The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-10-22
Daniel Webster.
BY CHARLES W. MARCH.


tne WlnteI faCdiiOnS, hept SOhOoib "P"y
the collegiate expenses Of his broltet as
well as his own. Being graduated IN
August, 1901, he Immediately entered
Mr.. Thompson's office in Salisbury, as
student Of law, and remained ill Jan
uary following. The res augusta DOM
seemed then 10 require that he should
90 somewhere and do something To earn
little money. An application was at
this time made to him from Fryeburg,
Maine, to take charge of school there.
lie accepted the offer, mounted his
ihorse. and commenced his labors on
reaching Fryeburg. HIS salary was
$3.50 per annum, all of which he saved;
as Inc made besides, sum sufficient TO
pay his board and other necessary ex>
penses, by acting as assistant to the
Register of deeds for the County, to
whose chrography there was the one OBJ
lection Of iIlegibil,y. The ache is not
yet out of his hngers-I have heard Mr..
Webster say-which so much writing
caused them.
In Fryeburg, he found also circula-
ting library which he ran through. Here
he borrowed and read for the first time
Blackstone's Commentaries. Among
other mental exercises, he committed to
memory Mr. Ames celebrated speech on
the British Treaty.
In September, 1902, he returned 10
Mr.. Thompson office, in which he re-
maned till February, 1904 Mr.. Thomp-
sou was an excellent man and a respec-
table lawyer; but he did not understand
how to make the study of the law either
agreeable or instructive. He put his
students to study after the old fashion,
that is, the hardest books first. Coke's
Liuleion was the book in those days up
Oh which pupils were broken in-which
is like teaching arithmetic by beginning
with dlfltrential calculus. " A boy Of
twenty" says Mr.. Webster, " with no
previous knowledge on such subjects
caunot understand Coke. 1t is folly 10
set him upon such an author. There
are propositions in Coke so abstract, and
distinctions SO nice, and doctrines en-
bracng so many qualifications that ii
requires an effort not only of mature
mind, but of a mind both strong and ma
tnre, to understand him. Why disgust
and discourage boy by telling him he
must break through into his profession
through such a wall as this p
Mr.. Webster soon laid aside Coke till
ga more convenient season." and, in the
meanwhile, took up other more plain,
easy, and Ineligible authors
While not engaged in the study oflhe
law. he occupied himself with the Latin
classics. lie added greatly to what ac-
QUESTIONS he had made in the language,
while in college, by reading Sallust,
Caesar, and Horace. Some odes of the
latter which he translated into English
were published.
But books were not at this time of hi:
life, as they never have been, Mr.. Web
sler's sole study. lie then was fond
aud has been through life, of the mani,
field fishing, shooting. and ri
ding These brought him into near com
munion with Nature and himself sup
Piled him with the material and oppor
tuuity for thought made him contem
plative, logical aud earnest. At sub
5 scquent period of his life, he found tha
the solitary rides he was wont TO indulg
in, afforded him many an edifying day
The great argument in the Dartmouth
College case was principally arranged il
tour he made from Boston TO Barnsta
:
( BILE and back. John Adams speech b,
t fore the Philadelphia Convention in '7t
"A was composed by Mr.. Webster, Will
r taking a drive in New England chais,
His fa'orlte sport of angling gave hil
many favorable opportunity for com
position. The address for Bunker Hi
. (for instance) was all planned out, eve
to many Of lis best passages, in Marsl
., pee Brook !" the author catching tro,
4 and celebrating sentences a, the san
4 time.
A like fondness for solitary rambl,
and sequestered sports, is said to ha'
characterized Canning, aud Burke wi
g found their fancies brighten and the
u philosophy invigorated by this seifcon
munion. With them. as with the r.
/ man Lawgiver, Egeria, avoiding crow,
k and busting life, was to be met with on
i. in solitude, So true is il that the inte
~ lectuOl man is never less alone than VIII,
:, alone that to him his mind a kingdo
- is, and his own thoughts his most agre
"a able and instructive companions.
al In July. 1904, Mr.. Webster went
he Boston. and after some unsuccessful a
ig plications elsewhere, obtained admissi,
as student in the Office of the Hc