The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-23
From he Cincinnati Chronicle.
DANIEL WEBSTER.

DANIEL WEBSTER.
Pulchrum est bene facere reipubilce: etiam bcnt
deere baud absurdum est. SALLusT.
Great military achievements and heroic deeds are
always much celebrated but the civil achievements
of the orator and statesman without their
ward. Passing by the names of those illustrious
men Of our country whose deeds in the field have
won them lasting fame, if there is any man whose
civil and political services and attainmens will be
known and appreciated by all future ages as great
patriotic and honorable, none claim preference
to DANIEL WEBSTER. His patriotism and integrity
beyond doubt; search his whole life thus fai and
any cireumstantiai eridence can be found
bear against them We do, indeed, find here and
there attempts to him with aspersons vel
they harmless; and defence against such attacks
would he useless as to station armed along the
whole length and breadth of the Chinese Wall TO de-
tend it against the attacks of handful of pismes
But since Mr. Webster has left the Senate that dis
tinguished body of which he has so long been the
ornament and glory, all Americans may now with
propriety render unto him the homage he has just
y and faithfully earned Win Aflanfean shoulders
m 10 bear the toetght Of mightiest nonarches, he has
exerted all his acknowledged powers and influence
for the alton of the Federal Constitution in its
original strength and efficacy and the maintenance of
those free principles which distinguish his own coun-
try, and which in him are innate and deeply fixed
In the hour of danger of the Constitution and at
time when the popular voice much favored it, we do
not find this great man deserving the great object
which he had so sedulousy kept in view-the prescr-
walton of the Union and the Federal CONSTITUTIONAL
Join in with the cry of States Rights and States supre
macy. Popularity then weighed not feather with
him the Constitution in his hands, and to pre-
serve untarnished called forth all his energies and
zeal without weighing consequences to self. Well
may we all rejoice that the Constitution had SO noble
and fearless defender through that doubtful struggle
against Notification. Many and powerful were those
who supported this strange and ominous creature,
Modification; many, too, fought for the Constitution.
But conspicuous above the rest one appeared
:" Deep on his front engraven
Dciberation sat, and public care"
he welded the weapons drawn from the intellectual
armory with irresistible force and his triumph is per-
haps, unsurpassed in mental warfare for truth.
Mr. Webster advanced nothing in this contest dero-
gatory to the true rights of the States. They are to
be held sacred and involabe from any encroachments
of the General Cover nmenti yet in the of hu-
events, if one of the two things must happen
had rather every State Constitution torn atoms
and tramped in the dust than that the Great Charter
of American Liberty should he rent in twain
Those might be reformed but who could reconstruct,
once demolished, that monument of WISDOM the Amc-
rican Consttu ton2 None; no, not one.
Certainly, as an orator Mr.. Webster will bear com.
parison with any, of ancient modern times His
style is his own II is original, and not trans
Atlantic writers assert, copied from Burke, or any
other man. Burke was great orator, rich and luxu-
rant Millions garden Of Eden he sporcd and gam
boiled in boundless varied and fertile fancy and rich
ly philosophical mind but he never possessed the
straight forward, cogen irresistible argument of Mr.
Webster. Burke spoke like travelling for plea
sure he turned to the night and left, up and down to
gather ornaments from every source Mr. Webster
marches majestically on army, not noticing the
lilies and roses about him, but gathering huge rocks
and stones to overwhelm his enemy Attempts in
deed, sometimes made 10 lessen Mr.. Webster
standing orator for want of.that polish which is
oftener the characteristic of smaller minds but we
must bear in mind that it is the nature of greatness to
be irregular, and every bold thought contains what
squeamish taste cannot relish But 10 say that any
such defect destroys MIR. Webster's title of great
orator would be il we to deny that the Andes
mountains, because they contain here and there
depression that they not objects of subimity
because they are not smooth as a mole hill
Let US study well his life and character and we
shall not get the idea ofa great struggling in a
morass, but OF greater man, standing on rock, a
beacon light to his country. M w