The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-11-06
The Great Effort of Daniel Webster.

Inc Great Effort OF Daniel Webster.
OF all the remarks made before Courts and
at other places that We have noticed con-
ccrmn" the life of the late Mr. Webster. none
have been more Interesting than the follow
in-. extracted from speech of .Tud-r Pclrg
Spragu", before the United States Circuit
Court Boston:
But there l. one speech. mall, 80 long sine
a> 10 u" now a matter of history. and mvnlv-
img no topic Of present cxritcmrnt. ot which
| have been especially requested 10 >I,cak.
herau>e it is the most celebrated. AMI of the.
then Senators from New ENGLAND | am. with
one exception. the only survivor: and it i>
proper t" speak ot 1t here and now bccau-,
great vital question of Constitutional law
was hy that speech settled a> completely and
irrc,orah!y a. it could have been hv the rrca-
test minds in the highest iudicial tribunals
Mr Foot'> resolutions involved merely the
question ot limiting or ~Nt,ru.ag ,hr survey
al the public lands. ''por AZ, Mr Benton
and NJ Haze alirc>>cl tlr Senate, con
irmnin- tie poll, 90; he Eastern States. a>
illiher,,l toward III. VT Mr. Webster re-
Piled in vindiration OF New England and the
policy OF the government. 1t WAS then that
Grneral Haync made the assault which that
speech repealed.
1t has been asked if it he possible that that
reply was male withoutprcvious preparation
There could have been no special prrpara-
ton before the speech began to which it was
an answer When General IIavne closed,
Mr. Webster followed. with the interval only
OF the usual adjournment ot one night.
Ill, reply WAS made to rcpcl an attark sud
den. nncXpe .tcl.aml almost uncxamplrd an
attack upon Mr. Webster personally, upon
Massachusetts, and New England. and uuon
the Constitution.
There can be little doubt that this alta K
was the result Of prrmclitation, concert. ard
arrangement. His a>sailant selected his Owl
time, and that, too, peculiarly inronyenient t,
MIR Webster. for al that moment the Sunr.m,
Court were proceeding in the hearing of
cause OF great importance, in which he Wa
leading counsel For this reason. he re,,ur>t
ed through a friend. poStponcmcnt of tn,
debate. General IIavne obicc ted. and tn
request was refused. The aSSailaut. too. Sc
lcctcd his own ground. and made his choic
OF topics. without reference to the resolution
before the Senate. or the legitimate suhirc
of debate. The time, the matter, and th
manner indicate that the attack was made wit
the design 10 crush formidable political ol
ponent. To this end, personal history, I'll
annals of AcwEngland and OF theFc,lcral pa
~, were ransacked for materials. Il was a
tempted TO make him responsible. not omi
!, tor what was his own, hut for the opinions al
conduct of fothcr>. All the errors and drlir
qucnces, real and supposed. of Mas>achu>r'
and the Eastern States. and of the FEEDER
party, during the war of 1872 and through
/ out their history, were to hc accumulated q
, him. 1t was supposed that. as Represent
tive. he would be driven to attempt to dctrr
what was lndeiensihle, and uphold what cou
:, not toe sustained. and as Fe,lcralist, to o
80 pose the popular resolutions of nnctv-ei.ht
: General lIaync heralded his speech with
Al. of IL Il.
Wanting anticipated triumph. As if to par5
we 10y intimidation: savin. that hr had som
thing ranking in his breast, and that he won
=, carry the war into Africa, until h. had u
ID tanned indemnity for thy past, and scc'Iri
for the future.
-. Mr. Webster evidently felt the magnitude
the occasion. and a consciousness that he w
more than equal to it, On no other occasio
;S although have heard him hundreds of tim,
Y have seen him so thoroughly aroused. \
,ss when he commenced, and throughout 1
on whole he was perfectly possessed and Sc
~. controlled. Never was his bearing more loft
av his person more majestic, his manner mo
nd appropriate and impressive.
RS At first few of his opponents made sor
e; show of Indifference But the power of I
DE orator soon swept away atiectation, and st
DIS emn, deep. absorbing interest was manifest
at by all, and continued even through his pr
ne found discussion of Constitutional law.
i. When he closed, the impression upon