File:Brief biographies from American history, for the fifth and sixth grades - required by the syllabus for elementary schools of New York state education department (1907) (14579540460).jpg

Identifier: briefbiographies00turp (find matches)
Title: Brief biographies from American history, for the fifth and sixth grades : required by the syllabus for elementary schools of New York state education department
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Turpin, Edna Henry Lee, 1867-1952
Subjects:
Publisher: New York : C. E. Merrill Co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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. In 1830 General Hayneof South Carolina made a speech expressing the viewthat the Constitution was a compact between sovereignstates and asserting the right of secession which Ken-tucky and Virginia in 1799 and New England in 1814had threatened to exercise. In his reply to Hayne,Webster insisted that the Constitution was not a ^ com-pact but a national instrument, and he made aneloquent argument for the Union and the Constitution.This speech was jmblished and scattered far and wide;it was inserted in school-books and declaimed in de-bating societies; its author was regarded as the greatexpounder and defender of the Constitution. The lifelong ambition of Webster, as of Clay, wasto become president, but like his rival he was doomedto disappointment. Many people thought that Web-ster might have attained the honor in 1852 had it notbeen for his speech in 1850 on the Fugitive Slave Law.Webster was not an extremist. He considered slavery one of the greatest evils, both moral and political,
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ABRAHAM LINCOLN 257 and he was opposed to its being admitted into the west-ern territories. He said, however, that the Constitu-tion found slavery in the Union, it recognized it, andgave it solemn guaranties which could not honestlyand honorably be broken. He asserted that a state hadno right to refuse to give up runaway slaves to theirmasters, as was provided by the Fugitive Slave Law.He concluded his speech with an eloquent appeal fornational harmony and the Union. His position waslegally unassailable and he was animated by a desireto conciliate and unite the jarring sections, but thespeech called forth a storm of indignation from theabolitionists. There was no longer any hope that hewould receive the presidential nomination. But the time was at hand when earthly honors werea matter of no moment to the great orator. His healthwas giving way, and he died September 8, 1852, atMarshfield, his beloved home beside the sea. His dy-ing eyes were gladdened by the sight of the flag heloved,

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