Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-12-04
DAILY \IRGlNiAN.
Toe @ eat American ststesm an.
Interesting Dttuiis in the Life and History Of
Daniel Wsbsttr.

Toe @ eat American Statesman
Interesting Dttdiis in the Life and History Of
Daniel Usbster.
A correspnnlen, Of the Nem York Evening
Post, writing from the home ofDnniel Webster,
=. Mnrshf, hd Mass, -commuis eates some inter
esimg details infegard to the contents of Mr..
Fi,o,her Wrh-ier's forthcoming collection 1T his
fathers cnrre- -pnndrnce, which will be published
in thu coming Winter, by Messrs. Little, Brown
x Co., of BOSTON,
MR. WEBSTER AND JOHN RANDOLPH.
The challenge recev, d by Mr.. Webster from
John Randolph. while they were both members
of the National .,onsc Of Representatives. takes
up portion Of the correspondence. In THIS
| fair. General Wool of New York. acted M the
friend and adviser Of Mr. Webster. and Senator
Benton of The challenging party.
The singular deception of Monroe Edwards,
pmcliscd upon Lord Spencer, Is also told nj
| ncih II may be remembered that IN Is1t
| whil, this Notorious individual wa- u, England
| he presented Ia Lord Spencer forged letter OF
introduction from Mr.. Webster, aud took ndvan
! inpr of the eivilitcS extended to him on that nc
count to borrow Of TINT noblemnn the sum ct
| three hundred pound4. having been ioilcd, as he
! pretended. in some negotiations he hnd 'ntely
undertaken. Shm,ly after. Lord Spencer hear
ing something which led him 10 suspect the true
character of Edwards, wrote to Mr.. Webster,
| stating the circumstance and his suspicious but
declaring TIM, he was nevertheless glad of the OPP
| portunitv Of thus showing his regard for Mr.Weh-
| ster aud those who bore his recommendation To
| this Mr. Webster returned mn answer denying nm
acquaintance with Edwards, aud exl"ring him
rs n hal character; but in the meantime, the nd
! rnil frgcr bud managed to pny up. md before re-
ceiving the answer, Lord Spencer wr"'" nn"th-
er letter. Announcing that Edwards bad acted ike
an honorable mhn. aud apo"gi1ing y cver hay
ing harhorcd n suspicion against MIR. Wrbst"rs
! friend.
WEBSTER YOUTHFUL STRUGGLES.
A very pleasant pnrt Of the correspondence
nre the letters of Mr. Webster. written while u
law student to hl- brothcr Ezekiel, who was
struggling to pay for his education by keeping
school in Boston A the spare cash which Dan
| ic could earn by teaching md copying deeds had
been devoted To his brothers co'leg" expenses,
hut his income wn- TOO narrow 10 meet them ul.
| w. Sryprui of the lcttsra relate In ibe subject
of the d.vi-ing means of raising money 10 dc
! frnv doh, rf ff,v dnllrr-. which Ezekiel hnd
/ incurred in the rurcha-e Of books In Boston.
! This caused tho two hroiher~ pcrpl"xty, In
one of his opistles Daniel. after trying to cheer
"Xekc,"hv nn ennmerati ~ Of the possibilities
which yet remniaed for rai-ing money, enters
upon the following strain of philosophic conso-
! lation:
"sArrsBgRy. Nov. 4tb 1902
IL have hom b itc two trnts in lawful FEEDER.
al currency. \, st week | will send them. f'hev
he all. They will buya pire-"ith npip' you
can smoke smoking implies INSTRUMENTATION
j. allied ~ toitnde from t'iiiinde II /" hut one
! step tn stnicisin. and -toci.m never pants for
this worlds eeods. So perhaps, my two cents,
by thi- process. may put yor qmts at ease about
cash"
Again. ~ lnte n june l9ih, 1904 he writes
from Salisbury. tN, II J aft,t having declined
comfortable oiliee in order to pursue his profes-
sion:
4 ID. 4
will do well for IL vet. We shall live aud live
comfortably have this week come within mn
nee of being appointed Clerk of the Court Of Com
mon Plens for lIllsborough county. Well you
will say. you are no better of than " you had
not come within an ace Perhaps am--sey
nothing but think. good deal aud do not dis
| trust the God-.' >"
HE THINKS OF POETRY AND THE PULPIT.
In conclusion of this Letter IL hi- brother. of
| June 10, he relieves his mind o. tie following
verses:
| "Fol ii dol dol di dol, di del
Ill never make money my IDOL
Wfhmy friend and my pitcher,
I'm twenty times riehor
Fol ii dol dol dl dol, ii dol'
1t may be remarked here TINT Mr.. Webster. in
! the midst of his family, and with his children and
grandchildren around. not little given 10
off hand rhymiDg. and would greatly divert them
by his exiempore English heroies. in which the
ou>ly disproporioned to the tlihing nature ofhis
! theme.
| But the potts was not the only vocation which
the great statesman narrowly escaped, At one
time in his youth, some Of his friends earnestly
pressed upon him the duty of entering the Chris
! tain ministry, mud he was wont to tell with ev
dent enjoyment. the story Of his being advised 10
assume ihe business of Necromdncy An old
lnau, who enjoyed the reputation III his native
| village of hciag wizard, assured young Dan
| ie that he WAS '.just mado for IA conjurer,"
! and a. they al that time great many
stray cattle 10 b. found the business offered II
good opening He concluded by offering To tnke
| the future statesman into partnership, and go
| halves with him in she profits.
now HE BECAME A MARRIED NAN.
While on the subject of Mr.. Websters history
| cannot forbrnr mentioning an incident related
! of his courtship, which | do not remember to
! have seen recorded. He was then young law.
yer in Portsmouth. y. H.. At one of his visits
to Mis-. Grace Fletcher he had probably with
view of combining utility and enjoyment, been
holding skeins Of silk thread for her when sud
denly he stopped, saving, Grace, we have thus
been engaged in untying knots; let US see if we
can tie knot. one which viii not unite for "A life.
time" He then took piece "f tape ana
ntter beginning knot of peculiar KIND. gave
! it tn her to complete. This WA the ceremony and
ratification Of their engagement. ANA now IN
! little box marked hy him with The words Pre-
/ cinus Dncuments.'' containing the IL tiers "f ms
earlv courtship, thi- uniq1e memorial Is stili to
| be found The knot has never been united.
HIS ,urpBioGi Apply.
Perbap. the most interesting relic of Mr.. Web
,ter which will he incorporated in these volumes,
will be his autobiography, as vet unpublished,
written by him in thu year 1923. for his friend.
Mrs. E. b. Lee, of Boston. Ii is written in his