The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-11-05
tfF From .!!hhe New-Y,erk Commercial Advertiser.
Daniel Webster.


l'usal of a letter written bY>Mr. Web
ster TO an Intimate friend in this city,
\ dated Franklin, May B.. ls4G, from
which we make tho extract bSsv, and
& which we are sure will be rca&at this
time With uhhshal interests:
4 have made satisfactory arrange
smcnts respecting my house here, the
best of which is that can leave it
@hefe it is, apd yet be comfortable,
s notwithstanding the railroad.
& This house faces due north. It's
Front windows look toward the river
Il Merrimack. But then the river soon
turns to the south, SO that the eastern
windows look toward the river also.
b But the river has so deepencd it's chan
mel in this stretch of it, in the last fifty
years, that we cannot see its waters
without approaching it or going back
to the higher lands behind us. The
history Of this change is of considcra-
bic importance in the philosophy of
streams. ! have observed it practical
~, and know something of the theory
of the phenomenon; but doubt wheth-
erthe world will ever be benefited
either by my learning or my obscrva-
stiop ii. this respect:
Looking oiuit at the cast windows,
at this moment, e p m. with beau
tiful sun just breaking out, my eye
sweeps rich and level field of one
hundred acres. At the end of it, a
third ofa mile off, see plain marble
gravc-stoilcs, designating the places
where repose my father, my mother,
my brother Joseph, and my sisters
I. Mehitable, Abigail and Sarah; good
Scripture names, inherited from their
Puritan ancestors.
My father Ebenezer Webster
born at Kingston, in the lower part Of
the State, in l730-thc handsomcst
man ever saw, except my brother
Ezekiel, who appeared to me, and SO
does he now seem to me, the very fin
est human form that ever | laid eyes
iS on. saw him in his coffin--a white
forehead-a tinged cheeky complex
ion as elear DO heavenly lighll-- But,
where am / straying2
rFheagraxe, has closed upon him, as
it has on all my brothers and sisters.
We shall soon be all together. But
this is melancholy-and leave it
Dear, dear kindred blood, how love
you all.
This fair field is before mel
could see lamb on any part of it,
have plonghed it, and raked it, and ho-
cd it, but never moved it. Some.
how, could never learn to hang o
sycthe! had not wit enough. MY
brother Joe used to say that my faith
er sent me to college in order to make
me equal to the rest Of the children!
sOf hot day in July-it must
have been one Of the last years of
Washington's administration, | was
making hay with my father just where
| now see remaining elm tree, about
the middle Of the afternoon. The
Hon. Abiel Foster, M. c., who lived
in Canterbury, six miles of, called at
the house, and came into the field to
sec my father. He was worthy
man, college learned, and had been a
minister, but was not a person of any
considerable natural powers. NV
father was his friend and supportcr-
lie talked while in the field, and
went on his way. When he was
gone, my father called me to him. and
We sat down beneath the elm tree, ON
hay-cock. lie said, Ny son, that is
a worthy man--he is member of
Congress-he G cs to PHILADELPHIA.
and gets six dollars a day, while | toll
here. 1t is because he had an cduca-
ton, which never had. fl had had
his early education, should have
been in Philadelphia in his place. |
came near it, as it was.--Dut missed
it, and,now must work here sMv
dear father said l. you shall not
work.-Brother and will work for
yom, and wear our hands out, and YOU
shall rest;' and ! remember to have
cried; and cry now at the rccolIcc.
tion.-'My cbild,' said he, it is of no
importance to me; now live but for
my children; could not give your cl-
der brother the advantages of knowl-
edge, but can do something for you.
Exert yourself-improve your oppor-
tunities- -learn-leurn-and when
ann gone you will not need to 90
through the hardships which have un-
dergone, and which have made me an
old man before my time
The next May he took me to Exc.
ter, to the Philips Exeter Academy
placed me under the tuition of its ey..
eellent pfeceptor, DR.. Benjamin Ab-
bott, still living.
MY father died in April, 1906. |
neither left him, nor forsook him
MY opening an office at Busc )wan was
that might be near him. closed his
eyes in this very house. He died at
sixty. seven years Of agc-aftcr life
OF exertion, toll, and exposurc-a pri-
vate soldier, an officer, legislator, a
Judgc--every thing that man could be.
70 whom learning never had disclosed
her ample page
My-tlrst speech at the bar was {
made when he was on the bench --bo ,