The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-12-05
81 / sfrll an j
From the n. Y. Evening Post.
Incidents in the Early Lifo Of
Daniel Webster.


Daniel Webster.
MARsnriELD, Mass, Nov. 1855.
While stay ing at the homo OF the late
Daniel Webster, | do not know that |
can afford matter of more interest to
your readers than by communicating
some details in regard to the contents Of
Mr.. Fletcher Webstcr's forthcoming col
lection Of his fathers correspondence.
which will be published in tho coming
winter, by Messrs. Little Brown & Co
of Boston. This collection, which will
be comprised in two royal octave vol
umes OF COO pages each, uniform with
Evcrett's edition Of Webster's Works,
will include only such letters as bear up,
on the social and domestic life of the
great statesman, and | venture to say.
will place him in far more interesting
light than tho great body of even his ad
mirers have been accustomed to rcgard
him. Indeed. it will, from the intrinsic
interest Of its contents, be eagerly sought
for by those miscellaneous readers to
whom the political career of Mr.. Web
stcr is matter Of comparative indfler-
encC.
Among the correspondents whose let.
ters will be found in these volumes, are
the two Adamses, Madison, Monroe,
Chief Justice Marshall, Chancellor Kent,
Benton, Clay, Everett, Story, Jeremiah
Mason. Lord Spencer and L II Ashbur.
ton. IL addition to Mr. Wchsrcr's let
tors to these and other distinguished
men. there are those he wrote to his re-
lations-his brother, children, employees,
&c; some of them (those to Ezekiel
Webster) extending as far back as i797,
when he was but fifteen years of age -
In regard to Clay's letters, of which
there are quite a number, could not
help remarking that absence Of social
freedom which might been expected il a
man like him, From the beginning %
the end of his life, they show him to be
totally wrapt up in the small political
iutrigues of tue day; cogitating how to
carry that or this State-how to cir
cumvent or elect this or that canli-
date. They are quite voluminous, but,
as specimens of friendly cpistles which
they were designed apparently to be, al
most Of no value. The Ashburton cor
rcspoadencc, mostly written while con-
ducting the treaty negotiations, s,proves-
what is not always the case--how much
first rate private understanding be-
tween the parties may conduce to the
despatch Of business. Not few of the
boundary difficulties must have been re-.
moved over the nuts and wine by the dis.
tinguished participants in that transac-
tior. They evidently felt the highest conf
dcnco in each others straight .forwardness
and honor,
Tho challenge received by Mr.. Web.
stcr from John Randolph. while they
were both members of the NatioIal
House of Representatives, takes up a
PORTION Of tho correspondence In this
affair, General Wool of New York,pcted
ns the friend and adviser of Mr. Web.
ster. aud Senator Benton of the challeng-
ing party. The singular deception Of
Monroe Edwards, practiced upon Lord
Spencer, is also told at length. 1t may
be remembered that in lS43, while this
notorious individual was in England he
presented to Lord Spencer forged let.
ter Of introduction of Mr.. Webster, and
took advan tage of the civilities extend
ed to him on that account, to borrow of
that nobleman the sum of threo hundred
pounds, having been foiled AS he pretend
cd, in some negotiations he had lately
undertaken, Shortly after, Lord Spen.
Ger hearing something which led him to
suspect the true character Of Edwards,
wrote TO Mr.. Webster, stating the cir
cumstances ard his suspicion, but declar.
ing that he was nevertheless glad Of the
opportunity of thus showing his regard
for Mr.. Webster, and those who bore his
recommendation. To tLis Mr.. Webster
returned an answer, denying an acquaint,
ance with Edwards, and exposing him as
bad character; but in the meantime
the adroit forger had managed to pay
up, ind before receiving the answers
Lord Spencer wrote another letter, an
noupcing that Edwards bad acted like
J an honorable man, and apologizing fol