New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-08
MIR. Webster and Once.
To ne Editor Of TheN Y. Tribune

You say IN your paper vi flua! \!esterdir
I'm our biographical sketch of the great Sew,s,
lander, we spoke of his love OF office a defect IA :
character Contemporaries bristled with indsasso.
and correspondents undertook 70 set US right vii n
gard TO Mr.. Webster's motive in remaining in M \,
iers Cabinet after Tyler's apostncy, &c.
II fell TO my lot to be one OF those "coespoaie,s,
lfMr Webster's own worda which | fairly reoor,.
uttered TO me- in which love of Office had no pss
but the purest patriotism and the mos, invncbe M
courage have failed TO convince you then Except L.
argument, the groundwork of which theee words fsr
nsh the most solid foundation) then know no, vAs
else to offer Admitting my Interpretation OF the re.
sons tina, induced him TO remain, after his sssocss
had left the Cabinet Of Tyler and which that great ma
ratified with his own words, Mr. Webster lifted hin-s
above the murky influence in which the charge M
made to envelope him. and stood out, and yet stand
out glorious beaconlisht of patriotism The ressOa
were. he was engaged in the Treaty with Lord Ashbs
ton. and desired TO give Gushing his instruction.
sgen 70 China well knowing that If the first had ana
into arv other hands (end this Lord Ashburton hius
confirmed, when nc said with no other mia than \,
Webster could he have negotiated that Treaty. a.
whole business might have gone to ruin--fcr he va
knew not only what sort of a Tyler would sppOz
for wenl or for woe, that hung upon the success =
failure of that Treaty.
But because some of Mr. Websters friends-som,s
the old and true, and some OF the new and hls n
claim to be of the former>-loudy proclaim thu u
Websters death had been fastened by his failure 70 N
ceive the ast Wing nomination for President you ss
this opinion, mot fact) this belief (not certsiniy)p
justify the charge of his "tenacy for and lore 4
Office"
Now with all my respect for your talents aud rs
csI acity, must take leave in such case 10 Say s
you have not done either yourself or Mr. Webster ~
tiCe yourself because of your power to analyrsn
separate opinion from fact and truth from talsehod
and Mr.. Webster because this charge Of "tenacitym
ard love OF Office" is calculated to blot his fame s
impeach his motiyes and question or deny his psr9
ism. Now, you would not, willingly, am sure lesi
yourself instrument in such slabbing Of the Ans
and good name OF anybody, much lees such man
was Daniel Webster-DaRiel Webster, R0p dead
SuppOee these friends, old and new, honest
honest, have said lis days shortened by the aH
10 nominate him for the Presidency-dOea their sayy
make 1t soi Were there not other and better fs
sens Why the great man died when he did, lie wss
old nar-even seventy years Of age. Though with ;
brain lnrger than that Of any living or dead man ssn
two, lie had worked from boyhOod % hs last hoqn
with force aud power enough 10 rupture and dctru
end Of an old man. And the pos, norton examination
did that disclose any decay of the BRAIN any sosnnl
any hardening or anything whatever 10 justify the 90
clusion stetedt There nothing around the bear
where the feelings attributed 20 him would have pala
ted and robbed the most heavily. Eo--b,d the hFs
was affected, and hemOrrhage of the ntestne al
st' met and dropsical tendenc ia the abdomen-Aa
chrf ed his death Do any OF these betoken dying a
enechon OF the mind, a deep and deadly woundnsd
the spirit
Why, them assume and adopt what these friend, aH4
or oeltre when there are facts TO Justify ~ ~
when, TOO, in the this "thjRkin4" and 5lir.y
are brought IN TO confirm Chat IT, his Iors Of ejTs
BIZ connection with TyleT's cabnet,) you hrsD Dad
Webters own assurance that "l0ye OF Office ti az
Il rm Nh Ingredient In his remaining while longen
that cabinet than his associates but tlat hs rsmsss
there under tho promptngs Of the purest patricia
and In opposition to forces which combined 10 dnn
HIM our such az, perhaps, no other man could or T'
have withsteod
Do not then, be 90 tenacious" yourself OF the rs
OF your opinion, hut give nohy az am sure IL Is yN
nature to do, the tribute that Is due a the nf
lu.Tious and useful men that ever adorned the hsT
OF the world Jusrni
u 1t is strange that men will attempt
argue without first comprehending their v
versaly's premises Did We offer the ave.
ton Of some of Mr. Webster's friends IS pcf
that our own previous assertion was true IS
We attempt to justify our statement by tben
as our correspondent suggests o no. We
simply remarked that if our opinion that NJ
W. had eyinced an undue tenacity Of Oh"
was reflection on his memory, then tiers
sertion that chagrin for the loss of the Pres
Dental nomination had shortened bis dsy'w
far more disparaging. This is our entirePsS
tion-Has il been overthrow "a !