The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-05-05
Yours, truly,
DANIEL WEBSTER.

citizen of this Union, who refuses to become the
humble tool of party leaders, who disdains to 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 to 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 involuntary respect, proportioned
to the dignity of intellect by which those measures
are sustained. While he may disagree with their
advocates he will feel proud that his country can 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 statesman may accord with his own views, he is
ready to claim the eminence of others as Legitimate
sources of national pride.
But debased party spirit selfish and gloveing in
its character like the mole, is blinded by, and cannot
perceive the brilliancy of pure and lofty character
Acknowledging incentive, but party success, it re-
duces the motives of all Others the standard of its
| own comprehension, and is incompetent to judge of
| higher motives of action Love of country, and a
sense
ted by that spirit, which, Arnod-ike would sacrifice
national honor and prosperity to its own interests
The present Secretary of State has been assailed
as prominent mark, by unprincpled party spirit
and every true-hearcd 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 pained humbed, and mortified at the
low billingsgate and brothe SANDERS which this spi
| rt has attempted to hurl upon the fame of Daniel
Webster. Who and what is the man thus assailed
Let the intelligence and the heart of every patriot,
ay almost of every child, give the answer. 1t is he
| to whom we would point with confidence, when we
would claim the admiration of strangers for the elo-
| quence of our country. EIoquence which has raised
still higher the already lofty character of our Senate
Chamber, and which has gone to the minds and hearts
| eoquence, which not alone soohes the and ex-
cites the fancy by harmonious periods and glowing
figures but which takes possession of the most capa-
cous minds, by the vigor of its thoughts and the
| power of its judgment The man, now thus assailed,
is he from who H. but little while since, VIC justly de-
rived national compliment in seeing him, the plain
republican the architect ofhis fortune splendid
but unadulterated production Of democracy, receiving
| the homage OF the most naughty nation of Europe,
asserting in his character, the dignity of the nob-
lily ofnaure in the midst ofthat ofcoronets and unas-
sumingly receiving the couteses Of those whose
brows they decorated 1t he who stands pre- eminent
| IN the first rank of the statesmen of the world
whose giant intellect, Ataslke, sustains and holds
to view the most perfect political organization of
mankind-the Constitution of the United States
a document the perpetuty of which is 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 enduring monument of the
fame of him who was its most firm defender and most
able expositor.
| Why is it that the man whose character has be-
! come national monument is thus assailed' Is il
because in time of great need, and when extensive
national interests are to be adudcaed, he occupies
important official station, which enables him best to
serve his country Those who are actuated by
desire for the spos of office, would PROSTATE the
most able of the age, that they may reach those
pois, and suppose all men to be acuated by the same
mean motives which influence themselves. DEGRADED
indeed must be the mind which can suppose no othe