York, and Philadelphia. He
reached the seat of Government on the 24th of May, after an absence of
twelve days. Mr. WEBSTER remained behind for a few days, and delivered,
at Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany, a series of elaborate speeches,
setting forth his views of the state of public affairs, and explaining
and vindicating his course and principles. He expressed his entire and
hearty concurrence in all the prominent measures adopted by the
Administration. The question, as far as related to the North, was not
one of Union or Disunion; but whether the Constitution should be so
administered that all the members of the Confederacy could remain within
it. He disclaimed, most emphatically all idea of concession; the South
should not have a hair's-breadth of concession from him; but he would
maintain, to the utmost of his power, and in the face of all danger, the
rights, under the Constitution, of the South as well as of the North;
"and God forsake me and my children, if I ever be found to falter in one
or the other." He gave a sketch of the historical relations of slavery
to the Constitution; and insisted that the meaning and intent of the
clause providing for the return of fugitives from labor, was so plain
and evident, that not an attorney could be found who could raise a doubt
about it. It was assumed in many quarters, that if a colored man comes
to the North, he comes as a freeman; but, according to the Constitution,
if he comes as a fugitive from service or labor, he is not a freeman,
and must be delivered up, upon claim of those who are entitled to his
services. There was not a man who held office under the General or State
Government who was not bound by solemn oath to support and carry out
this clause of the Constitution. Mr. W. asserted most emphatically, that
he was and ever had been opposed to the admission of new slave territory
into the Union, believing that it was beyond the power and against the
provisions of the Constitution. He would never consent that there should
be one foot of slave-territory beyond what the old Thirteen States had
at the time of the formation of the Union. He was not in Congress at the
time of the acquisition of Louisiana and Florida. But when the project
of the annexation of Texas was about to be brought forward, he had gone
out of his way, in a speech at New York, in 1837, to denounce, in
advance the annexation of Texas as slave territory to the United States.
He then expressed the opinion