The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-12-02
KETCHUM'S SPEECH UPON DANIEL
WEBSTER.


From the mass Of matter which has been
recently published respecting the late em-
aent statesman, we select Que short ad-
dress:
MIR. President, will occupy the atten,
ton OF this meeting for very lew min
ute. in speaking oi what | know oi the per.
sonaI characteristics Of Mr.. Webster.
had long been acquainted with hlm. From
III that know, IRON all that l have ever
seen or heard, bear testimony here to-
da, that Daniel Webster, as a public man,
WIS man OF the highest lategrity. IL al.
ways seemed TO me as II he acted under the
immediate conviction that what he did Was
to be known not only to MS own genera
ton, but to posterity. lie was always
clear ia Office. lie regarded political pow
er in his own hands as trust; and though
always willing and dcsirous 10 crafty his
friends, il he could, he never ielt himself al
liberty Tor an instant, IN order to advance
any private interest, 10 violate his great
trust.
have known Mr.. Webster in private
circles and in domestic life. bear testl
mony here to-day that, though | have re-
ce,yed mullitudes oil letters from him,
which now have, and many that have
bee II destroyed by his order, written IN the
most confidential and friendly manner
though have had the pleasure OF meeting
hIu on many occasions, and al the festive
board often, where our sttngs were long,
bear testimony that never in my life did
hear an impure thought or protaBe eX-
preston come from the lips otDanlel Web
IsIer.
And bear further testimony, that
never, in writing Or in my hearing, did be
assan private character. No man was
ever saudered-no man was ever spoken
i'll of-by Daniel Webster. further bear
Testimony, that never in my life have
known man whose conversation was uni
formly SO uneXceptionable in its tone, and
uniformly so ediiying in its Character
Mr.. President, may say further, that no
man ever possessed greater tenderness Of
feeling than Mr.. Webster. He never had
an enemy land we all can hear that he had
enemies OF the most malignant character,
who, if he came to him in distress, he
would no, have shared his last dollar with
and melledn sympathy for his grief.
Sir, in saying that the virtues of The
dead were not mingled with weaknesse'
and lalings, would be TO say TINT Dsnie
Webster was not human. All his weak
nesses aud falings have been spread be
fore the people, time and again, and NJ
friend Of his could regret the fact if they
had not been exaggerated.
| MIR. President, il was one OF the char
acteris,cs of Mr.. Webster that be abhorreC
| al! affect alton take pleasure in saying
here today that the atl'ectation which il
possessed by young professional men O
saying things without preparation, o
speaking on the spur Of the moment, with
out previous thought, was an atlecia,lor
which, of all others, Mr.. Webster desplsed
He never spoke without previous thought.
He never spoke withou, laborious prepara
ton: and, as my venerable and learned
lriend, who early knew him, said, he wa:
industrious 20 the last.
In early life, when Daniel Webster first
came from college-when he first assumed
the post of principal Of an academy, in one
of the interior towns Of New Eng and, il
was predicted, bv an intelligent citizen OF
that place, that Mr.. Webster would be tb.
| frs, man in the country. When he made
his frs, important speech at the bar OF hi:
native State, the Judge upon returning
home declared that he heard that day s
speech from young man who would YET
he the first man in the country. These
predictions were not that he would be f;
great or distinguished public man, bu
that he would he the first man in the Uni
ted States. Although ,hese predictions were
early, numerous and constant, yet MIR
Webster always devoted grea, attention IL
~ hat he he had 10 say before the public.
have often thought, from my long acquain
tance with Mr.. Webster, that ifother mer
could think us long, and as closely, and AZ
profoundly, their public efforts would equa
his; for have never known man n my
life VINO made such preparation for wha
| he had to say before the court, before tht
Senate, or before the people. He did no