Southern standard., 1852-11-13

practice nor IN form was modelled after RELIGIOUS
precepts felt this, and manifested it in modes and
utterances, simple yet sublime, as was the stamp
of his nature.
Yet, In the common meaning of the term he
was not religious man-nor did it influence his
lie or common conversation. With him il was
rather a sentiment than conviction-somethingl
poetlcal or ideal, rather than practical and vital
lie was member of no religious denomination
he made no pretensons to piety during life--nor
would his practice have squared with such preten
slons Far from being pous, he could not with
out falsehood have been termed even good man.
Of his death bed penitence it may not be decorous
to speak. But this is certain, that even in Eccle
slastes no more impressive preacher can be found
than in these death bed utterances of Daniel Web
ster, when listened to and dwelt upon in a reflec-
tive and earnest spirit beftting the occasion, and
the solemnity and Importance of the theme which
every man born Of woman must feel, comes
home to his own consciousness and his own heart.
Mr. Webster was great admirer and constant
reader of the Bible, of which he was wont to speak
IN language of unusual fervor and eloquence--but
he was accustomed to dwell upon its beauties and
its grand bursts of poetry, in Job and Isaiah, as
he would on those OF Milton. At least such was
the Judgment of most gifted and truly religions
daughter of your own State, who had enjoyed rare
opportunities of studying his complex character
years d9O, WHcH uuSUduu, Il peer III intellect
with Webster, occupied position which brought
tn m into constant and familiar intercourse in this
city. She often spoke of him, and of this charac-
teristic trait-styling him "a great but Goddess
man." If charity is to be the veil to cover null
titude Of sins in the dead as we'll as in the living
yet when cant will lift that veil to swear that
they virtues, truth must be heard that ex-
amples which should serve as beacons only to
warn against shipwreck, should be converted by
mlSjudgng culogy, orhypocrsy into shining lights
for guidance. One word more which this theme
suggests. 1t may have struck few persons-but
it yet is passing strange to reflect on this curious
contrast.
The predominating characteristic of Webster
was imagination he ''of imagination all
compact" 1t tinged and colored his W hole mind
character and career. 1t clad with its rainbow
hues the most sterile scenes over which his path
way lay and he turned to the contemplation of
that grand poetry Of the Old Hebrew Bible, be-
cause it awakened echoes in his own poetic soul
Take his later well as his earlier speeches-take
even his grave constitutional, or even legal argu-
ments-even there imagination riots and revels by
giving poetic shapes and aspects to common things.
Even in his life, and to descend lower in his cos
tune, the same innate love of the poetic and pic
turesque displayed itself, breaking out like CLEAN
of sunshine unexpectedly in dark places. Y You
will search in vain among professional rbymers,
by courtesy called "The Poets Of America" /" for
a the of the ideality and poetic u.terance, which
the most careless skinner may extract from the
forensic and parliamentary speeches Of Daniel
Webster.
And herein was one of the secrets of the mans
! greatness and his hold the popular mind He
scared above on the strong wings of an magma
ton which spurned, but did notabandon, the earth,
which took the iealm OF the actual and OF the
practical partly as its own, " he even planning for
a higher flight. One of the most memorable in
stances of this was afforded by his parting words
to the crowd who were destined never to see or
hear him again--when on the night of the nomi-
nation of his rival, they disturbed the slumbers,
or at least the retirement Of the Statesman, by
their call upon him to rejoice with them at the
prostraton of his lifelong hopes. Rising superi-
or to the crowd and to the occasion the poet soul
sought consolation in its own high and secret in
dugences, while scornfully looking down on the
little struggles of little men, 81 will sleep sound
this night said he-"an If wake, l viii know
the hour by the constelaton-for this is glorions
night"
Was ever rebuke more loftily conceived. or con
veyed Did ever a seaman take refuge more alb
solutely in the bosom of nature and the purifying
and calming influences of the consultations, from
the cares and stifes of earth than this stern jad
ed, spirit broken old man--shortly afterwards lay
ing himself down to die.
But the reader may ask, where is the contrast
, It's here. Compare this man, New Hampshire
born, Massachusetts, bred, with the Great South
erner born and rearer, living and dying, in cllm
ard region the favored haunt and home of impuls
and enthusiasm-contrast the imaginative natur
of Webster, with the cast-iron constitution of th
intellect of Calhoun, whose close and compact log
: c disdans the aid not alone of ornament, but eve
: of illustration, volumes of whose writings ma
vainly be eearched for even a metaphor or trope
= and whose greatest work contains not even soil
u tary figure of speech or flight of fancy. Ye
strange as the contrast is, its truth cannot be dis
:, puted.
}, The child of the granite and of the snow luxur
ated in the sunshine of imagination and poesy-
while the child of the sun disclamed the pleasure
of the imagination as idle trivial, the sports
!. the childish mind, or fitted for femenine instinct
q only. And therein lin the humble judgmentofth
Is writer consisted the sole superiority OF the gres
u man of Massachusetts over one--far inferior IN ms
u nv other respects, as he doubtless was in thos
T. qualities of head and heart which make men trul
i and thoroughly great.
= You must pardon these speculations, but the
= have spun out unwittingy to much greater lengl
than was originally intended, and time OF the mail
!, that wait for no man, will not permit their conde
: : sation or revision. As first utterances they CO..
i, vey fresh impressions. the correctness Of Whlt
n every one judge for himself ea
I'll S~--~-~~-~~-e~---~-~--~~~~-~ .
~ EE At a meeting Of the citizens of Charlesto
as S. c., held, learning the death of the Ho
i'll Daniel Webster, Ex-senator, r. B. Rhett, spo
4 fol ll1v