The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-02

Reverdy Jehnson's Tribute 70 MIR. Webster.
The following are the remarks Of the Hon.
REvERpY JOHNSON, of MARYLAND made in the
Superior Court at Baltimore on the 10th
instant, on the occasion of Mr.. WEBSTER s
death. ...
When the Court opened, Mr.. JOHNSON rose
and addressed it as follows:
MAY 1T PLEASE YoUR HoNoR: Before you pro-
coed with the ordinary business oil the Court, Deg
leave to make n request in behalf OF the Bar.
The sad event which induced your adjournment
of yesterday fell heavily our hearts, and the
deceased was SO connected with our profession,
and had for 30 many years adorned and elevated
It, that we had q melancholy pleasure in meeting
together to express our admiration ot DANIEL
WEBsrER-to mingle our tears with those OF the
nation. and to bear some especial testimony OF our
sense of the great loss his death is TO us as class,
and our appreciation of the many iliust' atoms his
professional career has given OF the tendency of
the law. when properly studied and comprehended,
to enlarge the sphere of individual, POLITICAL and
national justice. The result of the meeting will be
found in the resolutions which hold in my hand.
My immediate purpose is to ask that they be placed
the files of the Court, as permanent record oil
the sentiments which influence
But before do this, ask permission to trcspass
few moments on your indulgence DANIEL
WEBsTER is dead. Although anticipated for q few
days, the public heart was not able to bear the
calamity. 1t fell for moment under the shock
II was literally stunned by the blow No man
was heard to speak; no man Was seen who did not
indicate the Deep narrowing sensibility to great
irrepa rabe public loss Why was this? Mr. WEE
srEa had ever lived in comparatively defiant
State, and there he had died. He with US in
person but occasionally, and then only for brief
periods. His social relations had embraced but q
lew of our citizens--his intellectual powers had
never been fully displayed amongst us. Why then
the universal and sincere grief ut the Intelligence
that son the Gath of October all that mortal ui
Daniel Webster was no morc?" The answer is in
| every heart
His spirit had no local limts-his counsels had
local objects. His vision from the first and eyer
was co-cxtensive with the EXTREMIST confines Of
his country, and even reached with an anxious
gaze beyond, and wherever there appeared the
| semblance of hope that freedom could find a
| home. He was, it is true, of New Hampshire by
| birth, and of Massachusetts by adoption; but his
heart, its duty, was vcrywherc throug bout
the Union beating with rapture at all the mnnifes
| tations of its true glory and power, and sharing
with his mighty intellect in those numerous and
brilliant and almost superhuman efforts to display
it's value to people, and to the cause of free
dom throughout the world, and perpetuate its ex-
istencc. The indulgence you are kind enough 70
extend to me would be abused if attempted to re
capituate the many occasions in his public life in
|
| To two of these, however, may be pardoned for
particularly adverting--the speech in reply to
Mr.. Hayne, made in the Senate OF the United
States the 2st of july $780, and that of the 7th
| of March, 1850, in the same body, on the slavery
question. Whilst these models Of puriamen-
tary eloquencewhils in that particular the history
of human spoken thought may be searched in vain
for single effort surprising the first, and the illus
tations of pure and enlarged patriotism which
man has ever furnished do not that regard trans
ccnd either it ia the broad national spirit the per
feet love of American liberty. as rested and
| secured by Union, under the Constitut ton our
fathers gave Us, that renders the name of DANIEL
| WEBSTER dear to the American mind 1t is not
| too much to say that the dangerous and almost
fatal heresy of notification was 90 triumphantly
met and subdued by the first Of these efforts, tina
it has since ventured. in itS original form, to
make it's appearance. It's chivalrous champion fell
before the blow, and his cause fell with him never
again TO revive. What might have been the fate
OF the country but for THU. triumph. no man can
certainly tell. But we do know that dreaded posi-
BILE future avered by it, and that then and al
ways has the nation acknowledged the deep debt OF
gratitude owed for the result. On the other occa
sion, the 7th March, 1850, a like danger, though
| from a different cause, was impending The South
believed her peculiar institution Of domestic servi
tude to be threatened by their brethren of the free
States. They thought their constitutional rights
were about to be violated. They believed that it
was the purpose to degrade them in the eyes of he
world, by denying to them their absolute equality
under the Constitution with the rest of the Union
sensitive people, alive to their State and individ-
| ual honor, and with a courage which never fatcr-
ed, it became evident that rupture inevita
Bile, and one which must in the end terminate our
| existence as one nation, unless the cause which
produced it could be speedily and permanently OBJ
waited. Whether this could have been accom-
| plished by other measures than those which were
finally adopted, there may be differences of opiu
ion but it is due to truth to say that no man then
living contributed to the happy result of that
struggle-to the removal OF the dangerous sectional
agitation with which the whole land was then
heaving, and to the restoration Of fraternal har-
mony, and Of peace, prosperity, and power, which
now makes US SO absolutely happy at home, and
| 80 valued abroad, than Daniel Webster.
In this second instance, too. of his great and in
valuable services unlike the first, he had to render
them at the certain temporary sacrlhce OF his popu
| arity at his more immediate home But he
the danger, and came to the rescue, regardless of
personal consequences. II, instead OF believing
perhaps, as he had right to believe, from his
knowledge of the substantial patriot. Of his con-
stituents, that that sacrifice would be but for a
time, he had thought that it would be forever, he
| would not, am sure, have hesiated to make it.
His entire public life manifested but master
spirit teaching decided attachment to the whole
country, and the dedication Of all his mighty pow =
| ers to rendering US happy and powerful at home,
| respected and influential abroad, and. az far as
human m cans could accomplish it, to making our
Liberty and Union, Ithenl and forever, one and
| insepara ble."
Whatever differences may exist as to the mea
sures of public policy which he from time to ine
tions of the Constitution OF the General Govern
| ment, think that now, when bis lie is ended, and
| the excitement of political warfare as to him is
forever hushed, his countrymen will never be
found to question the motives OF hs public con
duct, but unhesitatingly believe his own declara-
ton, made in the Senate on the 22d Of March,
1928, in reply to another great man, Mr. Calhoun,
and to an imputed charge of a want of patriotism,
that "errors of opinion can be found, doubtless,
on many subjects, but as conduct flows from the
feelings which animate the heart, know that no
act of my life has had its origin in the want of
dent love of country" or that they will ever
doubt that he had ample warrant for the bold con-
| seriousness of his ability triumphantly to meet it,
when. on the same occasion, he proudly asserted
his "demand for any charge, any accusation, any
allegation whatever, that throws me behind the
honorable gentleman, or behind any other man
IN honor. in fidelity, in dspoted lone 10 that country
| in which was born, which has honored me, and
which serve"
As have mentioned this contest IL is due to both
those gr eat men to add. within my own know
ledge, derived from each, that for many years after
this and other conflicts they cheerfully and warm
ly bore testimony to the perfect patriotism Of each
other.
But To ia of the Bar our ma rticipa ton in the