New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-13
THE SPEECH UHICK WEBSTER DID NOT
DELITER.



In the Spring of 1851, the late Hon. Joshua
r. Gid0ings had public reception II salem, Onlo,
where Vas men enssVt ~ yui.'I1 ~ 10 81, %
erd private interviews, in which he told me the whole
Thai while the Omnibus BILL" called embOdyng the
compromises introduced by Mr. Clay, was pending Ia
sNveTy men as TO tne course which Mr. Webster might
take 1t was generally believed ana admitted thar the
pended upon his action In the premises. There were
hopes that he would take ne stand upon me sac
Of freedom but equally strong fears that lie would 90
t 0,,s ,whefher tbev could bring TO bear
upou hin any influence 70 control MS decision;
In this state Of AFFAIRS" SAID MI Gl l'
Asnmun OF Springfield, Mass, an extensive ana care
fully prepared brief in Mr. Webstcrs oW handwriting,
the pending compromises. Mr. Ashmun put 1t into my
hands under injunction OF secrecy, asaluS me TO eA-
anime Il carefully, aud to give Mr. WEBSTER the beneht
Of my opinion character OF the speech ana es-
pecialy tell nm whether II the skeleton should be
and the speech delivered IN the senate would satisfy
the anti-slavrry sentiment OF the North. You can
IMAGINE" continued Mr.. Giddings, how eagerly ex-
amned that bref from ne Deennng 10 tIe end ana
or desire. retuIncu ~ VITA hOo eAprsssshg my
great satisfaction, and sugg sting TO Mr. WEB
some listsric references which did not APP
pear to have occurred to him. After this. when
press their anxiety 10 The course Mr. Webster would
take, could Only say Never Iear. l believe le VIII
mo- that had been cOnided TO me but
was happy IN The assurance tnat hence
and the air was Still filed win contradictory rumors
concerning Mr. WeDsters purposes felt that knew
what he would DO and, therefore, my MIND was lInds-
turbed could believe that az the last moment ne
would cspouse the wrong sde,S aud turn his
back. not only upon himself, hlt upon New
spite OF my confidence, evil we're
flying all about. was told that leading men on tue
pro-slayery side were lao0rng win nm night ana day
and trying persuade him to yield TO their wishes IL
not, however until day or two before the 7th OF
March that felt any anxiety on the suecti but then
the Story OF his detection reached me from so many
quarters that began to fear the worst At length the
dreadful day arrived and the great statesman Of New
England bowed his neck to receive the yoke which the
shareholders and their miDions had prepared Tor IT,
Mr. Giddings went to toll mo by what
arguments Mr.. Webster, as 1t was under
Jul plunge The story was, substance tnis: IN the
onset upon HIM Wings and Democrats ioined forces
nent among those who spoke for the Democrats They
him by en sd ID MS GaYeuo TO O
the antislavery side. President Taylor Is In the hands
But II you support the coppronises. your influence
will carry them through, and they VIII create wave OF
HJ%se over All opposition" Senator Footo il reported
had assured him that every Democratic candidate
man % they said You have been seeking the Presi-
deney long time. Iyou do not reach the object Of
your am billion now, you never Will" ,
OF course. do not repeat tins authentic history,
only the substance OF reports current at the time
inherently probable and widely believed They are GER
tainy plausible and PERFECTLY consistent with the events
that his heart was set upon being President and that lie
relied upon his popularity as he foremost champion Of
election The bitterness of his Disappointment when,
in the WING National Convention OF 1852, not single
Of Southern delegates voted for him, wl1le the
nomination went, by large majority, 10 General Scott
Is not matter OF conjecture Peter Harvey who went
directly from the Convention In Baltimore, To Mr. Web
sters house in Washington. tells us that the
latter met him d" with an expression OF gr1ef,"
Rufus Choate went also 20 MI Websters
house on the same OCCASION and spoke OF
the interview" says Mr. Harvey, as one OF the most
afecting be had had" He said that the appear
ance OF the family ana everything about the house
seemed to remind him OF that he had witnessed
In families which had lost beloved member. =" And
that sad meal" added he which we perto0k OF with
Mr and Mrs Webster that night reminded Inc strongly
OF the first meal after the return from the grave, when
the full force OF bereavement seems to DC realized
II was too deep emotion for utteranoe." Even Mr..
Clay advised the Southern delegates to 90 for Fillmore
Aud this" said Mr. Webster wounded me very
much" Aud OF course after Ds Wing friends cast him
down. the Democrats forgot all their promises 10 sup
port him. and Mr.. Webster reduced 10 the pltiabie
poston follower OF Franklin Pierce, It was sad
indeed, which those who admired his giant
Intellect could only contemplate with grief and shame
Aud yet Is only just 10 that Mr. Webster was but
the embodiment and representative OF The etatesman
sbip of his tme lie did not love slavery. he was de-
mofalEed as the whole Nation for more than two
generations by the assumed necessity OF supporting
Consuton that embodied the guaranteed OF slavery,
which we're afterwa ard wiped out In blood. Ii he had
lived 10 witness the outbreak OF the Rebellion no doubt
he would have redeemed Ills name from the pot that
now upon IT,