Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-08-02
chr DaiIp 6pp.
TUESDAY. AUGUST 2. 1853.



On the 2sh Of July, Rufus Choate delivered a
eulogy upon Daniel Webster, at Hanover N u
That eulogy the theme of praise IN all the wing
journals. Il is brilliant production, and Is, no
doubt interesting to the admirers of Daniel Web
s,er, as a sketch Of his life; but tits worthless
criticism, as the most OF eulogies are. Mr.. Choate
paints the character and career Of Daniel Webster
in the most brilliant coors that his exclusive fancy
can suggest. There are no shadows in the picture;
il is sufusou Of sunlight, which dazzes you as
YOU attempt to discriminate the outlines and parts of
The subject We do not dispute that the Daniel
Webster OF Choate's eulogy is the Daniel Webster
which isl present to his minds eye. Some people
look at men aud things chiefly through the medium
Of the aginaton, while others do so through the
medium Of truth. Daniel Webster,seen through the
medium ofiruth, presents aspect very different
from the picture Rufus drew.
Amongst the other brilliant things which Mr..
Choate says of his s'Cesa . aresthe following:
Such character was made TO be beloved-it was
loved. Those who knew and saw it in its hour of
cam-those who could repose on that soft green,
loved him. His plain ueighbors loved him, and one
SAID when he was laid in his grave, elbow lone.
some the world SEEMS Educated young men loved
him. The ministers OF the gospel, gentlemen of in.
elligence Of the country, the masses alar off, loved
him. True, they had not found in his speeches
read by millions. much aduation of the people,
so much Of the music which robs the public
Of itself; so many phrases of humanity and philan-
thropy; and some had told them that he was lofty
and cold--soIary in his greatness; but every year
they came nearer and nearer TO him, and they
they loved him better; they heard how
tender the had been, the husband, the brother,
hn fail and he hat he
was plan simple, natural, generous, hosptable-the
heart larger than the brain; that he loved little
children and reverenced God, the Scriptures, the
Sabbath Day, the Constitution and the Laws-and
their hearts clave unto him. More truly Of him
than ever Of the great naval darling Of England
might be sad that ''his presence would set the
church bells ringing, and give school boys holiday
-would,brin children from school and old men
from the chimney corner, TO gaze on hun ere he
died.p The great and unavailing lameniation 6rs
revealed the deep place he had in the hearts Of his
countrymen.
MIR. Webster could obtain only 20 votes in the
Wing National Convention, for nomination to the
Presidency in 1852, after deserving his anti slavery
principies-doing more than any other man to make
the fugitive slave law---and taking the stump
TO corrupt the moral sentiment Of the northern peo-
pie. The people Of Marsh6eld where Daniel Web
ster resided, elected Charles Sumner to the Consti
tutiona Convention in this State in 1858, which
everybody understood to be a condemnation of the
course pursued by Mr.. Webster. These two cir
cum stances show better than MIR. Choatc's oratory
Does TO what extent MIR. Webster commanded the
love of his countrymen and neighbors. These facts
will be of more Importance to the future critic anc
historian, than the exravagant metaphors anc
Sonndino trones oc the oraf.r
1t is devoutIy to be wished that Mr. Webster.
friends would let his memory rest in peace. He il
not a good model for our youth TO study. If hi
worshppers, in their bad Etaste, will make him thu
subject of audation, let them separate the inelIec
tua element Of his character from the moral, ant
while they tell our young men to admire him in thu
former 'pect, let them, while they pity his sink
ings, also warn them to shun the rocks on which h
wrecked his fame.