The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-11-18

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thought proper to leave almost everything to
my discretion--as far as matters of taste are
concerned One thing only he cnjoined up
on me with an earncstness approaching to a
command. My friend" said he, wish
20 perpetuate no fcuds have lived a life
Of strenuous political warfare. / have some
times, though rarely, and thatin self defence,
been lead to speak Of others with severity
! beg YOU, where you can do it without
wholly changing the character Of the speech,
and thus doing essential Injustice to me, TO
oblitcrate every trace Of personality Of this
kind ] should prefer not to leave word
that would give unnecessary pain to any hon
est man, however opposed to me-
But need not tell you, fallow-citizens,
that there is no one of our distinguished
public men whose speeches contain less occa.
sion for such an Injunction. Mr.. Webster
habitually abstained from the use of the poi
soued weapons of personal invectivo or party
odium. No one could more studiously alb
stain from all attempts to make political op
poncnt personally hateful. If the character
Of our congressional discussions has Of late
years somewhat declined in dignity, no por-
ton of the blame lies at his door With
Mr. Calhoun, who for considerable portion
of the time was his chief antagonist, aud
with whom he was brought into most direct
collision, he maintained friendly personal re-
lations He did full justice to his talent and
character. You remember the feeling with
which he spoke Of him at the time OF his
deceosc. Mr.. Calhoun, in his turn, enter
taincda Just estimate of his great opponents
worth He said toward the close of his life,
thatof all the leading men Of the day, there
was not one whose political course had been
more strongly marked by strict regard to
truth and honor than Mr.. Webster's."
One of the resolutions speaks Of perma-
nent memorial to Mr.. Webster. l do not
know what is contemplated, but trust that
such a memorial there will be. trust that
marble and brass, in the hands of the most
skilful artists our country has produced, will
be put in requisition to reproduce to us-and
nowhere so appropriately as in this hall-the
ineaments of that noble form and beaming
countenanco Oh which we have so often gazed
with delight. But after all, fellow-citizens,
the noblcst monument must be found in his
works. There he will live and speak to us
and our children when brass and marble have
crumbled into dust AS repository of po-
ltical truth and practical wisdom, applied to
tie affairs of government, know not where
we shall find their equal. The works OF
Burke naturally suggest themselves to the
mind as the only writings in our language
that can sustain the comparison. Certainly
no compositions in the English tongue can
take precedence of those of Burke, in depth
of thought, reach of forecast, or magnifcence
of style. l think, however, it may be said
without Partially, either national or person.
al, that while the reader is cloyed at last
with the gorgeous finish of Burke's diction,
there is a severe simplicity and significant
plainness in Wcbster's writing that never
tire It'll precisely this which characteristics
the statesman in distinction from the politi-
cal philosopher. In political disquisition,
elaborated in the closet, the palm must per
haps be awarded to Burke over all others,
ancient or modern But in the actual con-
Aicts of the Scnatc-man against man and
opinion against opinion-in the noble war of
debate, where measures are to be sustained
and opposed on which the welfare of the
country and the peace of the world depend
where often the line of intellectual battle
IS changed in n mOment-nO time TO reflect,
no leisure to Gull words or gather up illustra-
tions, but all to be decided by a vote, altho'
the reputation Of a life may be at stake-all
this is a very different matter, and here Mr..
Webster was immeasurably the superior
Accordingly, we find historically, Incredible
as it sounds, and what am ready to say
will not believe, though it is uuquestionably
true that these inimitable orations of Burke
which one cannot read without thrill OF
admiration to his fingers ends, actually emp.
tied the benches of Parliament. All, gen.
tlemen, it was very different with our great
parliamentary orator. He not only chained
to their seats willing, or, if there were such
thing, unwilling senator's; but the largest
hall was too small for his audience. On the
memorable 7th of March, 1850, when he
was expected to speak upon the great qucs
tons then pending before the country, no
only was the Senate chamber thronged to it,
utmost capacity at an early hour, but all tht
passages to it, the Rotundo of the Capitol
and even the avenues Of the city, were aliv,
with the crowds who were DESTROYS of gaiuin!
admittance. Another senator-nOta polit
zeal ffiund-was entitled to the floor. Will
equal good taste and good feeling he stateC
that he WAS aware that the great multitud
had not come together to hear him, and h
was pleased to yield the floor to the only man
as he believed, who could draw together sue
an assembly" This sentiment-the efuso
of parliamentary courtesy-will, perhaps, b
found no inadequate expression of what vii
finally be the judgment Of posterity.
Among the many memorable words whic
fell from the lips of our friend just befor
they were closed forever, the most remark;
bic are those which my friend Hillard LA
Just quoted-'I STILL LIVE" They atteS
the serene composure of his mind, the Chris
tian heroism with which he was able to tur
his consciousness in upon itself, and explort
step by step, the dark passage Ozark to u
but to him, we trust, already lighted frol
above) which connects this world with tn
world to come. But know not, Mr.. Chair
man, what words could have been better che
sen to express his relation to the world
was leaving-'I still live. This poor du'
is Just returning to the dust from which
was taken; but feel that l live in the a
fectons of the people to whose service
have consecrated my days. Istilllive. Th
icy hand of death is already laid on my hear
but shall still live in those words Of coul
sci which have uttered to my fellow-citizen
aud which l now leave them as the last b.
quest of a dying friend.