The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-04-03
Reminiscence of Daniel Webster.

some OF the highest exhibitions of the. general
subject the world ever witnessed was that OF
Daniel Webster, whom, in an open barouch In the
streets of Boston, he proclaimed to vast assem-
blaps of his consttuents-unwilling hearers
that they had conquered an uncongenial CLINE,
they had conquered the winds and elements of
the ocean, they had conquered most of the ele-
ments of nature, but they must yet learn to con-
ouer their prejudices. ''-Alerdnder II. Stephens
Speech.
ssThis 10 a glowing strain. But what was the
occasion of Daniel WebSter's remark remark
(by the way) not made frsm an soPen barouche,'
-Netc York Independent.
The St. Paul Press says:
Stephens is right and the Independent
wrong. Having been present on the occa-
sion. we distinctly recollect all the circum-
stances, and particularly that Mr.. Webster
stood in the carriage. Mr.. BENJAMIN r. Cur
tbs. afterward Justice of the United States
supreme court, made the welcoming address,
standing on table in front of the Revere
The windows of the building were crowded
with ladies, among them Mrs. Harrison Gray
Otis, who threw boquets into the carriage.
1t was on the 25th of April. The feeling
excited by Mr.. Webster's 9TH of March
| speech, and his support of the compromise
N easures, was at its height Three fourths
of his political friends refused to endorse his
course. and the masses received him in sullen
! silence. Faueuil Hall was closed to him,
and he was escorted from the depot to the
Revere House by . few personal friends in
| carriages. But the square around the hotel
was densely crowded with people, snxiously
awaiting the explanation which Mr.. Webster
| was expected to give of his seeming betrayal
of his constituents, and Misrepresentation of
the sentiment of the state.
I - aLekor
stood in the carriage, shading his face from
| the burning sun by his hand, and looking to-
ward the house. At its conclusion he turned
to the vast crowd around his carriage and
| commenced his memorable reply. All heads
| were bent forward to catch each word that
| fell from his lips, but there we're no NANTES
tations of applause or disapprobation. The
people maintained a perfectly respectful, and
even reverential, demeanor during the whole
| speech, and it was not until the close of the
magnificent peroration, spoken as no other
man could speak, was their iciness thswed
SO as to greet him with round of cheers.
This peroration, that so well accords at the
present time with the ardent desire of every
true patriot. is as foilows:
''The Union for the preservation of which
| strovs the union of states for which |
strive. is not merely a union of law, OF con-
stitution, of compacs-but while 1T is that
it is a union of brotherly regard, of fraternsl
feeling throughout the whole country. l dc
not wish that any portion of the people Of
this country shall feel held together only by
the bonds of legal corporation bonds
which some of them may think restrain their
limbs. cramp their affections. gall and wound
them. I wish, on the contrary, that they
shall be bound together by those unseen
soft, easy setting chains that result from gen
erous affections, and from a sense of common
interest and common pride. In short, fellow
citizens, my desire is, AMI my labor is, to SEE
that state of things produced, In which, FL
ling all bosoms with gratitude, all hearts
with joy, Illuminating all faces, spreading
through all ranks of people, whether rich Oh
poor, whether north, south, east, or west
there shall exist the balm of all our suffer
ing-the great solace of all our political cal
amities-the great society of everythin,
: prosperous, and great, and glorious in tn
future and that is, THE UNITED LOVE OF
!; UNITED GOVERNMENT"