The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-11-08
Webster at Plymouth Rock.

dinner recent! y given at Plymouth to
commemorate the 229th anniversary OF
the departure of the Pilgrims for the
New World We make the following
extracts:
3 had never Glanced to sit at table
with Mir. Webster, and | was very glad
of this opportunity to see him, for once,
with his armor off You Will under
stand, of course, that the annual and
formal Pilgrim Dinner, takes place in
December and celebrates the Landing,
and that this was a more informal gath
ering, avowedly to celebrate the EmbarL,-
alton. The real object probably was to
meet Mr.. Webster over the Pilgrim theme
his Congressional duties preventing
him from attendance here in the winter,
Mr.. WinthrOp's presence was secured
by the same arrangement, and that Of
other eminent New Englanders in Con-
gresS. Easier access to the place IN
summer. and The chance Of finding agree
able guests among the DISTINGUISHED
strangers from the South IN the travel
ling season, were additional reasons for
establishing a biennial dinner; and in
deed this celebration seems likely TO be-
come the more important of the two.
There were hundred present, prin-
cipally influential Bostonians You
know Boston well enough to understand
how this would ts4tlcr from company of
influential Newly orkers. They were
mostly rich men, but they were smart
men also--not rich fool, nor a mere
= literary man among them. FOR either
disproportion of brain to the pocket, they
have but very little respect in Boston,
4 more keen, sagacious set Of physiog-
monies were never collected about ia
BILE. and ii was impossible not to recog-
nize even in their looks, the cool inevita-
bleness and brcadthly calculation which
. makes a Boston enterprise both more lib
eral and certain than one from any 9TH
er capital III our country. Among the
invited guests were Mr.. Mercer, the
wealthy planter from Louisiana, Gov.
Woodbury. Of New Hampshire, Presi-
dent Wayland of Brown | University, Ed
ward Everett and Mr. Mildmay. grand
son of Lord Ashbulton | shall not
have informed YOU Of all the distinguish
ed presences,' however, without men
tioning that, at a double window which
opened from the dining-room to the hall
like bandboX at the opera, were seated
several of the more charming descend
ants of the Pilgrims, and among them
Mrs. Bancroft, wife of the late Minis
ter to England, whom the younger
Quincy, in his speech, took occasion to
compliment very gracefully upon her fe-
licitous representation Of the ladies of
the Pilgrim stock at the proudest court
of Europe. Perhaps it would interest
our female readers to add that the elder
Quincy, who was also present, made
speech in which he tartly called the prin-
cipal orators to order they (Mr. w ebster,
Mr.. Everett, and Mr.. Winthrop having
gloriied the Pilgrim fore fathers to the
exclusion of the Pilgrim fore-mothers,
without whose assistance, he thought,
the landings down to us from Plymouth
would have been very distressingly in
tcrrupted.
Mr.. Webster was already in the recep-
tion-room on the arrival of the special
train which brought the guests from
Boston, dressed with that courtly partic-
ularity which becomes him, and he made
his greetings to his friends as thew came
in, like the Natures monarch that he is,
with an uncontrived and unopprcssiye
dignity and simplicity. He was suffer
inc from an annual atiliction to which be
is subject, in the shape of what is called
in England the hay fever, sort of ca
tarrh which comes to some persons with
each years infusion of the aroma of
new-cut grass into the atmosphere It
had evidently Frustrated his usual health
and spirits, and when not conversing he
looked scarcely in a fit condition even
for silent presence at a fcstivity.
At the announcement of dinner, Mr..
| Webster, who was TO fill the chair, ,
took the arm of venerable clergyman
of Plymouth who has occupied the same
pulpit for fifty years, and seated himself
at the cross-table between this gentleman
and DR.. Wayland Two long tables en-
tended down the large dining-hall of the
hotel, and, at the upper extremity of one,
Mr.. Everett was peninsulated by Mr.
NIildmay, and near e'uPpcr end of the
other sat Mr.. Winthrop, these two the
principal oratorical reliances of the oc-
casion, The witty and hfe-enjoying
Judge Warren, (the most agreeable man
for SO eminent a one tat the maturing
succession to the Webster epoch has to
show, had the management of the din
ner arrangements, and he was well ap-
pointed, no less for his ready Judgment
and courtesy than as being President of
the Pilgrim Society," and the best de-
seconded man in New England--having,
in his genealogical tree, six of the best
known names among the company Of the
Mayflower.
I'think | have now drawn the outline
of the scene with sufficient distinctness-
accessory as everything seemed, and
was, to the principal parsonage in the
picture Mr.. Webster arose, when the
cloth was removed, and, in his primitive
and simple diction, opened the historic
purpose lof the celebration. He Illus
trated the event of the embarkation