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Webster'sMarch7thSpeech/Secession1Webster'sMarch7thSpeech/SecessionHerbertDarlingFosterWebster'sMarch7thSpeech/Secession2FOREWORDItisverycuriousthatmuchofthehistoryoftheUnitedStatesintheFortiesandFiftiesofthelastcenturyhasvanishedfromthegeneralmemory.WhenaskilledhistorianreopensthestudyofWebster'sSeventhofMarchspeechitismorethanlikelythatnineoutoftenAmericanswillhavetocudgeltheirwitsendeavoringtomakequitesurejustwhereamongourpoliticaladventuresthatfamousorationfitsin.Howmanyofuscouldpassasatisfactoryexaminationontheantecedenttrainofevents--theintroductioninCongressofthatWilmotProvisodesignedtomakefreesoilofalltheterritorytobeacquiredintheMexicanWar;theinstantandbitterreactionoftheSouth;thevariousdemandsforsomesortofpartitionoftheconqueredareabetweenthesections,betweenslavelaborandfreelabor;theunforeseenintrusionofthegoldseekersofCaliforniain1849,andtheirunauthorizedformationofanewstatebasedonfreelabor;theflamingupofSouthernalarm,duenottoonecausebuttomany,chieflytotheobviousfactthatthefreestateswereacquiringpreponderanceinCongress;thesouthernthreatsofsecession;thefuryoftheAbolitionistsdemandingnoconcessionstotheSouth,comewhatmight;andthen,justwhenaruptureseemedinevitable,whenNorthernextremistsandSouthernextremistsseemedabouttosnatchcontroloftheirsections,Webster'sboldplaytothemoderatesonbothsides,hisschemeofcompromise,announcedinthatfamousspeechontheseventhofMarch,1850?MostpeoplearestillawarethatWebsterwasharshlycriticizedformakingthatspeech.ItisdimlyrememberedthattheAbolitionistscalledhimTraitor,refusingtoattributetohimanymotiveexceptthegainingofSouthernsupportwhichmightlandhiminthePresidency.Atthetime--sobitterwasfactionalsuspicion!--thisviewgainedmanyadherents.Ithasnotlostthemall,evennow.ThisfalseinterpretationofWebsterturnsontwoquestions--wastherearealdangerofsecessionin1850?WasWebstersincereinderivinghispolicyfromasenseofnationalperil,notfromself-interest?InthestudywhichfollowsProfessorFostermakesanadequatecaseforWebster,answeringthelatterquestion.TheformerhedealswithinageneralwayWebster'sMarch7thSpeech/Secession3establishingtwothings,thefactofSouthernreadinesstosecede,theattendantfactthattheSouthchangeditsattitudeaftertheSeventhofMarch.HislimitspreventhisgoingontoweighandappraisethesincerityofthosefanaticswhosofuriouslymalignedWebster,whocreatedthetraditionthathehadcynicallysoldouttotheSoutherners.Didtheybelievetheirownfiction?Thequestionisalargeoneandinvolvesthisother,didtheyknowwhatwasgoingonintheSouth?DidtheyrealizethattheUniononMarch6,1850,wasactuallyatapartingoftheways,--thatdestructionorCivilWarformedanimminentissue?ManyofthosewhocondemnedcompromisemaybeabsolvedfromthechargeofinsincerityonthegroundthattheydidnotcarewhethertheUnionwaspreservedorriot.YourtrueblueAbolitionistwasverylittleofamaterialist.Nordidhehaveprimarilyacrusadinginterestintheconditionoftheblacks.Hewasintrospective.Hewantedtheresponsibilityforslaverytakenoffhisownsoul.Aslatereventsweretoprove,hewasalsoprettynearlyapacifist;warfortheUnion,pureandsimple,madenoappealtohim.ItwaspartofWebster'sinsightthathedivinedthis,thathesawtherewasmorepacifismthannaturalardorintheNorthof1850,sawthattheprecipitationofawarissuemightspelltheendoftheUnitedRepublic.Therefore,itwastocircumventtheNorthernpacifistsquiteasmuchastounderminetheSouthernexpansioniststhatheofferedcompromiseandavoidedwar.ButwhatofthoseotherdetractorsofWebster,thosewhowerefortheUnionandyetbelievedhehadsoldout?TheironeslimdefenseistheconvictionthattheSouthdidnotmeanwhatitsaid,thatWebster,hadhedaredoffendtheSouth,couldhavesavedtheday--fromtheirpointofview--withoutmakingconcessions.ProfessorFoster,alwaysreadytodoscrupulousjustice,pointsoutthedenseignoranceineachsectionoftheother,andthereletsthematterrest.Butwhatshallwesayofaframeofmind,whichinthatmomentofcrisis,eitherdidnotreadtheSouthernnewspapers,orreadingthemandfindingthatthewholeSouthwasnettedoverbyasystematicallyorganizedsecessionpropagandamadenoattempttogaugeitsstrength,scoffedatitallasbuncombe!Evenlaterhistorianshavedonethesamething.IntoomanycasestheyhaveassumedthatWebster'sMarch7thSpeech/Secession4becausethecompromisewasfollowedbyanapparentcollapseofthesecessionpropaganda,thepropagandaallalongwaswithoutreality.Weknowtodaythatthepropagandadidnotcollapse.Forstrategicreasonsitchangeditspolicy.Butitwentonsteadilygrowingandgaininggrounduntilittriumphedin1861.Webster,nothisfoolishopponents,gaugeditsstrengthcorrectlyin1850.Theclewtowhatactuallyhappenedin1850liesinthecourseofsuchanardentSoutherneras,forexample,LangdonCheeves.Earlyintheyear,hewasaleadingsecessionist,butatthecloseoftheyearaleadinganti-secessionist.Hischangeoffront,forceduponhimbyhisownthinkingaboutthesituationwasabitterdisappointmenttohimself.WhatanimatedhimwasadeepdesiretotakethewholeSouthoutoftheUnion.When,attheopeningoftheyear,theNorthseemedunwillingtocompromise,he,andmanyanother,thoughttheirtimehadcome.AtthefirstNashvilleConventionheadvisedageneralsecession,assumingthatVirginia,ourpremierstate,wouldleadthemovementandwhenVirginialaterintheyearswungoverfromsecession