The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17
A REREADING OF A GREAT SPEECH.


prominent anti-slavery men upon the
speech delivered by Daniel Webster in the
Senate March z, 1850. has melted a Curl.
osity to read that famous speech to see
If it contained expressions which war
ranted the denunciation Of Mr.. Webster as
a traitor to the cause of human liberty.
All his life Mr.. Webster had been an out
spoken anti-slavery man. He had opposed
every measure desiged to extend the area
Of slavery, such as the annexation of
Texas and the Mclean war. In this speech
he took occasion to recall his record on
the slavery question and the hostile atti-
tude to the institution which the fathers
of the Republic assumed. He gave the
causes which led the South to a change
Of sentiment in respect to slavery-the
profitableness of cotton-raising He de-
clared his hostility to slavery and favored
measures which might gradually eradicate
it. The Southern leaders, however, were
boldly threatening secession, basing their
desire for disunio upon the hostile atti-
tude of the anti-slavery advocates in the
North and their special hostility to meas
rres designed to secure the return of fugi-
tive slaves. California was asking adj
mission to the Union as a free State. The
ultra Southern leaders declared that if
this were granted the South would secede.
Clay, Webster and other stanch Union
men were thoroughly convinced that the
condition was one of grave peril, and Clay
had devised compromise measures which
included the admission Of California as a
free State and the passage of the fugitive
lave law. Both these propositions Webster
advocated in his eth of March speech,
the Union, which to him was vastly more
important than the overthrow of the in
s~titution of slavery.
In this connection it should be said that
among the anti-slavery people in the
North there was an Indifference respecting
the maintenance or the dissolution of the
Union. The admission Of Texas with a
provision that out of its territory several
States might be made whenever the people
of Texas should make the demand, and the
Mexican war in the interest of slavery
extension, had thoroughly aroused the anti
slavery sentiment of the North, which then
embraced a large part of the Wing party
and many Democrats. The Free Soil party
had appeared in 1S4S, with Van Buren, as it's
candidate for President, who received a
large vote, drawn so largely from the dis
affected Democrats in New York and one
- 49, 14lor N-ortIoro Ctotas fhof Canara1
Taylor. the Wing candidate for President,
was elected. The Free Soil party was an
other grievance OF the Southern leaders
and a further reason for the dissolution
of the Union. and requires it to be
said that, judging from the anti-slavery
expressions at the time, the preservation
of the Union was not a matter of first
Importance with them. The a~nti-slavery
men had come to distrust and dislike the
| Southern leaders. On the other hand, the
Southern leaders had announced the hold
ing of a secession convention in Nashville
in May following Mr.. Webster's speech.
Daniel Webster fully believed that the
preservation of the Union was of trans
cendent Importance; that it's dissolution
meant the overthrow of popular govern
ment in this hemisphere. To the Union,
as a patriot, he was ardently attached.
His greatest efforts in the Senate and on
the platform had been devoted to argu-
ments for it's maintenance. He was ready
for any compromise that would save the
Union. Consequently. he advocated the
compromise measures which included the
fugitive-slave bill, and this speech Mr..
Webster himself called a plea "for the
Constitution and the Union" 1t was un-
fortunate for Mr.. Webster that the anti
slavery people saw nothing in the speech
but his brief declaration in favor of the
fugitive-slave bill. His arraignment Of the
propagandists Of slavery and his wither-
ing denunciation of secession did not APP
peal to the growing anti-slavery sentiment
in the North represented by the Free Soil
party and the conscience Wings.
It is quite remarkable that the supporters
of Mr.. Lincoln in the peace conference held
in Washington after his election, and when
the Southern States were seeding, made
propositions to the Southern leaders which
recognized the return Of fugitive slaves
very much OF the same character as the
provisions Of the bill which Mr.. Webster
advocated and which was passed as one
OF the compromise measures. Even Sena-
tor Seward, as the spokesman of Abra-
ham Lincoln, mad a conciliatory speech in
the Senate a few weeks before the in
auguration which recalls the sentiments
contained in Mr.. Webster's 7th Of March
speech for 'the Constitution and the
Union" The radical anti-slavery element
in the North sharply criticised Mr.. Lin
coins first inaugural because Of its prof
fers of noninterference with slavery in
order 10 secure peace. Like Daniel Web
ster, Abraham Lincoln desired first OF all
things to preserve the Union. slavery being
a secondary consideration. Because OF
this attitude the ultra Abolitionists like
Wendell Phillips denounced him as Bit
terly for four years as they denounced Mr..
Webster for his 7th Of March speech. But
the mass Of the people of the North was SC
intent on maintaining the Union when Mr..
Lincoln had become President that it sus-
: tanned his purpose TO save the Union at