Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1851-07-16
A Distinction with n difference.

In reply to an attempt of the Boston Advertiser TO
ken Horace Mann's obligations TO the late Edmund
Dwight to those incurred 10y Mr. Webster on accept
ing the office of Secretary of State, the editor OF the
Commonwealth thus forcibly puts MIR. Webster and
his champions to the wall. On the WHOLE the less
his friends say in defence Of this side Of Mr. Web
sters public life, the better it will be for all parties
N Y. Post.
"Ofall the newspapers in Boston, surely the edit
or of the advertiser should have been the last TO
against The receiUers Of subscriptions. He certainly
has had calls to fear the gltbringers nor has he
done But since he has thus shown himself of
fcious to criticse and allows himself personally to
mpute bad motives to the receivers of subscriptions
we do not think that we should allow the modesty
which would forbid Mr.. Mann from making compar
sons of personal nature to restrain us from doing
"Let us then distinguish. And here we have the
hpeasant duty to do this ngiustretion of the high
honor and good faith of the advertiser well as of
Mr.. Mann.
"Mr. Mann received contributions for the special
purpose of expanding them In aid Of the cause of
education. This matter was in compliment to him.,
investigated by Legislative Committee, who TO his
honor reported that his disbursements had been made
judciously aud for the purpose for which they were
intended, and that they exceeded his receipts.
"Mr. Hale, whose newspaper had long been mark
ed for responsibility and good taste, met with unfor-
tunate losses in speculative business. The contri-
buttons OF his friends became to him matter OF
cessity and salvation. They did not hesitate. They
came nDerally forward III manner That dld honOr
to themselves and to him whom they protected.
Years afterwards, without any demand made, Mr..
Hale fully accounted for and repaid the whole
he had received, with interest
"Alr Webster has had professional income, sta
ted by his friends in the newspapers see Ne,p York
Erpress at twenty-five thousand dollars per annum,
aud is known 10 have received ut time hun
dred thousand dollars for his professional services in
the recovery of the Spanish claims lie, too has
ceiyed contributions. More than tco hundred thou
Iate
manufacturers and merchants of Boston, in gratitude
for his tariff labars in years gone by. in addition
this, about five years since, these same gentlemen
finding it quite impossible, even with the largest do
tation, to place in comfortable circumstances their
friend, neither rich nor bachelor, actually raised n
fund of fly thousand dollars lit was to have been
double that amount, but New York did not answer
to the call expected) and that it might not be
wasted, as former contributions had bccn they pluc-
cd it in the hands of trustees, who now hold il and
pay the income for the benefit of Mr. Webster dn.
ring his life, the capital fund to go to his family al:
ter his death. Finally, after the famous diplomatic
/ Haven correspondence of last summer, in which ev-
erybody could see "a wink good nod,' foriy-
sir thousand dollars raised in Boston and New
York, and paid to Mr.. Webster.
"And here indeed, we must stop. The Webster
contribution is unlike the Mann contribution is
unlike the Hale contribution, in this that there is
but one side to the account it. There receipts
but no disbursements There is DEBTOR, but nc
CREDITOR. This comparison is none Of our seeking
1t is imprudently made by Mr.. Websers friends and
h he n maad 9 p Rx sseem we mr." '' to '''" '' "
"But there is conclusion TO be drawn from al
this. Hear this We farmers the hill tops of Wor
cester and Berkshire, that ahoriously toll and frugal
ly live and some thanks TO Horace Mann for this
can educate your children much better than you
were yourselves instructed hear this We fishermen
the barren shores of Nantucket and the Vineyard
who painfully draw your subsistence from the deer
hear this that Daniel Webster, neither ricl
nor bachelor cannot afford to he Secretary of State
with salary of sir thousand dollars per year. ant
three thousand dollars per year from the fund that W,
have mentioned! And then, when you have consid
cred this thriving management Of private affairs,
fleet upon the advantages of such mans being call
ed upon TO administer the business of the nation
Subscribe if you can, vote if you can, for the maj
who, on the 9TH of March, 1850, first led the way
possibility of passing the Fugitive Slave Law"