New-York daily tribune., 1843-08-22
.ur webs,er and the Whigs.'

an eminent friend of Mr.. Webster to our recent
article entitled as above. The reader will obi'g'
u. bv turning over and perusing 1t carefully, II ht
shall not already have done so-then we Will ask
his attention to what we have here to offer.
All that Justice says of Mr.. Webster's being
a private citizen, counselor at law, &c. is very
wide of the mark. We have not spoken Of Mr.
Webster the advocate, the host at Franklin OF
Marshfeld, but of Mr.. Webster the Statesman
the aspirant, and the osensible candidate of GER
tain citizens for the Presidency. No one can read
the whole of our critics essay and not be con.
yinced that Mr. Webster the politician can claim
no immunity from public comment on the ground
of his assumed withdrawal from public life. He
is as prominent and active to-day as he ever was
--as who has better right to be :? We only ask
that his friends, less fearless than himself, shall
not absurdly set up statute of limitations IN
his behalf. And let US here thank his champion
for demonstrating, what we could not SO well do
without offence, the necessity which existed for
such an article as ours of last Friday. When we
wrote that article, unprompted by any one, and
with deep regard toward Mr.. Webster, but on the
strength of abundant facts within our knowledge
establishing the need of some such expression OF
Wing sentiment, we knew that many would be.
leve we spoke without urgent cause. We have
full confidence that the reading of the replication
on our First Page will change that opinion inta
harmony with our own.
There is no pertnency in the boundless eulo-
gium of Justice on the talents and public ser
vices of Mr. Webster Who has doubted either 2
Have we not always rendered full justice to both
Grant that we do or should feel a Just pride in
these, SO much the more reason have we for re.
GREETING that Mr.. w. should be misled by the
counsels of unwise friends, or by mistaken estl-
mate of his own power and influence, to make
shipwreck of his peerless Abilities his lofty fame
Mr. Webster does not realize that his truest friends
of old are among the millions who have deeply
regretted his course through the last eighteen
months. He docs not see that he has been guilty
of grievous fault not merely, but gross blum
der, in descending so subterraneously into the
abyss of Tylerism. Let him beware that what
is even vet in many bosoms but profound regret.
bitter disappointment, be not changed by his
persistence into burning indignation.
Why we did not publish the letter of A Work
ing Mechanic is obvious enough. 1t was Sc
RIGS of inquiries addressed to us with regard to
our course toward Mr.. Webster. We gave thu
substance of those inquiries, and frank and full
answer to them. We often answer such calls fol
information without even alluding to their exist.
ence. When some one sends US series Of ques
tons, we presume he means what he says, ano
desires light on the point to which his queries
tend. What more
But Justice has rules of his own for testing
Editorial fairness. For instance: When Mr..
Webster made his Faneuil Hall and Baltimore
Speeches, we reported and expressed them al
much expense, published them in full, and issued
some $4,000 copies Of each In Extras and oul
regular editions. Dissenting altogether from tn,
inculcations Of those Speeches, we then COM
mented on and exposed what we deemed theii
errors-not at equal length in all, we are conf
dent, even including Mr. Clayton's review, to the
Speeches themselves. Is not this fair play 3
Justice thinks not, and that we ought to hav.
published reply to Mr.. Clayton on behalf of Mr.
Webster. At this rate, we should soon be burieo
uufathomably in rejoinders and sur-rebutters.-
With due Difference, we think Mr.. Websiers
Speeches should bear their own weight, and that
where his own fully reported argument for par
ticular course does not suffice, the position mus
be iudcfensbe.
But Justice will have us answer as to how Mr..
Webster has lost the Wing capital which We
admit (hc should have used another word here
he once had. Be it 50, then, since he will hav,
it. We think Mr. w. has lost--to go no farther
hack-by remaining in John Tyler's Cabinet one
moment after the Ashburton Treaty was consum.
mated. Up to that moment there seemed be
high public reason, plausible, at least, to most OF
us, for his continuance He might then have re-
acting with the Wings openly abjurlng all alll-
ance or sympathy with Tylerism he would have
been welcomed to the arms aud restored to the
confidence of the only party with which he can
ever act honorably to himself or usefully to the
country Surely, there Were then reasons enough
why he should have hidden adcu to the White
House and shaken off the dust from his feet
His great work as Secretary of State had been
accomplished. There was no longer any obvious
public necessity for his remaining in the Cabinet
Not shadow of hope remained of reconcilia.
ton between John Tyler and the party he had de-
serted; since he had long since begun to pro
scribe public officers for the crime of answering
fidelity to the principles on which he was elected,
appointing tho btterest LocoFocos in their places
and his house-organ, the Madisonian, edited by q
puppet in the habit Of daily intercourse with him.
had repeatedly proclaimed that he tyler was a
genuine down-witf-the. Bank Democrat, and
aerer had been Wig Yet Mr.. Webster chose
TO remain year longer in ofiice-chose TO make