Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-03-31
DANIEL wEBsTER's WAYS.

tic which has never before been related
in print, may be told of Mr. Webster.
On the way home from the convention
which was held, we believe, at Phila-
delphia, the Mississippi delegation call.
ed upon Mr.. Webster at his modest
house on Louisiana avenue in Wash
ington. 1t was near the close of n
summers day, when, ushered into the
little front parlor, and introduced to
Mr.. Webster, the chairman, Judge
Sharkey--the same it may be who
years afterward was conspicuous in
the reconstruction of politics in his
State--addressed the great orator in
terms of fattering eulogy, saying,
among other things, how pleased he
and his fellow delegation would have
been to see Mr.. Webster's great abili-
ties recognized in the nomination of
their party for the Presidency. As
Il matter of fact, the delegation had
steadily voted against him in the CON
vention. 1t was upon this fact that
Mr., Webster's curt reply turned, You
have expressed. Mr.. Chairman said
he, "thc sentiment that you desire
and | must suppose that your action
was in conformity with that desire
in the recent convention of the Wing
party for the nomination of cand.
date for the Presidency of the United
StatcS-your desire and effort was that
that honor should fall upon me. In
response to which | have only to say
that the record, gentlemen. is the other
way. Good night, gentlemen" And
bowing himself through the folding
doors into the rear parlor where Mrs.
Webster sat in the deepening twilight,
he vanished to Mississippi eyes. leav-
ing his visitors sternly rebuked for the
lip service, to find their homeward way
as best they might.
1t was in the preceding presidential
canvass, in 1913, when General Taylor
was the Wing candidate, and elected,
that the writer heard Mr.. Webster
make. on his farm at Marshfcld, the
speech in which he declared tha; the
selection of General Taylor-who in
private conversation at Washington
had been characterized, but uuiustlv,
A. only swearing frontier colonel
was IA nomination not tit to- bc made"
The speech, the unly one, We think, he
made in the canvass, was listened to
by large a,,cmblagc who had come
to Marshtield for the purpose, many
" straight - Wings from Boston and
elsewhere being among the number
with considerable sprinlSiug of so-
called Conscience Whig-.' out of
whose secession from the party grew
the historic condition which soon after
put Chas. Sumner and Henry Wilson
in the United State. Senate. Many of
these Boston gentlemen. We remember.
wore white or light.colored kid gloves
on the occasion, and their applause
was diverse, as one and another of the
orators uttcrances affected the diver.
gent prejudiccs OF his auditory. The
above quoted remained in
the printed speech n Mr.. Webster
made il. but another, still more often
sive to Wings proper, was eliminated
from the verbatim report a- it stood
in type in the office of the Boston
Atias. The Wing committee sent
delegation to Mr.. Webster asking that
the obnoxious phrase might be can
celled before the speech went TO the
press. NO. said Mr.. Webster "let
it stand as spoke it, Not to be baf
fled in their solicitude for it, expurga.
tion, one of the committee renewed the
request in a note to Mr.. Webster. en-
closing n check for $500. Mr.. Web.
ster's reply to this was that the cx.
preston could A. well be left out; that
the speech with that omitted would
express his views on the
points to which it related. 80 the
speech went to press without it, There
may he those among our contcmpora.
ries, solicitous OF Mr.. Webster fame.
who may he moved to dispute the sub
stantial accuracy of what is here re.
lated. The fact in its main details
and significance, we believe to be sus.
ceptible of proof. the lapse of thirty
two years nevertheless.