Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-02-17
Life of Daniel Webster.
BY GEORGE T. CURTIS.

Daniel webster 01eQ In 1907 anu y
few days before his death made q
provision in his viii appointing Ed
ward Everett, Professor Felton,
George Ticknor and George T. Cur
tbs his literary executors; and to
them Mr.. Fletcher Webster transfer
red his fathers papers after his
death. 1t was, of course, intended
that life Of Mr.. Webster should be
prepal ed, after a suitable time had
elapsed, and the inten ton was that
Mr.. Everett should write this bioge
raphy. Before the time for the al
lotted work arrived, both Mr.. Ever
EFT and President FELTON, were no
more; and as the other executors
were admonished by the death of
their colleagues that the intent of
their friends dying wishes might be
defeated if they longer waited, Mr.,
Curtis, aided by Mr.. Ticknor. under
took to prepare a life of Daniel Web
ster, which should worthily embalm
the great orator, statesman, lawyer
and American, in the literature of
his country.
r Seventeen years have passed since
Mr.. Webster died, and the events
which have marked the last ten
years have been of such character
do " AlahC q WAOCI OC-
tween his times and our own than
could have been possible ut any pre-
vious period of our history. Daniel
Webster belongs, az Mr.. Curtis has
truly said, to the era which was
marked by patriotic efforts to avert
from our country the disasters of in
ternal conflict and civil war. In
those efforts he was grandly pronni-
nent, and as years pass, his services
as the defender of the constitution
and the judieious and faf-sighted
statesman, will 5e more and more
appreciated. But Mr. Curtis by no
means limits his life of Webster to =
view of his political career. he. trac-
es with all the interest OF an associate
at the bar, and all the enthusiasm of
an earnest friend, Daniel Webster's
early struggles in pursuit of legal ac-
quirements, his rapid advance to
eminence, usefulness, honor, and I'M
rivalled fame as an advocate, and he
dwells with q tenderness and pathos,
which gives peculiar charm to the
biography, upon his early history
and domestic and social life.
Abd just here we desire to quote an
estimate of Mr.. Webster, which is. at
once eloquent and true. Mr.. Curtis
says, "If to enlighten, instruct amt
elevate popular assemblies or public
bodies by spoken discourse. that be-
comes part Of the literature, and is
indestructibly associated with the
language of a people; if, to create
those masterpieces Of speech which
are preserved by diction, eloquence,
reasoning and thought, that men
will not willingly let die if this
constitutes oratory-Mr. Webster
stands, by the judgment of mankind, /,
with those who have welded this
great power in ancient or in modern
times. What he was, however, as
an orator, as lawyer, and as q
statesman, would fail to be an ade-
quate portrayal of him If it were not
accompanied by some delineation of
what he was as man. His great
intellectual endowments and COM
spicuous civil functions were united
with a character of equally marked
peculiarities, and his private life was
as full and capacious as that which
was known to the public; and it is
that which is the most vividly and
fondly remembered by those who
were intimately. associated with
him."
The first volume of Mr.. Curtis's
work embraces a period of about fif-
ty years, Darrates in detail the early
JCA46 DI10A5g bdOt1ACC0 cAhO AOOAO ga
ertions of Mr.. Webster, and gradual
ly leads the reader on from view of
the private life and special business
of Mr.. Webster as a lawyer, to his
entrance upon the public career
which has become part of the ma
tional history. Some of the incidents
of his youth are peculiarly interest
ing. 1t would scarcely be credited
that the great orator, when a boy,
make an ordinary school declama-
ton; and yet, the following record
from his autobiography is too frank
and natural to be doubted:
ST believe I made tolerable pro-
gress in most Of the branches which
attended while in school but there
wss one thing could not dol could
not make a defamation. / could
not speak before the school. The
kind and excellent Buckminster
sought especially to persuade me to
perform the exercise of defamation
like other boys, but I could notdoit.
Many piece did I commit to men,
ory, and recite and rehearse in my
own room, over and over again, yet,
when the day came, when the school
collected to hear declamations, when
my name was called, and 1 saw all
eyes turned to my seat, could not
raise myself from it. Sometimes the
,instruc tors frowned, sometimes they
smiled. Mr.. Buckminster always
pressed and entreated most winning
Iy, that I would venture, but l could
never command sufficient resolu-
ton. When the occasion was over,
Invent home and wept bitter tears of
modification"
His preparation for college was
meagre, and his opportunities even
for reading had been limited. In
the ancient languages, the Latin
grammar, six books of Virgil, four
orations of Cicero, a little Greek
grammar, and the four evangelists of
the Greek Testament, were his whole
stock. A little arithmetic, and such
knowledge of geography and histo-
ry as he had picked up in his desul-
tory reading, completed his outht.
He had read "Don Quixote," Watts
hymus, and such miscellaneous
books as he could get hold of, but he
entered upon his collegiate duties
with that vigor and thOroughnessi
which assured his success from the
outset. As Daniel Webster began to
feel the value of q collegiate educa-
ton, he longed that his elder broth
er, whom he regarded as his superior
in mental qualities, should have this
advantage. He was unwilling that the
family should be sacrificed to him
self, and when he came home at the
vacation he had a consultation with
his brother which lasted all one
night. The result was that Daniel
should propose to his father that
Ezekiel should be sent to school and
college.
"This we knew would be trying
thing to my father and mother and
two unmarried sisters. My father
was growing old, his health was not