Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-12-18
DANIEL wEBSrER-HIS SOCIAL CHARACTER
AND CORRESPONDENTS

valuable addition to literature Is about 10 be made
in two large volumes Of the Private Correspondence of
Daniel Webster Many of the letters contained in these
volumes have already been placed before the public in the
columns OF the newspapers, and they have Inspired us
With she belief that the future historian will gather from
them much material necessary the correct aud and WV
id representation Of the age in which we live We have
had many brilliant Illustrations the course of the last
century, oil the fact that il is from State papers nor
official records that biography history can be mos, sat
isfactorily written. From thousand sources hitherto
overlooked ignored from e-talk from coniempora
~ pamphlets from the gossip of drawing rooms from the
scandal OF clubs and from correspondence especially its
lighter forms OF friendly and familiar letter writing have the
Macaulays and the Cayes the Prescots and The Irving.
compiled the story OF great age the memoirs OF its re-
kablc Aud when the student Of character and
events shan come out OF some future generation cnght
by his genius the annals oil the present century or
cal somc great parsonage whom have descend 10
the tomb it Is from such rich stores Of incident and a.
pinion to b. found in the letters of Mr. Webster
that the epoch 70 be nn'oded or the parsonage portray
cd.
These forthcoming volumes will have real value in
placing the private character Of the writer himself in
light before the world. BY the majority OF his fellow
citizens, Mr. Webster regarded cold anu Tor
bidding man; dwelling apart from ordinary mortaIs a.
were, in chilling aud exalted region OF great IDEAS
aud perceptions; little alive to the minor affairs Of
life, and having small sympathy with the feelings and
emotions OF the great mass of mankind But as seen
in his correspondence he appears emincnty genial
aud sympathetic friend and companion From that severe
and truthful mirror OF his every day habues and char
acterstcs. he is reflected who with zest
into the common enjoyments aud social delights OF the
home circle. To such intellectual Titan releasing,
his grappe upon the mishlest questions Of intricate
craftsmanship and joining in the ordinary pleasures OF the
domestic freside; to the pen which has lust
written protocol calculated - disturb for while tn.
equilibrium OF two continents, flying the paper in
playful misve TO John Taylor Marsh6eld is as refresh
a ID strain az
escaped from the joyess solitude of court and permitted
brief moment OF communion with his early associates
The possession OF commanding qualities like the dignity
OF cprc, seems TO Isolate men from their fellow beings
aud them OH from the unreserved interchange of
sentiments which belongs 10 equal friendship.
Two remarkable gifts Mr.. Webster appears from his
letters and his other writings to have possessed in de-
gree beyond that OF any other statesman of his tne-an
acute perception OF the beauties OF nature and
wealth OF Imagination. No absorption OF his faculties nv
public business cares OF State, pressure OF official
duties, disappointment Of cherished hopes and ambi
tens suced render him insensble to the cories of
the autumn woods, and OF the morning sky and of Od
Deans grey, lhmitable waste" And if TO nterpret ma
ture to common understandings be of the highest
qualities OF the poet then Mr.. Webster poet as true
who have recorded their Inspiration in ttochee-
aud dacyls aud hsxameters There scarcely any mem.
orabe effort Of his intellect that does recognize some
bright manifestation oil nature. The well remembered a.
fusion to the October sun in his speech at Richmond in
ls4O-his letter on sunrse written several wears after
wards from the city-the magnificent tribute 10 Eng
which represents her reYele
sun and keeping company witt the hours and that strk-
ing speech OF i've minutes made from the window of his
residence In Washington the night after SCOTS nomina-
ton had defeated forever his aspirations for the Pesep
cy wherein he introduced the lark rising up to greet the
earliest purpng OF the Eist-these some OF the fire.
quen illusions TO natural objects Of beauty aud subimy
scattered through the efforts OF his tongue and pen which
rise 10 memory at the instant No man was ever more
impressed with Niagara than he and no one has descr
ed with half his simplicity and power He was himself
Niagara among men, awe and majesty enthroned upon
his brow and the iris forever playing round about him
The gloria OF Imagination OF may such pbrase)
which Is poured the speeches and even the oci
papers Of Mr. Webster will bis name surely from
the oblivion which awaits the Of men who made
equal impress upon their age IL renders his compo
stions models for rhetorical study and snperadds TO The
reputation he acquired a statesman and disomatist
that other more enduring fame which attaches TO literary
distinction. This fame is not indeed the most enyed of
men, bnt it certainly will UuIve any which shines along
the pathway Of ldstrious deeds Mr. Webstets oraons
viii live long after the conflicts and political agations in
which he moved have been shI ouded in the dim TWILIGHT
through winch we Of the 18th Century look back tue
times OF the Rameses the Fifth What truly do we know
OF that monarch whose other OF SisOstr il sometimes
used To point moral or round a period in comparson
with certain blind old nerant minstrel who went about
ureece, at the same time, singing OF the white neck Of
Helen aud the ali OF Troy! Homer survives i'm number
less Transitions but the great condneror IL forgo,en
For have not the Of Homer" saws Lord Bacon
in his Advancement Of learning, continued tsepty6ve
hundred years and more, without the loss Of SYLLABLE or
letter, during which time infinite palaces teninl.s c,s
ties, cities, have been decayed and cmolishedy IL mo,
possible TO have the true pictures of Cyrus. Alexander
Cesar nor OF Kings or great pefsonages Of much later
years. Tor the originals cannot last the comics cannot
but lose all Of their life and TRUTH But the images of
neus wits and knowledge remain in books exempted
IRON the wrongs OF time and capable OF perpetual reno.
vaiion."-Bait. diner.
The woRD "CAXARD"-The origin of the word canard
French for duck) when employed 10 signify some uu