The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-05-05
DANIEL WEBSTER.
Yours, truly,

citizen Of this Union who refuses to become the
humble tool of party leaders who dsdains have his
intellectual vision bandaged by party measures, but
who maintains that Independent right of freeman to
examine into the great affecting the national
interests separate them from the personal popularity
Of their advocates, and to investigate their intrinsic
character and bearing who chooses to be the patriot
rather than the partisan while such citizen may
from conviction Of their injurious tendency array
himself in opposition to the measures Of any states
man, he will yield an Involuntary respect, proportioned
to the dignity of intellect, by which those
are sustained. While he may disagree with their
advocates he will feel proud that his country pro-
duce men who, though Of differing views, sustain their
respective principles by amount of talent to excite
the admiration of the world. While the opinions Of
one s. atesman may accord with his views he is
ready to claim the emnence of others as legitimate
sources of national pride.
But debased party spirit selfish and giovelling in
its character, like the mole, is blinded by, and cannot
perceive the brancy Of, pure and lofty character
Acknowledging incentive but party success, it re-
duces the motives of all Others to the standard Of its
own comprehension, and is incompetent to Judge of
higher motives of action. Love Of country and
Of duty incentives too lofty to be apprecia
ted by that spirit, which, Arnold-ke, would sacrifice
national honor and prosperity to its own interests.
The present Secretary of State, has been assailed
as prominent mark by unprincipled party spirit ;
and every true-hear'cd citizen of the United States
WHO has felt personal pride in the great names
which his country has given to fame, and to history
must have felt panied, humbled and mortified at the
low billngsgate and brohel ISLANDERS, which this sp
| rit has attempted to hur upon the fame of Daniel
Webster Who and what is the man thus assaiIed2
Let the intelligence and the heart of every patriot,
ay, almost of every child, give the answer Ii is he
to whom would point with confidence, when we
would claim the admiration of strangers for the eo-
quence Of our country. Elcquencc which has raised
still higher the already lofty character Of Senate
Chamber and which has gone to the minds and hearts
of men wherever the English language is known; an
eloquence, which not alone soothes the ear and ex-
cites the fancy by harmonious periods and glowing
figures, but which takes possession Of the capa
cious minds by the vigor of its thoughts and the
power of its judgment. The man, now, thus assaled,
is he from who NJ but little while since justly de.
lived national compliment in seeing him, the plain
republican, the architect ofhs own fortune, splendid
but unadulteraed production of democracy receiving
the homage OF the most naughty nation of Europe,
asserting in his character the dignity of the nob
lily ofnature in the midst ofthat ofcoronets and unas
sumingly receiving the couitesies Of those whose
brows they decorated II he, who stands eminent
IN the first rank of the statesmen of the world
whose giant intellect Atlas-like, sustains and holds
to view the most perfect political organization of
mankind-the Constitution of the United States ;
document the perpetuity Of which is a guarantee
for that of the fame of Daniel Webster and, even
though the Constitution itself should be overwhelmed
by the turbulence and commissions Of political strife
its very ruins become an enduring monument Of the
fame of him who was its most firm defender and most
able exposition.
Why is it that the man whose character has be-
come national monument, is thus assaed' Is it
because in time of great need and when extensive
national interests to be adjudcated he occupies
important official station, which enables him best to
serve his country Those who actuated by a
desire for the spos of office, would PROSTATE the
most able of the age, that they may reach those
spois and suppose all men TO be acuatedby the
mean motives which influence themselves. Degraded
indeed must be the mind which can suppose no other