Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-12-23
HANNIBAL JOURNAL, DECEMBER %, 1862

sachusetts-at Boston, at Dedhain, Of Lowell,
all adjourn the courts, Of New Hampshire, Of
Maines Of New York, even at Baltimore and
Washington, the courts adjodrn; for the great
lawyer is dead, and justice must await another
day. Only the United States Court, in Boston,
trying man for helping Shadrach out Of the
furnace Of the kidnappers-the court that exc
cutes the Fugitive Slave Law-that does not
adjourn; that keeps on; its worm dies not, and
the fire Of that prosecution is not quenclIed.-
When death puts out the lamp of life, injustice
is hungry for its prey, and must not be baked.
Il was very proper Symbolical court of the
Fugitive Slave Bill it does not respect life
why should it death ? and scorning liberty, why
should it heed decorum9 Did the Judges deem
that WebsteI's spirit on its way TO God, would
look at the Plymouth Rock, then pause on the
spots made classic by his eloquence, and look ct
Bunker Hill, tarry his hour in the august COM
pany of nobler men at Faneuil Hall, and be glad
to know that injustice was chanting his requ-
EN- in that court 9-they greatly misjudge that
man. know Daniel Webster better, and | APP
peal for him against his idly judging friends.
Do men mourn for him, the great man elO-
quent? Iput on sackcloth long ago. l MOURN
ed fer him when he wrote the Creole letter,
which Surprised Ashburton, Briton though he
was. mourned when he spoke the speech on
the 7th Of March. | mourned when the Fugi-
tive Slave bill passed Congress, and the same
cannons that have fired minute guns for him,
fired one hundred rounds Of Joy for the forging
of new fetter for the fugitive's foot. mourn
ed for him when the kidnappeTs fret came to
Boston-hated then-now respectable men, the
companions of princes, enlarging their testimo-
ny in the court. | mourned when my own pa
rishioners fled from the stripes of New Eng
land to the stars of Old England. ! mourned
when Ellen Craft fled to my house for shelter
and for succor; and for the first time in all my
life armed this hand. mourned when the
court house was hung in chains, when Thomas
Sims from his dungeon sent out his petition for
prayers, and the churches did not dare to pray.
l mourned when ! married William and Ellen
Craft, and gave them Bible for their soul, and
a sword 10 keep that soul living, and in a liv-
ing frame. | mourned when the poor oUtcast
in yonder dungeon sent for me TO visit him, and
when took him by the hand, that Daniel Web
ster was claiming in that house. Imourned for
Webster when we prayed orr prayer and sung
our psalm on Long Wharf in the morning S
grey. ! mourned then; l shall not cease TO
mourn. The flags will be removed from the
streets; the cannons will sound their other notes
of JOY; but for me shall 60 mourning all my
days. l shall refuse to be comforted, and at last
lay down my gray hairs with weeping and with
sorrow in the grave. Oh, Webster Webster
would TO God that had died for thee
He vas great man, man of the largest
mould, great body and great brain: he SEEM
ed made TO last hundred years. Since Socra-
ties there has seldom been head so massive
huge-seldom such face since the stormy fea-
lures of Michael Angelo.