Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-10-28
From the National Infeliigeneer.
Death of Daniel Webster.


The emblems of wo which shroud our columns
to-day will announce to our readers National
Calamity The sad event has fallen upon us
which the tdngs for the last few days had render
ed but too certain was soon TO strike the Natohai
| heart with SORROW.
| DANIEL WEBSTER breathed his last at Marshfeld
yesterday morning, at three o'clock. Thus, one
after another in rapid succession, the great ghts
of our country and of the world pass away. Less
than four short months ago his great Compeer CLAY
descended to the tomb, and already the greatest OF
surviving Americans takes his place also in the
1icatacombs of time" What can we say of this
national calamity Which every bosom does not feel
The rupnred ties of friendship and personal afiec-
ton might add their private grief; but these could
| not swell the tide of public sorrow, nor could we
| presume TO attempt thus suddenly to ojushce to
the life and character Of the illustrious dead
That duty must be left to a more fitting occasion
| and to ADLER hands. n rrf-...F
More appropriate than any thing which we could
| pen, we add the closing remarks of the Sermon
| pronounced yesterday 10y one of our most eloquent
diviness-the melancholy news having reached
the city little before the hour OF morning service
| in our churches. The sermon was on the subject
of Death, and from this text of the goth PSALM
awe spend our years as tale that is told" Alter
an impressive discourse on the solemn theme' the
Preacher paused, and then resumed as fol ows:
| 'My friends, you all understand why nave
chosen for the subject of this mornings meditation
the most solemn event that can address itselt TO
mortal Misunderstanding hour, the crises Oh our
departure from this life. This morning brought US
| tidings of such an event. 1t occupies the whole
putlc mind: we feel that it is no ordinary event.
From high place in this Government-trom a
place still higher in the estimation oil his country
nen-from the highest place, suppose on this
continent, in intellectual power great man mas
passed away. He is gone! he is gone! How dill
icult, how almost impossible, to realize 1t! He
was so with us and OF us; he was so part oil tins
nation and of this nations life and history thai the
very world, this American world, feeis shock III
ttnof tn = Ia nnnfz -
DASIEL WEBsrEn is dead That vast space which
he occupied is darkened; that great and majestic
presence has passe: away!
| .sYou mourn for him. There are friends OF his
here whose hearts are stricken ioI ms loss. IL IL
not q great man only that you have lost, but man
YOU loved, His was not majestic presence only,
but to those who knew him WELL presence the
most winning. No conversation perhaps was evei
mere captivating than his in his hours of ease and
unbendIng from brooding thought and weightI
care | think never saw the cloud OF brow sc
dark at times, beam forth Sweeter smile.
Gam saving that he had no faults Ii he had
let the pail of Death cover them to-day But Of
what mortal man shall that be SAID fet TINS
say that those who imagined that i'll the majestic
proportions OF his nature. the heart had no place
have utterly misconceived him. And this, too,
say that, in the moral judgements which his poilt'
ical opponents were accustomed to pass upon ms
daily life, no man, am thoroughly conVihced' was
ever more misTepreSented.
"But it is not my part to pronounce his eulogy.
That belongs 10 Others. This country, indeed, to
which his life was devoted-ths country, in its
whole length and breadth, bears his eulogy. The
name of DANIEL. WEBSTER will be known and eel
ebrated as long as this nation shall endure.
al am reminded in this connexion OF what one
of his great compeers in political HE (Mr CAL
nouN) once said in conversation upon the question,
"What is the highest human greatnessF IVY ha'
is the greatest action that man can perform r.
He said it was this: for man to speak, IN dill
cult and perlous national emergency, THE GREAT
WORD, that should give guidance and dehverance
to his people. For tsaid he) ii implies the largest
know ledge OF the past, the cearest foresight oil the
future, and the fullest comprehension OF the pres,
ent. Mr.. Webster, more than once, spoke that
WORD. 1t was given to him in perilous emergen-
cies to stand by the Constitution and Union OF his
country, with sage wisdom and giant strength.
"And many other words did he speak, IN the
Senate and the Forum, which the world "will not
let die" 1t is most fortunate that among the last
cares of his life the collection, under ms eye
of his speeches into volumes, which are destined 10
be read marked, and noted as long as there Is an
American or Englishman to read any thing.
"But he is gone! All our thoughts OF him now
yield to that thought-he is gone! The voice is
silent; the eye is quenched; the brow that awel
the world is but cold, dead. senseless clay. Oh
Life how art thou but q tale that is told +! we
say few woids in memoriain I; we take our last
look or feel that the last look is taken we shed
| some snatural tears and all is over.
"Oh! in the infinite realm Of the unseen lie
there is place for all souls. What awaits them
there is not decided tby what we say here We
bow before the infinite wisdom OF God. 10 his IN
finite care and mercy commit the dead, and we
commend the living: commit the dead, who is
gone, and we commend the living, who mourn fol
| him. ..
eyes, we commit, we yield him up TO Gods be-
hest: it is all over the last struggle is past; the
struggle the stfe, the anxiety, the pain, the tur-
MOL of life is OVER the tale is told, and finished
and ended. 1t is told and done; and the seal o
death is set upon it. Henceforh that great life
marked at every step; chroncled in Journals wait
cd on by crowds; told to the whole country by tee'
graphic tongues of fame-that great life shall bt
but history, biography, tale told in an evening
tent In the tents of life it shall long be recited
but no word shall reach the of that dread sleep
er by the ocean shore. Fifty will he rest there
Like the granite rock, like the heavHg ocean, wa:
his mind Lettlc rock guard his rest: let the ocear
sound his diIge
Ny respected hearers and friends, | have SAT-
these few words on the sad occasion that presses
upon your minds this morning. l could rot sa,
less of such an one, who is lost to us-of such al
one, who has dweit among you as nelghbor, {
FRIEND and fellow-aborer in the cares OF Govern
ment. 1t would not become me to offer you admo
milton, counsel, or consolation. Your own minds
will do this for you better than can. May God II
his goodness grant that the of this visitation
may be as great as the event is signal and solemn!
sThe Rev. ORvILLE DEWEY.
| NEw DopGE.-The New Orleans Crescent City says