Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-07-02
tFRoM THE NORTH AMERICANA
MR. WEBSTER AND C. l. INCERSOJJ

We congratulate the country that one of the
brightest names in her annals has been rescued
from the stain, with which reckless and ruthless
calumniator sought to obscure it. Mr. Webster has
passed through the furnace, and comes forth I'M
scathed. Not blot, not suspicion, nor the sha-
dow OF one, is left upon his fair fame. But how is
1t with his unhappy accuser2
Occasions may arise when it is necessary that
lofty and lusrous name should be blotted from its
armament; but a good man, even then, will mourn
over the sacrifice. There is beauty i'm fair and
exalted fame. towards which generous nature.
one capable Of approaching the grand and beautiful
In human character, is irresistibly drawn and de-
lights in. And the feeling is not wholly unselfsh.
There is no peculiar property in the light OF the
stars; they are yours, mine, and all mems. The
glory of those minds which have been kindled by
the same hand that lit the stars is, i'm like manner
common to all and those who love that glory can
not bless the nosome fog of the fen that rises to OBJ
scure it. And this is especially true of the reputa-
ton of the patriot it belongs to his country. The
pyramid Of fame which has been raised, rock by
rock, till it towers TO that height where the day is
longest, is the country's and will be when the gi-
gantlc process of its erection is mystery. The
true patriot claims his heritage in all and woe to
him who assails it!
There are, however, men SO miscreated tina. light
is darkness to them. They hate high regulations
they burrow through history to discover its tainted
parts and, like worms in the dead, revel in that at
which better natures shudder Such men have no
eye for the sun except to discover its spots; they
hate what others cherish, and delight in all that
disgusts. Such nature is sketched by Spencer:
..And next to him malicious envy rode
Upon a ravcnous wolf, and still did chaw
Between his cankcrcd teeth venemous toad
That all the poison about his jaw
But inwardly he chawed his own nav
At neighbours wealth that made him sad
For death it was when any good he saw;
And wcpt, that cause Of weeping none he had;
And when he heard Of harm he waxed wond glad
1t was in this spir! that Daniel Webster, whose
Titanic intellect had made him the wonder of a
third OF century, and Of whom all parties were
proud-was assailed and illuminated. The charges
were of a character the most infamous: and had
they been true he would have ''failen into pit Of
ink" They were made in the most solemn man
ner, and before the most august tribunal. They
were advanced at peculiar period when all the
patriots OF the land were engrossed by anxieties
arising from the crisis, one alone was found eager
for the lofty luxury OF SANDER hunting And for
what purpose that will bear the light was all this
done? Nothing now or hereafter was promised or
possible 1t bore upon no pending question; and
sought end but the qualification of the hyena APP
petite for caluinny.
The first movement was an attack upon Mr.
Webster in relation to the Washington treaty, or.
as England terms it, the Ashburton captulaton
Mr. Webster had borne long and calmly the idle
calumnies which had been spread over the country
upon t!it SuLIeCt HIS dltdch Hliuc the wrong MS
counry's; the lion turned, and the assailant that
was nearest and barked the loudest, sprawled in
impotent and bowling rage, under his blow. Con-
victed OF magnty, meanness, falsehood and folly
trembling with fear and rage-the calumniator
lay like wounded snake, Kissing and splitting
venom.
There is an insanity of maIevolence. The at
tack was renewed in formal bill Of Indictment
And why2 For the generous qualification of the
same spirit that dug up the bones OF the patriot
cambridge, 10 hang them upon the gibbet of ca
lumny.
No one who knew Daniel Webster-who saw
his appreciation of the value of good name in the
years OF toll by which he had it, supposed that
he
Would give up the large space of those vast honors
For so much trash as may DC grasped thus.
Did his accuser could he, believe it or il he did,
where, out of his own bosom did he find the prece-
dent for such an estimate of human natnre2 The
nature of his testimony charactcriZes the accusation
The first step violation of official flith Sc
crets under the seal of honor broken open-papers
furtively obtained--and offences at which frank
dealing bushes, committed. to commence the war
upon the character of public man. If it began in
shame, has terminated in tenfold denser infamy.
Upon every accusation the committee have branded
Kissing hot, the stamp of malicious falsehood. The
confidence Of the good and the admiration of the
great are more than ever the property Of the ac-
cused every charge has broken, like a baffed wave,
upon the adamaut Of his fame. And his accuser-
"better had he ne'ci been born" than to have so
aimed his poisonous shaft that it has fallen back to
tester forever in his own reputation. The charge
was doubtless made in the expectation that the Sc
cret service fund would be subjected to inyes-
tigation, and the caumny would 90 forth Haunting
in the colors Of a false triumph. The scheme did
not lack the cunning of low malignity but who
else would have attempted thus to stab pnoned
victm--or one supposed TO be bound and defence
less? The effort has faied-the fame of Webster
still shines on, and will light his slandercrs to
Grind themselves dishonorabie graves"
Men are least in their own eyes, when God j.