Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-09-21


had than any other foreign country weathero
storm; but Russia the arctic sky lighted with the
flames OF her old Muscoyte capital the shadowy Ksers
of the House OF Hapsburg compelled TO abdicate
the crown of the Holy Roman Empire and accept a
substitute that of Austria Prussia staggering from jena
trembed on the verge of political annhlaton the other
German States Italy, Switzerland Holland and the Span
ish Peninsula convuscd Egypt overrun; Conssn-
tinope aud the East threatened and In of these
States institutions, laws, ideas and chang
ed as ehectually dynastes With the downfall of Ma
poleon partial reconstruction Of the old forms took
place. but the political genius Of the continent of Europe
revolutonized
On this side Of the Atlantic the Untc, States though
studying impartial neutrality, drawn at first
some extent into the outer circles of the terrific male
of national growth and development of which the world
has witnessed no other example. Meantime, the Span
ish and the Portuguese Viccroyatcs south of us from
Mexico Cape Horn, asserted their independence that
Casan empire which the sun never set was dismem.
bered aud the golden chain forever suudered by
which Columbus had linked half his new-ound world to
the throne of Ferdinand and Isabella.
Such the crowd and the importance of the events
in which, from his childhood up the life of Mr. Webster
and OF the generation to which he belonged passed
and with all sincerity say, that il has never been
my fortuoe, in Europe America to hold intercourse
with any person who seemed to penetrate further
than he had done into the spirit of the age under its
successive phases of dissolution chaos
and progress Born and bred the veryeof the viii.
dernes this father of old French and In
dian in which, in the middle of the eighteenth
fury, wild of the woods to wage war with
the tomahawk aud the scalping knife against the fire.
side and the crade) with the senderest for
early education entering life with usual fcil
ties for reading the riddle of foreign satecra remote
from the scene of action relying upon OF inform
alton equally open to all the world he to me new
ertheleSs, by the instinct of great capacity have
comprehendcd in all its aspects the march of events i'm
Europe and this country. He surveyed the arations of
the age with calmneS, deprecated its excuses sympa
thized with its progressive tendencies reoced in its r
unphs. His first words in Congress- when he came un
announced from his native hills in 1873 proclaimed his
mastery OF the perpexed web of European politics in
which the United States were then deeply entanged
and from that time till his death think We all felt thos
who differed from him well those who agreed with
him. that he was in degree below the standard of his
times that If Providence had his lot in the field
where the great destncs of Europe decided this
poor New Hampshire youth would have carried his head
a high among the Metternichs the NeSserodes the
Hardcnbcrgcs, the TaeyrAnds the Casereaghs OF the
day. and surely among their succcsSors who now occu
I the stage, as he did among his contemporaries
home.
Let not be thought however in this remark to in.
innate that those contemporaries at home second
rate men; lar otherwise IL has sometimes seemed
that owing to the natural reverence in which We hold
the leaders of the revolutionary peod-thc heroic age
OF the county-and those of the constitutional age who
brought out of chaos this august of confederate
repubcanism hardly do iu Justice TO the third De
Rod in our political history which may be dated from
about the time when Mr.. WEBSTER into political
life, and continued through the first part of his career
The heroes and ages OF the revolutionary aud consttu
tional period indeed gone: Washington Franklin
Greene, Hamilton, Morris, JAY slept in their honored
wing, withdrawn from affairs. But Madison who
contributed much TO the formation and adoption OF
the Constitution, at the helm; Monroe in the Cabi-
net; John Quincy Adams, Gaatin and Bayard negoti-
anc in Europe; in the Senate Rufus King Chris
topher Gore, Jeremiah Mason Giles Otis in the Honse
Of Representatives, Pnckney, Clay. Lowndes, Cheyes
Calhoun, Castor, FORSYTH, Randolph Oakley Pkin CroS-
Ncnor; on the bench OF the Supreme Court, Marshall
Livingston Story; at the bar, Dexter, Emmett Pnkney
and Writ with many distinguished not at that time
IN the general Government ofwhom it enough
naugTFs fTHFp MAJ.
lcgc TO see Mr. Webster, associated and mingng with
nearly all those eminent men, and their successors not
only IN later years, but IN NV youth and when he
hrst came forward, unknown Yet the country at
large, scarcely known himself not arrogant nor vet
unconscious OF his mighty powers tied hboriou pro-
lesion IN narrow range Of practice, but glowing with
generous ambition and afraid grapple with the
strongest and boldest in the land The opinion pro-
nounced Of him. NJ the commencement OF his career by
Nr. Lowndcs, that "the South had not in Congress
his superior the North his equal sayors In the form
OF expression OF sectional pariaty If had been said
that neither at the South North had any public
man risen more rapidly brilliant reputation no one
think would have denied the justice Of the remark
lie stood from the first the acknowledged equal of the
most distinguished Of his associates In later wears ne
acted with the successors of those have named with
Benton, Burgess, Edward Livingston, Hayne, McDuHe
Mclean Sergeant, Clayton, Wilde, Storrs, our own
Bates, Davis, Gorham, Chote, and others who still sur
but it will readily lie admitted that he never sank
from the position which he assumed the outset OF his
career or stood second to any in any part the
/ country.
| 1--we look FOR moment at the public questions
with which be called deal in the course of his ca
reer and with which he did DEAL in the most mastery
manner, they successfully came up we shall find new
proofs OF his great ability When be frs, came forward
in life the two great beigerent Powers OF Europe con
tending with each other for the mastery of the world
despisiug youthful weakness and impatient of our
gainiu neutrality in violation now admitted Of the Inv
Of nations emuated each other in the war waged noon
our commerce and the insults offered 20 our Tag To
engage IN contest with both would have been madness;
the choice Of the antagonist question of difficulty
ana ven calculated TO furnish topc OF repOach and
elimination Which ever side you adopted your oppo-
neut regarded YOU being in great national struggle
the aPoogisi Of unendy foreign Power In 7gs the
tuited States chose France for their enemy; in 1872
Great Britain. War declared against the latter
country on the 18th Of June 1872 the orders in Coun-
ell which the immediate cause of the war were re-.
scinded i've days afterwards Such the narrow chan
ce7 on which the fortunes Of States depend
Great questions OF domestic and foreign policy follow
ed the close of the OF the former class were the
restoration Of currency which should truly represent
the values which IL uOminaly circulated result mainly
brought about by q resolution moved by Mr. Wcbs,er
the fiscal system Of the Union and the mode of con.
Meeting the collection, -aekeepng and disbursement of
the public funds with the commercial wants and espec
aiY with the exchange OF the country the stability OF
the manufactures which had been called into existence
during the what cOnstituoually be done and
ought anything a of policy to be done by Con
grsss To protect them from the competition of foreign
skill, and the glut Of foreign markets: the internal com
mungatons Of the Union question of paramount inter
before the introduction of railroads. can the ceu,r
power DO anythiug-what can il dO--by roads and ca
uas to bind the distant darts parts of the continent to
gcthcr the enlargement OF the judicial system of Ia,
country to the wants Of the greatly increased mum
Der Of the States the revision Of the criminal code
the United States which almost exclusively his work
the administration Of the public lands and the hes
mode Of filling with civilized and Christian homes tbi
immense domain, the amplest heritage which was eve
subjected to the control of free government connect
ed with the public domain the relations Of the ciyize,
and dominant race 10 the aboriginal children Of the soil
aud lastly the constitutional questions on the nature
the government ITSELF which raised in that gigantic
controversy the Interpretation Of the Fundamental las
itself These were some Of the most important domes
lie questions which occupied the attention Of Congres
and the country, while Mr.. Webster on the stage
Of questions connected with foreign affairs were tho
growing Ou' Of the war, which IN progress when a.
first became member Of Congregation the variorl
questions Of international law some Of them a. novel
they were important which had reference the enran
or the attempted entrance Of many new States int
The family Of nations; IN Europc,-Greece. Belgium
Hungary on ths continent twelve or fourteen new "a
puhlic great aud small bursting from the ruins Of ia
Spanish Colonial Empirclkc group Of asteroids fror
the wreck Of exploded planet the invitation Of th
infant American Republics 10 them in Congress q
Panama commercial relations with the British Col,
mics in the West Indies and this Continent demand
on several European States for spolai0ns on our con
uercc during the wars Of the French Revolution our u
Il, t.. Il