Author’s Background
Daniel Webster is considered one of the greatest orators in the history of the American senate. In fact, his speech “Reply to Hayne” is considered to be the most eloquent speech ever delivered in Congress. Daniel was a senator for Massachusetts and a prominent figure among Northerners. Through his life he was a part of three different parties: Adams, anti-Jacksonian, and Whig. This speech was widely considered to be contrary to the ideals of the Whig party and after giving it Daniel Webster was never fully trusted again by his party(24 Annuls).
Historical Background
The speech "A Plea for Harmony and Peace" was delivered in 1850. It's content touches on problems that would eventually cause The Civil War. One of the main issues mentioned is what should be done with runaway slaves. The country was divided into three groups on this point. The North wanted to stop all expansion of slavery, the South wanted to, at least, retain it’s slavery and, at most, expand slavery into new states and territories. Finally, a third group urged that there should be compromise between the states. Daniel argues that fugitive slaves should be returned in accordance to the Supreme Court's orders. Another topic mentioned in his speech is the possibility of secession. The fact that it mentions secession tells us that this idea was in some people's minds at least as early as 1850. However, compromise, namely, The Compromise of 1850 was also on people’s minds and this very speech was in support of it.
Audience
This speech was delivered to the Senate on the seventh of March, three days after Senator John C. Calhoun gave his speech, “The Clay Compromise Measures.” In Calhoun’s speech, he urges that the cause of dissent between the North...
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...aders to win their promised support for the presidency.” Not long after this speech Webster left the Senate and finished his career as Secretary of State.
Final Evaluation
Works Cited
Webster, Daniel. “A Plea for Harmony and Peace.” Annals of America. USA: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 1968. 24-27. Print0
The Works of Daniel Webster by Daniel Webster; The Private Correspondence of Daniel Webster by Daniel Webster; Fletcher Webster; Life and Memorials of Daniel Webster by Daniel Webster; The Private Life of Daniel Webster by Charles Lanman
The North American Review , Vol. 104, No. 214 (Jan., 1867) , pp. 65-121
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3276
Irving H. Bartlett, Daniel Webster (1978) http://www.nationalcenter.org/CalhounClayCompromise.html http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Speech_Costs_Senator_His_Seat.htm
Unlike today, there was no fast communication methods. The tensions between the "free" and "slave" states was already apparent, thus, inflamed passions now began to result regularly in violence. Under those circumstances, any proposition which restoration of peace and abandoned slavery, were slow to coming. The issue of slavery was no longer a matter which could be argued. President Lincoln and Seward, made some mistakes, by the time of Seward 's famous speech, “irrepressible conflict. " The southern states started to isolate themselves and by the time the Southern States seceded from the Union, the U.S. had virtually become two separate nations and when Lincoln became president, that was the last straw. Because the Southern states felt that President Lincoln 's election was viewed by Southerners as a blow to their well-being and honor. So, some of the wording in the speech sounded like thing were already coming at the end. Therefore, talks were no longer an option, this issues were “irrepressible conflict." war were inevitable. But that 's not absolute, the speech could have been a final call to action, to work together to resolve and complete “the unfinished
Disapproval, the Confederacy, and slavery were amongst the many crises Abraham Lincoln faced when addressing his First Inaugural speech (Lincoln, First Inaugural, p.37). Above all, Lincoln’s speech was stepping on the boundaries of the southern slave states. Once states began to secede, new territories formed and the disapproval of Lincoln grew. Despite Lincoln’s attempts of unifying the antislavery and confederate views, many whites refused to follow his untraditional beliefs. Lincoln encountered hostile and admirable emotions from the people of the Union and the Confederacy. However, despite his representation of the Union, not everyone agreed with his views.
By the time of his speech South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas had already seceded from the Union. In his speech Lincoln had three main points: “to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government,” secession was impossible because the Union was unbreakable, and that any use of arms against the United States would be met with force but he would never be first to attack (Grafton 80). Lincoln aspired to increase his support in the North without alienating the South where most disliked him in fear of the end of slavery. In his speech however, Lincoln made it clear that his intention was not to interfere with slavery quoting “I have no purpose, directly, or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so” (Grafton 81). In hope to make amends with the South Lincoln closed by saying “We are not enemies, but friends. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature” (Grafton 81). Although meant to unify the North and South, this address had a larger impact on another
Carpenter, C. C. J. et al. “A Call for Unity.” Newseum. The Freedom Forum. 12 Apr. 1963. Web.
Lincoln was a very smart lawyer and politician. During his “House Divided” speech he asked the question, “Can we, as a nation, continue together permanently, forever, half slave, and half free?" When he first asked this question, America was slowly gaining the knowledge and realizing that as a nation, it could not possibly exist as half-slave and half-free. It was either one way or the other. “Slavery was unconstitutional and immoral, but not simply on a practical level.” (Greenfield, 2009) Slave states and free states had significantly different and incompatible interests. In 1858, when Lincoln made his “House Divided” speech, he made people think about this question with views if what the end result in America must be.
Lincoln, Abraham. “Restating Positions on Slavery: December 1860.” Simpson, Brooks D., Stephen W. Sears, and Aaron Sheehan-Dean 109-110.
Mr. Smith was appointed to be a Senator on a whim. He was the leader of the Boy Rangers with no political experience. He was principled with a clear view on right and wrong. Mr. Smith took his ideals as far as risking his career when he did not compromise in order to maintain his beliefs. In addition, special interest groups did not impact Mr. Smith's decisions. He was untouched by the corruption that he learned existed in the legislature. Yet upon discovering it, he did not change himself. Mr. Smith did not place any emphasis on re-election and did not care if people thought negatively about him as long as he remained with his values.
The growth of the Northern abolition movement and attempts by Northern politicians to push the federal government to act against slavery confirmed for Calhoun that the North intended to exercise its power as a majority to the detriment of Southern interests. He responded to these attacks with the argument that the Constitution gave Congress no regulatory power over slavery. Even compromise was not possible, in his opinion.
The debates previewed the issues that the nation would face in the Presidential election of 1860. While many topics were discussed in these debates, the one, which caused the most contention, was that of slavery, specifically its role in the territories and forthcoming states (Encyclopedia Britannica). Other topics discussed throughout the debates were the “authority of states to control slavery within their own borders and whether the Dred Scott decision had been a reasonable one” (Schulmeister). Douglas and Lincoln’s views on the expansion of slavery were diverse. Stephen Douglas was ...
The genius of Adams was naturally bent on politics. It was with him an all engrossing subject. From his earliest youth, he had felt its inspiration. It occupied his thoughts, enlivened his conversation, and employed his pen. In respect to his private business, this was an unfortunate trait of cha...
Senator Webster is from the New England states and was around the age of 68 at the time of the speech. In the speech, he regards himself not as a Massachusetts man, but as an American man. In doing so, he does not provide a bias view and is able to have a clear stance on the issue. The second senatorial speech is by Senator John C. Calhoun who was also in favor of the Fugitive Slave Act. Senator Calhoun, who hailed from South Carolina, wrote this speech for the people that were against the Fugitive Slave Act. In the speech, he says that the North believed that slavery was a sin and a crime. If the union decided to rid of slavery, then the South would ultimately secede and become it’s own nation. Calhoun knew that the Fugitive Slave Act was needed because without it the nation could split. The final speech was by Senator Charles Sumner who was from Massachusetts and was against the Fugitive Slave Act. In the speech, he states that he speaks of the National Government. He speaks through the views of the nation rather than his own self. This provides no bias, which adds to the validity of his speech. He states ,”Slavery, I now repeat, is not mentioned in the Constitution. The name Slave does not pollute this Charter of our Liberties. No "positive" language gives to Congress any power to make a Slave or to hunt a Slave.”. This shows that slavery and
One of the finest military heroes during the War of 1812, and an independent and diligent man, Andrew Jackson left a permanent influence upon American politics and presidency after he sworn in as the seventh President of the United States on March 4th, 1829. Within the eight years of presidency, Jackson engendered a potent and corrupt political party, which was composed of his supporters during the election of 1828. Consequently, his provocative and controversial behavior in office aroused his adversaries to organize the Whig party, which strongly opposed Jackson’s economic, political, and social views during his presidency. Since Jackson and the Congress did not agree with each other’s views quite often, his drive for synthesizing political
When Abraham Lincoln spoke at his inauguration on March 1861, the nation’s mood was grim. It was a frigid day and the sky was grey. Even worse, nobody knew how the newly-elected President, a novice lawyer, would handle the nation’s biggest problem since its inception: Southern secession. The U.S., and its grandeur and resplendence were at stake and were now reduced to nothing more than the preposterous “Disunited States of America.” Americans were in a state of perplexity, and one question remained etched in the minds of Americans: “Did the South have a legal right to secede from the Union?” No, the South did not have a legal right to secede from the Union, due to the longevity of the Union, the solidarity between the states, and the menacing implications secession entails.
The speech President Lincoln gave to congress on June 16, 1964, was marked as one of the greatest speeches of all time. The famous quote by President Lincoln, “A house divided against itself, will not stand” was the motto for the civil war. What he meant by that was the United States was no longer united. That if we continue to fight amongst ourselves that we would not, as a single united country, prosper. The speech took a great toll on the congress and it was decided that it would be in the country’s best interest if slavery would be illegalized in the United States of America.
Correspondence of John C. Calhoun. J. Franklin Jameson, ed. Annual Report of the American Historical Association 1899. II. 1900.