry of Union of colleges, OF educated men,
nav of some preachers of religion showed that we were
all matealized and could not Do shocked by crime III
shaved that the of religion aud the OF right
bad eased exist their old purtyhat while we recog
nized ourselves highly cultivated nation, our bellies
suppOe that liberty an accurate index IN nations az wen
as individuals Of their progress 1t always appeals to the
most refined communications is right which rests
the finest sense Of Justice and with every degree Of i'm
movement il will be truly felt and accurately defined
A barbarous tribe will by means of its best heals, SO
cure substantial liberty; but where there Is a na'u
raj weakness ard mpotency ia the black race,
thew will more readily be oppressed by the strong
and urpriucplsd Wrong will be the most Incompatible
with and offensive TO- those who are the most cultivated
and refined for s the very nature of poteness of
love of religion prefer another TO self to protect
another This is the Instinct OF the gentleman to defend
the weak and redress the Injured as IL so the savage
and brute 10 u.up power and 10 use others Is
an old story a thousand times told We had all chung
fast TO our laws and books, and usages while the life
that was in them had glided away. went remember
10 certain serious men among our conservative rank
10 certain serious men who had little more sense than
the rest and inquired why they took such part as they
did with reference to this bill and Slavery Ihey tod me
thew had no confidence in their strength TO resist the
Democratic party this country They saw that all was
going to the utmost verge Of license Each was yieing
measure and they expected only as drag on the
wbe.l-to take such position as would serve only ~
moderate the velocity with which the car was running
down the precpee They SIDED WIN CasGna OK fS"n
resist little longer the general ruin Gentemen nave
respect for conservatism know how deeply II founded
in our natures. and how idle are al our attempts 10 SNAKE
ourselves free from it, Weare all consery aye-al hai
Wbig ard half Democratic in essences and might as
well try to jump off from our planet or Jump 0gt Oh our
skins, to try TO escape our Democracy or
exs-fate or fortune the order OF things and VIII or
duty, on the other hand may and must.
The sense of right and duty, on the one hand;
and the material necessities on the other" may,
ard "must" In politics the Wing goes for
what ha. been-for the old necessities, the musts the
Democrat the Reformer goes for the beter-for the ay
rood-for the "mays" | think too, the musts are a
safe company appeal TO- and agreeable but II we are
wings let be Wings of fate and science and let US go
for The necessities Let Us know that over ana ABOVE al
the mus of povery and appetite the instinct OF man TO
holm his brother Gentlemen, think that IN TINS,