Excerpt from Webster on the Currency: Speech of Hon. Daniel Webster, at the Merchant's Meeting, in Wall Street, New York, on Monday, September 28, 1840

I am duly sensible, my fellow-citizens, both of the honor, and of the responsibility, of the present occasion; an honor it certainly is, to be requested to address a body of Merchants, such as I behold before me, as intelligent, as enterprising and respectable as any in the world. A responsible undertaking it is, to address such an assembly, and on a subject which many of you understand scienti fically, and in its elements at least as well as I do, and with which most of you have more or less of practical acquaintance. The currency of a country is a subject always important, and in some measure complex; but it has become the great leading question of our time. I have not shrunk from the expression of my opinions, since Ihave been in public life, nor shall I now, especially since on this question, another great political question seems likely to turn, viz. The question whether one Administration is about to go out of power, and another Administration to come into power. Under this state of circumstances, it becomes me to premise what I have now to say, by remarking, in the first place, that I propose to speak for nobody but myself. My general opinions on the subject of the currency have been well known 5 and as it has now become highly probable that those who have opposed all that has recently been done by the government on that subject, will be called on to propose some reme dies of their own for the existing state of things, it is the more incum bent on me to notify to all who hear me, that what I now say, I say for myself alone for, in regard to the sentiments of the distinguished individual whom it is your purpose to support as a candidate for the presidency, i have no more authority to speak than any of your selves, nor any means of knowing his Opinions more than is pos sessed by you, and by all the country.

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