Demoine courier., 1855-08-09
MIR. Webster and New Slave States.


The following extract from the speed
made by Mr.. Webster, in Niblo's Gard
en-, New York, in 1888, has a pertinen
Significance at the present time How
well he could pu, the English Language
together:
frankly avow my entire unwilling
ness to do any thing which shall ex,ent
the slavery of the African race on ,hi:
continent, or add other slaye-holdins
States to the Union. When | say that
regard slavery in itself as a great moral!
social, and political evil, | only use lang.
uage which has been adopted by Gis
tinguished men, themselves citizens oil
slave holding States. l shall do nothing
TO favor or encourage its further. extern
sion. We have slavery already among
US. The Constitution found it among
us; i, recognized il, and gave il solemn
guarantees. To The full. extern, of these
guarantees we are al. bound. in honor,
justice, and by the Constitution. All the
siipula,ions contained in The Consti,u
ton in favor of the slave-holding States
which are already in the Union. oughtto
be fulfilled, aud so far as depends on me,
shall he fulfilled, in the f~ulIness of ,heir
spirit. and TO the e%xac,ness of their let.
Ter. Slavery, as it exists in the States,
is beyond the reach of Congress. 1t is
a concern Of the States themselves, they
have never submitted it to Congress, and
Congress has no righ,fal power over it.
| shall concur, therefore, in no act, no
measure, no menace, no indication of
purpose, which shall interfere, or threat.
en- TO interfere, with the exclusive autho.
rity oflhe several States over the subiec.
of slavery, as it exists within their res
Pective limits. All this appears to me
to be matter of plain and imperative du.
~.
Blu. when we com TO speak of admit
ting new States, the subject assumes an
entirely different aspect. Our rights and
our dnties are then both different.
The free States and all the States, are
then a. liberty to accept or to reject
When 1t is proposed to bring new mem.
bers into This political partnership, the
old members have a right to say on what
terms such new partners are to come in.
and what they are to bring along with
Them. In my opinion, the people Of the
United States will not consent ~ bring a
new, vastly extensive and slave holding
country, large enough for a half a dozen
S,ates.into TIE Union. In my opinion.
they ough. no to consent to il. Indeed.
am altogether alta loss to conceive what
possible benefit any part of this country
can expect to derive from such annexa-
.ion. All benefit TO any par, is at leaat
doubtful and uncertain; the objections
obvious, plain and strong. On the gen.
eral question Of slavery, a great portion
Of the community is already strongly ex.
cised. The subject has no. only attract
ed attention as a question of politics, out
it has struck a far deeper toned chord
(. has arrested the religious feelings OF
the country; j, has taken strong hold on
the consciences Of men.
He is a rash man, indeed, and little
consersan, with human nature, and es
pecially has he a very erroneous es,i
mate OF the character Of the people Of
this country. who supposes that a feeling
Of this kind is TO be trif1ed with or des-
pissed. 1t will assuredly cause itsel: to
be respected. Il may be reasoned with,
it may be made willing, l believe i. is
entirely willing, to fulfill all existing en-
gagements. and all existing duties, to up
hold and defend the Constitution, as it is
established, and whatever regrets about
some provisions which il does actually
contain. But TO coerce it into silence
to endeavor to restrain its free expires.
sion, to seek to compress and confne it;
warm as it is, and more heated as such
endeavols would invariably render it
should all this be attempted. know
nothing, even in the Constitution, or in
the Union itself, which would no. be
endangered by the explosion which nigh
follow.
New York. July 81.
The correspondent OF the Herald state.