The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-02-12

The Offices and provinces he has filled, than the O.
would expect HIM TO be In a higher post. W. ,ere
sident, there ere ten who would vote for ~. q.
Secretary of State, Chief Justice of T TTn;eS
States In fact, if am understood, wou,d saw
he Is too great aman IN one sense 90 be President
have TO ADOPT the policy OF tn CsTanars GoIleoe
and elect small man, u AT he nracss ~ ~.
church, and the kitchen cabinets OF The day' nav
nase sach % f pas " sit on, and each be
Gen Harrison, n.y. An n v small way. In this way
SsiaI az s'' .esman,) and Mr.. Polk, elected,
snd Soih .dincy Adams, with Monroe, perhaps;
LOT we Ave really had but three great Presidents
meS Al the greatest men of their tmes-viz.: Wash
NIXON, Jefferson and Jackson Clay friends have
med for thirty years TO place him in this category;
and 1t is confessed on all sides that he could fill
the post as well as any OF his predecessors And
so with Mr. Webster. But sfter all, who really
feels deeply anxious to have Webster elected HIS
personal friends
Some things lie in the way of Webster's cleo
ton besides his colossal Intellectual power. He
has the odor OF old federalism about him. This Is
not much now, it is true; for even Buchanan once
said if he had drop of democratic blood in his
veins he would open his arm and let it out; and
yet Buchanan Is thought to be pretty good demo-
crat now. But, for most of his life, Webster has
been a local mana New England statesman;
chiefly eloquent about pilgrims, and banks, and
high tariff IL was only at the last session that he
came out bold and clear on the broad platform OF
the nation, the whole nation, and nothing but the
nation. He threw Massachusetts, overheard, and
embraced the entire republic. He ceased to be
seclional-he became national man. Now he oc-
cupies very high positlon-mordlly still more
grand than politically. But after all, he does not
excite popular enthusiasm; he is not familiar, warm,
genial, attractive or Winning The people do not
personally attached TO HIM, as they did to jack
son or Taylor He raises no shout where he goes;
his name excites no enthusiasm. His words, like
his form and brain, are massive, grand, im ressve,
to line minds. But they do not qulck ken the pulses
nf no ms Ia dn not fool al
though they could get near him; nobody dares ap-
proach the sleeping lion but those who sleep in his
cage; He is colo, dark, chilling, forbidding.
All this is bad for Webster. And there is more
IN it, toe than his friends generally think of. His
heart has not been with the multitude in their
synpathies nor with the ma ton in its progress lie
has spent most of his lie in trying to stop the l.
vancemebt of the republic. He fought like Her.
cules against the admission of Texas-he welded
his arm like a Titan to embarrass the Mexican
war He has battled free trade at every step. He
is more than half an Enelishman, too, Ia every
thing else. His general type of political character
has not been American enough; aud when II has
been American enough, il has been New England.
he has generally treated the republic in its vrllty
like child in swaddliDg clothes. In word, he
has never stirred the heart of the people, except
during the last year, and then only because IN the
assaults on the republic he rushed in to NIL the
breach. But others were there before him, and
fought just as bravelv, side by side. This dstinc-
ton, too will almost cease to be one, for the
storm has passed. the danger, at least for the pre-
sent, Is overall good men did well aud nobly, aud
they divide the honor together Their heads are
all green with laurels. The country loves Fill
more, Webster, Clay, Cass, Houston, Foote, Dick
nson, and all who helped sustain the republic
while she was Keeling TO the shock of dissolution.
Webster was only one of this noble company. This,
alone. cannot make him President What else he
has to rely on, we have already considered. II is
my opinion that Mr.. Webster's chances are not
very bright; for the man who, in my judgment, is
to be our next President, will be either a small
mediocre state sman, who can be overshadowed by
his cabinet, or lion hearted, independent man,
whose name will stir the blood of the millions on
the shores of both oceans at once, like the blast of
tAe bugle. Which shall it be, and who is the
man! Webster will be likely to lose it, because
he is neither the one nor the other.