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I


aster is preserved, and am here guest. am
here to receive your salutations and greetings on
| particular subjects. | am not here under al lnvl-
tation, or an expectation, that should addressthe
gea,!cmen who have been pleased 10 meet me here on
! topics not ug.ested by yourselves. 1t would not
befit the occasion, therefore, in my opinion, that
| should use the occasion for any such purpose;
because, although have desire az some time,
not far distant l hope, to make my sentiments
known upon the political occurrences of the coun-


try generally, and the political state Of the nation
and of parties al the present moment, yet know
we'll that i, would be improper for me to do Sc
now, because know well that the gentlemen who
nave written to invite me here on this occasion,
entertaih, many OF them, opinions ditiercn, from
myself; and they might properly say, "we caue
l-rc TO greet Mr. WEBSTER, and extend oar
congratulations, on those matters IN which we
agree and we did not come with the expectation


that he would Use the opportunity to discuss ques-
ions which differ.


On that account, and for that reason, shall for
bear, thinking it my duty to do SIS and abstaiping
from using this OCCASION for tho purpose of ex-
pressing my own opinions and of stating how far
[ agree with friends wiki whom [ have acted for
years, and how far am most reluctantly constrain-
ed TO differ from them look forward to future
occasion, if such should be offered, for the oppor
tunity of fulfilling this promise.


will say one thing gentlemen, because it has
been alluded te. The Mavorhas been kind enough
to say that, in his judgement, having discharged
the duties of the Department in which L have act
ed in maaner satisfactory to the country, might
safely be left TO take care of my own honor and
reputation. | suppose he meant to say that IN the
present distracted sta'e of the Wing party, and in
the contrarcy Of opinion which prevails, (if there
- -
per to be pursued by me-the decision of that
question might be left to myself. AM EXACTLY
OF HIS OPINION. cloud and repeated chccrs.) |
am quite OF this opinion, gentlemen, that, in a
question touching my own honor or the consistency
of my own character, as am to bear all the con-
sequences of the decision, might deal better be
trusted to make it, And though, gentlemen,
man values more highly than do the advice of my
friends, yet question so important and of such
u nature this, like choose the friends to ad
wise me; F.; and on this whole subject with this re-
ference, | shall leave YOU JUST AS ENLIGHTENED
AS | FOUND you. give no pledge: | make no
inlimations, one way or the other; and l will be
as absolutely Free when this day closes to act as
duty calls, as was when its dawn first broke upon
me. (Repeated cheers


Genticmen, there is delcacy in this case
because there is always dccacy in speaking of
differences with friends ; but there is no cmbar-
rassmcnt-No embarrassment. If | see the path
of duty clear before me- | trust have that with
in me which will enable me to pursue it, and
throw all embarrassment to the winds. a public
man has no occasion 10 he embarrassed, if nc Is
honest He himsclf-his own feelings are moth
ing his country and his public duty are every
thing and he should sink whatever is personal to
himself in far higher considerations these are
the characteristics that mark us great as lit
tie men.


There were many persons in December, l84l,
who found great objections to my remaining in
the Presidents Cabinet You all know, gentle
men, that twenty years of honest, do not say of
efficient service, OF not altogether undistingushed
service in the Wing cause, had scarcely prepared
me for an outpouring such seldom proceeds
from Wing friends, against Wings, against any
body am a little hard to be coaxed, and 4 great
deal harder to be driven. | chose 10 act from my
own iud dcement and thinking that | was III a post
where could lenaer service to my country, stald
there and leave you this day, and leave my
country to say, whether this country would have
been better of if had gone also.


have no attachment to office. ! have tasted
its sweets, but ! have also tasted its bitterness
am content; and acknowledge ] am more anx-
ious TO preserve the good have than 10 run risks
for new acquisitions in public life. | suppose l
ought to pause here. ] suppose | ought not to
allude, and viii not, to any thing farther that
merely concerns myself.


Gentlemen, very respectable Convention,
most respectable Convention, assembled here
some ten days ago, and passed some important
resolutions. There is no set of gentlemen, 50 tar
as know, for whom entertain more respect and
regard They are Wings but they are no bet
ter Wings than am. They have served their
country in the Wing ranks-and so hf re quite
as long, though, perhaps, with less ability and
success They were sent hither, as | suppose. to
agree upon those whom the Wings of Massachu-
setts should support for Governor and Lieutennnt-
Governor If their power extended beyond that,
| | have not seen their commission. If they had
authority to speak in the name OF the Wings OF
| Massachusetts, for other purposes or interests,
was not acquainted with that power And IN act
ing further it seems to me they were little IN
| consi iderate.


Amsng other resolutions, they declared, ia be-
half of all the Wings of the Commonwealth,
full and final separation from the President OF the
United States. If these gentlemen said this tor
the expression of their own opinions, to that ex-
tent it is good. Wings speak their sentiments
evcrywherc,-and they have perfect right to do
it here But it becomes quite another question,
when they assume 10 represent other characters
and to speak on other points than those on which
they were authorized TO speak. am Wing.
always have been one-and always SHALL be
one-( (rcrcated cheers )-and if anybody under
takes to turn me out of the pale of that commun-
ion-let him see to it who gets out first! | am
Massachusetts Whg-a Faneul Hall Wing
breathing her air now for twenty-five years, and
meaning TO breathe it on this spot, so long as God
shall be pleased to give me life.


accept the decision of Wing Convention for