Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-14
DAILY NattOnaI Democrat.

JEFFERSON DAVIS AND DANIEL WEBSTER
In a late speech in Faneuil Hall, Boston, to-
wards the conclusion of his remarks, Jeffer-
son Davis used the following words:
1t has been not only, my friends, in this
increasing and mutual dependence of inter
ests that we have formed new bonds to bind
us together These bonds are both material
and mental. Every improvement in the nav
! igation Of rivers, every construction of rail-
| roads, has offered new reason for our being
together. Every new achievement, whether
in art or science, in war or manufactures, has
constituted to us a new and glorious memory.
and that has afforded a new bond, a new SEN
timent, holding us together. Why, then, |
will ask again, why do we see these length
ening shadows which fall in the course of our
| political history Is it because the sun is
declining in the horizon? Are they indeed
the shadows of evening, or are they, rather
as | hope and believe, but the mists which
are exhaled by the sun when it rises, and
which are to be dispersed in its meridian
glory? Are they but the little evanescent
clouds which fit between the people and the
great purposes which the Constitution was
ordained to establish
| hopefully look for that reaction which
shall establish the fact that our sun is vet in
the ascendant, that that pail which has so
long covered our political prospect is to be
drawn aside, that we are again to be divided
in opinion upon measures of expediency, in
discussions as to the rights of the States and
the powers Of the Federal Government-such
discussion as is commemorated by this great
picture between your own glorious states
man, Webster, in the Senate of the United
States and our boast and pride, the great
and incorruptible Calhoun These men stood
in opposition in political sentiment, yet they
warred not against each other they stood in
an affectionate relation to each other. and
never did see Mr.. Webster's nerves so agi-
tated, and never did hear his voice so fal-
ter, as when he delivered his eulogv upon
John c. Calhoun. But alluson was made to
my own connection with your own great fa-
vorite and departed statesman. Upon that l
will only say, on this occasion, that very ear.
ly in the commencement ofmy Congressional
life, Mr.. Webster was arraigned for an of
Tense which afflicted him most deeply. He
was no accountant, as you all know and he
was arraigned on a charge of having msap-
propriated what is known as the secret
service fund" l was one of the committee
appointed to investigate that charge | en-
deavored to examine the evidence with a
view to ascertain the truth. 1t is true that l
remembered that he was an eminent Ameri-
can statesman; it is true that as an American
| hoped he would come out without stain
upon his name but entered into the nves-
tigation to ascertain the truth and to do JUS
tice. The result was he was acquitted of
every charge brought against him, and it was
alike my pride and my duty to vindicate him
in every form that lay within my power.
Loud applause. No man who knows Dan
iel Webster would ever expect him to ask
less. No man who knew him ever could
have believed that he would have asked
whether the charge was made against Mass
achusetts man or Mssissippian. No. 1t
belonged to a lower, later, and 1 trust a
shorter-lived race of statesmen to measure
all facts by questions of latitude and longi-
tude. Loud cheers.