The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-20


and from which no sophistry could escape. To
minds Of lesser powers, which had been bewildered
by the complexities Of another's argument, II was
a matter of intense delight TO follow Dim, aS he
marched right on, armed with proof, through il
relevancies and sophistries on the right maud anu
the lett, and took his stand on the citadel oil
demonstration, and planted upon II the nag OF
victory.
And in confirmation Of the samo remark can
not but repeat the recent saying OF one OF bis dis
tin uished brethren at the bar in Boston. to the
effect, that man could argue a good cause so
well, 80 few persons argued bad cause wUrse II
the difference between Sampson, hia locks all
flowing, with the gates OF GAIA upon his back, and
Sampson, shorn, grinding for the PhlS'iues
No man treated the minds Of those I" HON he
addressed with more real and heartfelt respect
than Mr.. WEBSTER. He never app cached them
as those who could be led by PASSION OF d' ceivt d
by sophistry. He made no appeals To- their hascr
nature, and took no advantage of their ignorance.
He addressed them in good faith as his equals In
intelligence and patriotism He took upon HIM
self none of the airs OF political pfdagoguc. lie
constr ucted the same kind Of arguments, and III
the same forms and phrases, for the Highest and
the humblcst minds. His power over Them was
the power OF truth, OF fact OF rcaeOn, VI right VI
Justice, and OF conscience, whose vehicle and in
terpreter he aimed to be. He played no u'cks be-
fore his audience or his country. Tie used with
them no slight OF hand. He never JogSIed them
into blind and ignorant belief He wac not one Oh
these yelled prophets, whose glory lie seen only Oh
the ges of the covering, behind which hey stand
hidden from The gaze of their deluded w"rshppers.
He was open rs the day.
Very remarkable, also, MIR. WEBsTER's
power of seeing the precise points upon which an
argument turned, the decisive issue that controlled
q question. Often when great body OF argument
stood and clustered before him, he has known how
TO demolish it by blow at it's central alacy. A
single stroke upon it's brain has laid it icess at his
feet.
To these characteristics may be added the high
philosophy the pure sentiment the religious eleva-
tha nnnle tnas he 1uIH and
daring ina ginatiop, which sig nalized his higher
efforts when in great crisis in the State.
in some moment of intense personal excitement,
the whole enthusiasm, passion, and patriotism of
his nature kindIed biaEed. and glowed, investing
himself in radiance, and shooting convincing
light and splendor a grateful and admirng
country. They who have seen this will never see
There have been several occasions in Mr. WEE
| STE 3 history when he has been thus reused, and
| in which he has shown himself pre- emnen y
| 'strong" The Constitution and the Union Of the
| States were the objects OF his inepec admiration
aRl affection. Their glory and npoitanc were
IL most kindling themes which could be presented
to his mind. II they were in peril, his whole ma
| ture aroused. On two occasons--that Of his
reply to Mr.. Hayne, and tina, of his speech in
| March, l850-he has spoken OF these topics with
amazing ell quence and power.
We cannot, even now, read in closets the
words which be uttered on the first OF these oCcn.
sions without feeling the eye suffused, the heart
throb, and the pulses leap What power they had
at the crisis, in the scene where they were spoken
issuing warm and vivid from the kindled soul Of
| the orator, with tones and looks and gestures OF
| corresponding grandeur, many remember, all
have heard, none who read the history Of their
| country will be ignorant of or forget The rap
ture OF admiration and gratitude which this speech
awakened, the power with which it settled forever
some momentous principles and questions, never
have been surpassed. No one doubts that it is the
greatest Grafton ever delivered in this country
Many believe that it is the greatest which fell
from the lips Of man. Never has the description
of the poet received finer illustration. We feel
that he who wrote il must have been in the Senat &c
| on that occasion, and written in commemoraton
| OF the scene:
"Come, and will tell thee of Joy which the para.
sites of pleasure have not known,
Though EARTH air, and sea have gorged the appe-
tites of sense.
Behold what fire is in his eye, what fervor in his
| cheek;
That glorious burst of winged words-how bound
they from his tongue;
The full expression OF the mighty thought, the
| strong triumphant arg ument;
The rush OF native eloquc nce Re sistoss as Niagara
The keen demand. the clear reply, the fine poetic
| image,
. bold and free,
The grasp of concentrated intellect, welding the
! omnipotence of truth,
The grandeur Of his speech in his majesty OF mind!
Champion Of the right, patriot or priest or pleader
| of the innocent cause;
Upon whose lips the mystic bee hath dropped the
honey OF persuasion;
| Whose heart and tongue have been touched as OF
old by live coal from the altar,
How wide the spreading of thy peace! how deep
the draught OF thy pleasure!"
But for power-power of character, intellect,
and long life of patriotic services power resulting
| from confidence in his grent abilities and true pa
tro,ism, his equal justice and hi large wisdom
nothing has ever equalIed that which TIC exertcd
when, in an alarming crisis, he stood up to speak
| on the 7th of March, 1850, and the whole country
| bent wi nj In hear
Well may the minister OF the Gospel commemorate
that scene, for on the preservation OF the Union
the best interests of religion less than Of liberty
depend But would speak OF 1t now as an Illus
| tration of the wise mans strength. II not n
glowing and imprisoned GRAFTON which he uttert d
! then. The occasion was too grave passion and
for the play Of fancy: His argument was measured,
| sedate, and laden with anxious care. Ii breathed
peace and Cancellation. IL counselled i"rbcaranc'
self-sacrihce, and patriotic devotion to the Union.
1t avoided the words and the illusions which ex-
| cite prejudice and passion. But, in those ca I'm
words. what power! l need not remind you
how they went over the land like healtntul and
revivng breeze in sitting and noxious air,
need not tell you how they awakened confidence
and hope. I need not recall to your memory how
| they served to bind in fraternal brotherhood patr-
otto hearts from various parties and ctions of the
| land, and to animate to new exertons their almost
exhausted enuty, and their almost dshca tened
| toll. But trace those words they reach his
| home, and you will zee what prodigious power
the great man. In whose purity OF purpose there IS
| commence, possesses. Those WORDS lcn on un-
| willing They FLASHED with the convictions
of those whom he represented. He by whom they
were spoken not their master, but their repre-
sentative and servant. The strong, thoughtful.
! ear men of that region, do not give up their
convictions to any or all dead or living men
Only by winning their hopes; belief sentiment,
and feeling to HIS side, could be bring these -
descendants of those who would not give up their
convictions to kings when they were in their
power-to get the seal of their appreciation t" his
course. And this is what that great speech did
1t went among them, and the name, the fame. the
past services, the great cenr mird Of its author,
went with it, and it spoke in still smal voice To
their and their heart, their patriotism sd
their justice. until their convictions surrendered to
| his words He dedicated to them the speech with
| the motto-"vERA Pro oRATIs"-"true words,
| rather than acceptable'-and he might, in the
| next edition, have changed its form, and write n
| "vERA EFT GRATA," "true and acceptable" Such
| power few men have ever welded; such grea, nee-
| few have ever shown. These the crises
which presented him in his true and majestic pro-
| portions to the country and the world
ellis grandeur he derived from Heaven alone,
| For he was great ere fortune made him 80;
And strfes, like mists that rise against the sun,
Made him but greater seem, not greater grow
| Nor was he like those stars which only shine
h., Ia has,