Webster's Speeches Author:Daniel Webster Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: WEBSTER ON THE CONSTITUTION AND THE UNION. A SPEECH DELIVERED IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, ON THE 7TH OF MARCH, 1850. PREFATORY NOTE. During th... more »e month of January, 1850, Henry Clay submitted to the United States Senate a series of resolutions on the subject of slavery. Various questions had arisen as a result of the acquisition of Mexican territory, which furnished the occasion for a protracted debate in the Senate. At an early hour on March 7, 1850, an immense audience had assembled in the Senate Chamber in the expectation that Mr. Webster was to address the Senate on the great questions of the day. The audience was not disappointed. Mr. Webster delivered the following speech, which is known to fame as the great statesman's supreme effort for " The Constitution and the Union." Mr. President, — I wish to speak to-day, not as a Massachusetts man, nor as a Northern man, but as an American and a member of the Senate of the United States. It is fortunate that there is a Senate of the United States ; a body not yet moved from its propriety, 5 not lost to a just sense of its own dignity and its own high responsibilities, and a body to which the country looks with confidence for wise, moderate, patriotic, and healing counsels. It is not to be denied that we live in the midst of strong agitations, and are surrounded by very 10 considerable dangers to our institutions and government. The imprisoned winds are let loose. The East, the North, and the stormy South combine to throw the whole sea into commotion, to toss its billows to the skies, and 5 disclose its profoundest depths. I do not affect to regard myself, Mr. President, as holding, or as fit to hold, the helm in this combat with the political elements ; but I have a duty to perform, and I mean to perform it wit...« less