The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-05-17
Prom the New York Evening Post.
HUMBoLDTs OPINION OF WEBSTER AND
THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.

Prom the New York Evening Post.
HUMBoLDTs OPINION OF WEBSTER AND
THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.
An American gentleman, writing home from
Berlin, under date of March "a, gives very
interesting account of visit to the venerable
Humboldt, who expressed on that occasion a
pretty decided opinion of Mr.. Webster, the
Fugitive Slave Law, and of our national treat
ment of Slavery itself. The passages which we
give beloY from the letter have this morning
been placed in our hands for publication
awe rang, handed the servant our cards,
who, after looking at them, showed US through
the entrysinto little room filed with stuffed
birds and minerals. Here we left our great
coats, passed through another room filled,
museum like, as the other, and from that into
the room where Mr.. Humboldt was sitting. He
came Immediately forward, took our hands,
and expressed his pleasure at seeing us, and
insisted on seating US on the sofa, while he took
an easy chair himself, and sat by the end of it.
He began at first to speak in French, but, after
having gos halfway through a sentence, turned
into Engl il, which he speaks better than he
understan, it when spoken. He talked rapid:
ly and Ausntly, and with but slight accent.
ale began at once to talk of America of the
state of the country when he was there in 1904,
was then acquainted, particularly of Gallatin,
Madison, Ind Jefferson, and of how he was every
day brou. 1T to realize, after the lapse of fifty
years, by pew and great names in our political
and scientific and literary world, and by every
sign of the existence of our country, how much
| we had progressed since then. But, he said,
| there is one thing in which you stand worse
than wheh / was there; and every honest and
Intelligent foreigner who can look at it with a
| knowledge Of the matter, and with fairness,
will tell you so. For thirty years-for thirty
| years-(aad he counted them on his fingers y
you have aaade no progress about Slavery. You
have gons, backwards, very far backwards, in
many resi- ects, about that think especially
in your L of 1850, that law by which man
in free tate, where he ought to be free, can
be made slave of. That / always call the
Webster W.
~ alw, IS before liked Mr. Webster He was
great n n. knew him, and always till then
liked him But ever after that 1 hated him.
He was t D man who made it. If he had wished
to proven. it, he could have done it. That is the
reason WV l call it the Webster law. And
ever after that / hated him.
II made some remark about Mr.. Webster s
influence On that point not being confined to a
political sphere, but Of his also carrying with
him that circle of literary men with whom he
was CONNECTED. Yes, said he, it was he who
did it all and those very men, not connected
with politics, who ought to have stood against
it, as you say, he moved with it. You came
from New England, where there is 80 much
AntiSlavery feeling, and where you have learn
ed to think that Slavery is bad. While you are
here in Europe, you may see things which you
think bad< But know Europe, and / tell you
that you will find nothing here that is one half
| so bad as your Slavery, and know what your
Slavery is.
an. Humboldt's personal appearance is very
remarkable. He is very small and thin, but
for man of his age (he is now eighty fve)
he looks uncommonly we'll He wore a large
white neckcloth, a curiously colored and figured
velvet wastcoat, aad a dress coat. Old as he
is, he still keeps up the habits of his earlier
years-sleeps but little, works necessarily, and
is fond of society. He is now engaged upon
the fourth volume of his Cosmos"
THE Book OF BooKs.-They who are not
constant readers of the Bible little know the
treasure of wisdom and beauty that is yelled
from their view. The Dublin Roman Catholic
Rerie,c, whose editor would forever seal up the
volume Of which he speaks, is nevertheless con-
strained by the power of, truth into eloquent
praise of its beauties, and says:
"Who will not say that the uncommon beau
ty and marvellous English of the Protestant
Bible is not of the great strongholds of her
esy in this country? 1t lives on the ear, like a
music that never be forgotten, like the sound
of the church bell, which the convert hardly
knows how he can forego. Its felicities often
| seem to be almost things, rather than mere
words. 1t is part of the national mind, and the
| anchor of national seriousness. The
memory of the dead passes into it. The potent
traditions of childhood are stereotyped in its
verses. The power of all the griefs and trials
of p man is hidden beneath its words. 1t is the
rer resentatve of his best moments, and all that
there has been about him of soft and gentle,
and pure and penitent and good, speaks to him
forever out of his English Bible. 1t is his
sacred thing, which doubt has never dimmed,
and controversy never soiled. In the length
and breadth of the land, there is not Protest
ant with one spark Of righteousness about him
whose spiritual biography is not in his Saxon
Bible"