The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-03

derstand of course, that the annual and forma
ssPilprim Dinner" takes place in December and
celebrates the Landing, and that this was "a more
| informal gathering, avowedly 10 celebrate the En-
baykation. The real object probably to mee
MIR. Webster over the Pilgrim theme-hs Congress
sional duties preventing him from attendance here
in the winter Mr. Winthrop's presence was Sc
cured by the same arrangement, and that of other
eminent New Englanders in Congress. Easier ac-
cess 10 the place IN summer, and the chance OF tnd
ing agreeable guests among the dstin guished stran
gers from the South in the travelling season, were
| additional reasons for establishing biennial din.
ner; and indeed this celebration seems likely be-
| come the more important of the two.
There were a hundred present, principally Sin
| iuental Bostonians" You know Boston vel
| enough to understand how this would differ from
| company of influential New Workers. They were
mostly rich men, but they were ''smart men, also
mot a rich fool, nor mere literary man among
them; Tor either disproporton of brains to the
| pocket, they have very little respect in Boston A
| more keen, sagacious set of physiognomes were
never collected about table, and II was impossible
not 10 recognise even in their looks, the cool in
evitableness and brcadthy calculation which makes
| Boston enterprise both more liberal and certain
| than one from any other capital in country.
| Among the invited guests were Mr. Mercer the
| wealthy planter from Louisiana; Gov. Woodbury.,
of New Hampshire; President Maryland, of Brown
| University; Edward Everett, and Mr.. Midway a
| grandson Of Lord Ashburton ] shall not have in
formed you of all the distinguished presenccs,'
however, without mentioning that, at double win
hall like bandbox at the opera, seated
raj of the more charming descendants of the Pill
! grims, and among them Mrs. Bancroft, (wife of
| the late Minister TO England whom the younger
Quincy, in his speech, took occasion To compliment
very gracefully upon her feicitous representation
of the ladies Of the Pilgrim stock at the proudest
court of Europe Perhaps it would interest our fe-
male readers TO add that the elder Quincy, who was
also present, made speech in which he tartly
W.s,er .1 f. isiPel orators to order they {Mr
he
the pilgrim tore-m0thers, without whose assistance,
he thought, the landings down to from Ply
mouth would have been very dstressingly inter
rupted.
Mr.. Webster was already in the reception room
the arrival of the special train which brought the
guests from Boston, and he made his greetings TO
his friends as they came in, like the natures mon
arch that he is, with an uncontrived and unoppres
sive dignity and simplicity. He was suffering from
annual affection to which he is subject in the
shape of what is called in England the ebay fever
sort of catarrh which comes TO some persons with
each years infusion of the aroma of new-cut grass
into the atmosphere. Ii had evidently Frustrated
his usual health and spirits and when not convers-
ing he looked scarcely in fit condition even for
silent presence at a festivity.
At the announcement of dinner, Mr.. Webster,
who TO fill % the chair took the of
rable clergyman of Plymouth who has occupied the
same pulpit for fifty years, and seated himself at
the cross-table between this gentleman and DR..
Maryland. Two long tables extended down the
large dining hall of the hotel and at the upper
trcmity of one, Mr.. Everett was peninsuated by
Mr.. Mildmay, and near the upper end of the other
sat Mr.. Winthrop these two the principal orator.
cal reliances of the occasion. The witty and life
enjoying Judge Warren (the most agreeable man
for eminent one that the maturing succession TO
| the Webster epoch has TO show had the manage
ment OF the dinner arrangements, and he was well
appointed, no less for his ready Judgment and
courtesy than being President of the Pilgrim
Society" and the best descended man in New
England-having in his genealogical tree six of
the best known names among the company of the
Mayfower.
think have now drawn in the outline of the
with sufficient dstinctnessaccessory as eve
ry thing seemed and was, 20 the principal person
age in the picture. Mr. Webster arose when the
cloth was removed; and, IN his primitive and sim
pie diction opened the historic purpose of the cee-
bration He illustrated the event Of the embarka-
ton most aptly and impressivey, painter illus
trates historical group, by giving the scenery
around it, He drew the moral sky and atmosphere
amid which the Pilgrims resolved upon their voy-
age-sketching the great men of that period: Shak-
speare, Milton, Bacon, and others, with their
tcmporaneous intellectual momenta, In a strain of
narrative eloquence that, quiet as was, showed the
great master He then outlined the progress of the
principles of the Pilgrims, and, by easy transition,
passed thence 70 the extension of the Republic
power and limits. With a reservation as To his
concurrence in the gray amer srasP that we have
taken, of territory South and West, he expressed,
| IN an outbreak OF most glowing and overpowering
eloquence, his feeling 20 liberal ge and prompt
I
with our banner. CHANGING at relative position
! toward the governments of Europe, he spoke OF
| Hungary and It's downfall, giving that unhappy
] country his complete sympathy, and mourned over
its prostration, with the language, and certainly
with the look Of prophet whose spirit was dark
ened though Nc still expressed confidence that the
| liberty painted for abroad could not long be kept
under The probable and possible future of our own
country, and the needful extension Of the Pilgrim
principles through its rcmotest limit Of space and
time, formed the theme Of the great orators impas
stoned conclusion.
These were the topics upon which Mr. Webster
had come prepared To express himself; but he was
once twice again upon his feet during the even
| ing; and, in taking his leave, he made a parting
address that was Of different tenor and nodula-
ton. Unable, from illness, Join in the convivi-
aty Of the evening, he was, possibly, saddened by
mirth with which his spirits could not keep pace:
| and at the same time, surrounded by those who
had met there from love 10 him, and whose pride
and idol he had always been, his kndest and warm
est feelings uppernost, and his heart alone
WIZ in what he had 70 say. His afectionate attach
Tnent To New England was the leading sentiment;
but, through his illusions o his advancing age,
and present Illness there recognizable a wish
/ 10 say what he might wish 20 have said should he
| never again be 20 surrounded and listened TO- Ii
was the most beautiful example Of manly and re-
strained Pathos, u seemed TO me, Of which language
| and looks could BE- capable No one who heard il
could doubt the existence Of deep well Of tears un-
der that lofty temple Of intellect and power.
Sickness, like low tide, shows the true depths and
shadows OF the harDOr OF expression in face and
looked long and earnestly at the noble invalid
| both a. be sat and be spoke 10 see if possible
| where his tide channels lay, and where III ever.
buOyant greatness had at least come nearest Ia
| running aground. He really ill-much thin
! ner than bad ever seen him, and 20 deblitated
that, in his least emphatic sentences the more diff
fhcult words failed Of complete uiterancc. With.
out color, WITHOUT the excitement Of high spirits
| fallen away in flesh, and evidently completely un.
conscious Of the observation of those around n,
I was there without the advantages of an ordinary
public appearance himself, and at the ebb Som.
bre the lines are, unlighted with health or i'm.
pulsc-th eyes 30 caNernOus and dark the eyelids
80 liyid, eyebrows 20 heavy and black and the fea
lures 80 bsbtualy Rrave-it il a face of strong AZ
4 iectiOns, genial, and foreign 20 all unkindness
There u not trace in IL where pettiness or peev.
| ishne-5 could lodge, and no means in IL sallou
muscles ior the expression OF intellectual little
ness or perversiOn. IL il all broad--all majestic
all expansive and generous. The darkness i'm il j.
the shadow OF Salvador Rosa, a heiQhteninp o
grandeur without injury 10 the clearness IL IL easy
TO imagine, looking at his ponderous forehead alone
how Webster might have been ill., balanced with 4
little difference OF nature. Les physically power
iul, with les strong affections be TniQh
have been intellectual man, without states.
mans deep ploughing propulsion, or without
practical mans appreciation Of the common place