Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-06

pould most completely deveope and most rresistby
pose them-one the laws whole thunder born to
WELD you sought such counsel, and could have
phe choice, think the universal profession would have
burned to him. And this would be so in nearly every de-
Pcrption OF cause in any department Some able men
wield civil inquiries with peculiar ability some crim
pal How ucdly and how deeply he eucdated cues
lion OF property you all know But, then, with what ad
ress feeling pathos, and prudence he defended-with
what dignity and crushing power, accusaoro soatt he
prosecuted the accused Of crime few have but
Iwho have ever forget it.
Some there are, some Alpine eminences rising
aboye the high abeand of such professional life, to
which in the brefest tribute, should love to follow
MIN We recall that day, for an illustration, when he
hrst announced with decisive display what manner OF
he was to the Supreme Court of the nation 1t was
lin 1875 and it in the argument of the of the
Dartmouth College William Pnkney was recruiting his
great faculties and repenshng that reservoir OF profes
sima ana elegant acquisition in Europe Samuel Dex-
ter "the honorable man, and the counsellor and the
eloquent orator, in his grave. The boundess old
school learning Of Luther Martin the silver voice and in
finite analytical ingenuity and of jones' the
fervid genius OF Emmett, pouring itself along immense
ore; the ripe and beautiful culture Of Writ and Hopn-
son. the steel point unseen not unfelt beneath the To-
agethese and such these left Of that noble bar
That day Mr. Webster opened the Of the Dartmouth
College to tribunal unsurpassed earth in all that
gives illustration 10 bench Of law, not OF whom any
| longer survives.
One would love to inger on the scene-when, after
mastery argument Of the law carrying, may now
know, conviction the general mind of the court and
vndcang and settling for his lifetime his place in that
FORUM ne paused to enter, with altered feeling tone,
and manner, with these words his peroration-"I
have brought my alma mater to this presence, that if
she must fall she may fall in her robes and with Dig
nity; and then broke forth in that strain of sublime
and pathetic eoquence of which know not much more
than that in its progress Marshall the intellectual the
sef-controlled the Unconditional announced ysiby, the
presence of the unaccustomed enchantment
Other forensic triumphs crowd US, in other compe-
titon with other issues. But must commit them to
the historian Of constitutional jurisprudence.
And now, if this transcendent professional reputation
were all Of Mr. Webster il might be practicable, though
not easy, to find its parallel elsewhere In own,
| in European classical biography.
But when you consider that, side by side with this,
there growing up that other reputatonthat OF the
first American for thirty three years. ana
those embracing his hercuean works at the bar he
was engaged member of either House, or in the
highest OF the Executive Departments in the conduct Of
the largest national affairs in the treatment of the largest
national questions in debate with the highest abilities Of
American public life; conducting diplomatic intercourse
in delicate relations with all manner of foreign Powers
investigating whole classes of truths totally unlike the
truths of the law, and resting principles totally dis
tinct and that here too he wise, sae controlling
trusted the foremost manthat Europe had come to see
in his life guaranty for justice for peace, for the best
hopes of civilization and America to feel surer OF her
glory her safety his great EMBODIED her. you see
how rare how solitary almost the actual greatness
Who any where has now he had the double fame now
the double wreath of Murray and Chatham Of Dunning
| and Fox of Erskne and Pitt, Of William Pnkney and
Rufus King blended and transcendent superiority
cannot attempt to grasp and sum up the aggregate
and services of his public life at such moment this
and it is needless That life comprised term of more
than thirty years. produced body OF perform
ance of whichH may say generally it all which the
first abilities of thecountry and time employed with un-
exampled toll, stimulated by the noblest patriotism; in
the highest places Of the State, in the fear Of God in
| the presence of nations could possibly compass.
He came into Congress after the of 1872 had be-
gum and though probably deeming it unnecessary,
cordng to the highest standards of public necessity in
his private character and Directing in his public charac-
ter to of the details of the policy by which was
prosecuted and standing by party ties in general opposi
ton to the Administration he breathed sentiment
calculated depress the of the public mind to aid
or comfort the enemy to check chill the STRINGS OF
that new passionate unquenchable spirit of nationality
which then revealed kindled ITO burn till we 60
down to the tombs of States
With the peace of 1916 his more cherished public la
bors began and thenceforward has he devoted hmsef
the ardor of his civil youth the energies of his maturest
manhood the auumnal wisdom Of the rpened year, to
the Offices Of legislation and dplomacyof preserving the
peace, keeping the honor, establishing the boundaries
and yindcang the neutral rights Of his couny restor
sound currency, and laying its foundation sure and
deep in uphoding public credit in promoting foreign
commerce and domestic industry in developing our un-
counted material giving the lake and river to
trades and vindicatng and interpreting the Consultation
and the law. On all these subjectson all measures
practically in any degree affecting them-he has inscrib
ed his opinions and left the of his hand Every
where the philosophical and patient statesman and think
er will find that he has been before him. lighting the way
sounding the abyss. His weighty language, his saga
cious warnings his great maxms of empire viii be rails
ed vew and live to be read when the final catastrophe
shall lift the granite foundation in fragments from its bed
In this connection, cannot but remark to how extra
ordinary extent had Mr. Webster by his acts words,
thoughts the Of his life, associated himself
forever the memory of oil with every historical
cident at least with every historical epoch; with
every policy with every glory, with every great name
and fundamental institution and grand or beautiful i'm
age which peculiarly and properly American Look
back the planting of Plymouth and Jamestown to the
various of colonial life in peace and to the
opening and march, and close Of the revolutionary dra
ma to the age of the constitution; to Washington, and
Franklin and Adams and jefferson; to the whole train
of causes from the refoxmaton downwards, which pre-
pared be republicans; to that other train of
which led be unionists: look round field, work.
shop and deck and hear the music Of labor rewarded
fed and protected look the bright ssterhood of the
States each singing seraph in her motion, yet
blending in q common beam and swelling common har-
mony and there nothing which does bring him by
! some tie to the memory of America
/ We seem to his form and hear his deep grave
speech every where. BY some felicity Of his personal
life; by wise, deep, beautiful word spoken or
written; by service of his own, commemo
our granite hills, inland and prairies and
fresh unbounded, magnificent Wilderness; cncirc
ling ocean the rock of the Pilgrims; newborn sis
ter Of the Pacific; popular assemblies; free
schools all cherished doctrines Of education and Of
the influence Of religion and material policy and law,
and the constitution give back his What Anne
rican landscape will you look what subject Of Anne
rcan interest will you study what of hope Of
anxiety as an American viii you acknowledge that it
| does not recall him
shall not venture in this rapid and general recoec-
of In MT tn fhati