The daily union., 1852-11-07
Daniel webster, Living and Dead-The Mighty
Three.
fcons.pondence Of ,be Charleston Mereag.l

Daniel Webster is deador at least all that can die of
such man has passed away from the eyes OF for
ever and The places that knew him shall know him no
more, aud familiar household faces yalny yearn Tor
the sight oil that stern, sad face. with lis depth OF un
iathomahle eyes. The man IS no more bat the nsm-
ofy Will pass IN living freshness down the tde OF many
geBer atoms Ashes 10 ashes, dust 10 dust Is not The
hnsl doom OF such creations he was-a power and
a miracle among the countless swarm OF creatures com
posed OF coaser clay; tor did not require The seal OF
death 10 be stamped his brow, nor The sense OF his
loss awaken The convection OF This The living man
has long been recognised one OF The princes and po
tena,es OF the realm OF thought OF tae lew TO
meihean fire OF genius than is the LOT OF his race. Him
Nature had gifted yet more largely than has other TWO
great compeeTs and yas, whose footsteps he now has
followed down 10 that realm
"where each shall take his chamber
In The silent halls OF death !;
but the full heart OF The nation beats not with the same
painful ihrob OF personal bereavement at his demise
For OF that mighty three. though he probably the
most admired certainly be the least loved by The
OF his fellow citizens, except IN The immediate
vicinity OF his hune and even their affection
merged uplooking reverence rather than fonde and
softer eelingoi the head rather than OF the heart He
not oveabe man, though he was passionate and
impuIsive one, and good haersenia in his social IN
sncsa lover Of poetry ard OF Literature IN genefa-a
good but not Tpe schola hts misquoalions prove
and accomplished mentally Tar above either calhoun OF
Clay, neither OF whom could vie with him IN any other
field than that OF politics and constitutional law. lie
was man possessed Of more liberal accomplishments
and wider culture than they but he lacked great quaii-
ties which they possessed and which compensated iof the
advantages his part More especially ~ the great KING
quality OF conIage-ph ysical, moral, poiticaihe fell
ar behind them both and like Bacon, dmmed the lns
ire OF his great intellect by weaknesses, OF which the
one from temperament the other from high spirits were
incapable.
II il be indeed unjust him. it is, echo the pop
ular verdict on him ou OF New England and pronounce
him
IS The greatest, wsest, meanest of mankind "
vel even the charitable veil which we throw the
vices OF the dead in this snce to cover or
conceal the prominent detects OF tins great charac'ef-
great as warning well as All example. 10 obscure
men, whose memories may pelchance oulvc them about
hall year. The rule "de mortnts nil nisi boaun' may
appropriately be applied. Small men, aud the small
they have made, may both safely be covered over
with the mantle OF hat oblivion TO which the tomb con-
signs them Net So however. with the men who have
made their mark, not alone on their own generation,
but whose and histories will be ''6m1 en- ciet,
possession forever 10 their county Such men cannoi
have the evil tina, they did " inferred with Their bones,
any mere than the good. Both are the common property
of the yublic and while the passing bell tolls
their requiem, the youth of The country will ponder
and speculate their characters and careers, and
draw from both lessons for imitation or avoidance,
il mediiatng the toilsome ascent, which, Ike
all other paths Of glory, eads but 10 the grave !;
yet, like that, though filling, over-tuil There
is always tendency IN popular governments TO exagge
rate or depreciae The qualities OF lis Tuerss real rulers.
not its nominal mean-and the idol oil 10 day
often the devil OF tomorrow. John Caine Calhoun OF
80 was followed with weeping eyes BY penitent people
nearly twenty years after, and laures sIewn upon hls
grave by hands that would have gladly acted the
haDgnan's part in eaIlier days. Henry Clay heard the
serpent Kisses OF the bargain and corruption SANDER
during the greater part OF his long lie bat lis sunset
cheered by love- reverence, and troops OF friends, VINO
were in olden time his enemies. Both OF these had
through long and stormy lives 10 wresile with ooloquy
and sancers, sprlngHg up like hydras b, ads; but both
outved these SANDERS aud passed peacefully down 10 The
tomb with The satisfaction OF vndicaied characters and just
appreciation. With Calhoun these ISLANDERS politi
cal ony-no with Clay. Solitary and alone IN this
age and country stands the great CarolDian IN this re-
sVect; his character, like that OF Vesial, was above
suspicion.
Upon that brow shame was ashamed 10 sit p and
owing TO some peculiarly, underlined and undefnabe, he
subjected TO that ordeal o public sander which
all other public have had TO pass through fiery
furnace, 10 test The temper oil Their metal and purify
from dross Whether they from The great prepond
OF the intellectual over the animal man, or the
stern discipline and subeciion OF all the usual impulses
and passions N bis s bard to determine but such
is the fact His enemies could ind no oppr1bnous appel
lalioa for him but Catne-noc but oyerweening am
btion. As Daniel Webster, hall wondeTngly ball ad.
miringly, said, pfonouncng his eulogium the Sen
ate he bad recreatons-never seemed 10 feel the
necessity OF amusemenis;" and he might have added
he had weak nesses, vices unless the SIN By which
angels fepride, and It's kindred weakness love OF pow
be considered The earth mark OF character
otherwise more fauless than falls 10 lra humanity.
But Henry Clay can claim no exemption from these
foies and iTailles OF the wise. While Calhoun, In
mental and moral characteristics, esembed Burke whose
private purity equal Henry Clay carries out The per-
sonal parallel with the younger Pl with stronger con
s,ituon, stronger passions, and more liberal indulgence
OF them He certainly not a model man, unnl age
had abaied the beat aad ieyOr oil MS temper and The
fire OF his blood, II then; and dazzling were his
personal qualities, bis footprints, II closely followed,
would lead few 10 the high renown and peaceful end
which he achieved Yet, before remarked, both OF
these grea, lived long enough bear the howl OF
caumny and de,racion that had dogged their steps and
haunted their public and Their private lyes SIGH Itse 10
outside The sick chamber wherein the wesred old
brain workers laid themselves down 10 die. Not
with the sad, stern, almost splrbroken old states
man whose passing bell now sifs the sluggish cur.
rents of the heavy air on this silent evening, while
he aft fEn anita Rt
turned Generalhis Tval-have scarcely sunk ihlo ST.
lence for. by another OF these strange condolences
which scarcely accidental, the dying OF Clay
vexed by the shouts OF his friends greeting the nom-
nation ef General Scott with acclamsons. last night
while The soul of Webster struggling painfully TO
free itself from the broken body that could no longer
hold II, the shouts OF the mob here hoarsey,
vexing the drowsy Of night IN honor OF the return
oi General Scott 10 Washington from his western tour
And his two great competitors may justly be kened
the OF the great British THO OF statesmen still more
Justly may Webster be kened to The third Tor between
himcelf and Charles James Fox the personal similarity
indeed most striking, though intellectually the Amer
was far The mghier man His remains, like those
OF the masiodon will long excite the wonder and the ad
matlon Of posiery which bids islr TO progress
even faster than The movement OF this most progress
sive age.
In ali points the parallel probably does not hold good
Fox more reckless and careless in pecunisry
than Daniel Webster. il possible lie possessed
the same scora for money The disregard
for debt. and felt the moral mpossbIliiy OF dwaing
down his genial and glowing soul 10 the measure OF an
animated calculating machine. He a man OF more
leviiss than Webster but possessed OF fewer solemn
vices IL the tales be OF the great expoundr cur.
reny told and believed BY the most liberal of his