The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-03-26

Mr.. Webster was 4 great tavorlte in
the Department of State, for he made no
removals. and his generous and consid-
crate treatment of the clerks won their
affection. His especial favorite was MI
George J. Abbott. a native of New Hamp-
shire, who had been graduated at Exc
ter and Cambridge, and had then come
to Washington to tlke charge of 4 boys
school. He was an accomplished classi-
cal scholar, and lie used to hunt up Latin
quotations applicable to the questions of
the day, which Mr.. Webster would COM
nit to memory and use with effect. His
private Secretary was Mr.. Charles Lam
man. a young gentleman of literary and
artistic tastes, who was devoted diSci-
pie of Izaak Walton. The two would
often leave the Department Of State for
a day of piscatorial enjoyment at the
Great Falls of the Potomac, when Mr..
Webster would throw off public cares
aud personal pecuniary troubles, to cast
his lines with boyish glee, and to exulC
loudly when he succeeded in hooking 4
fish. Another clerk in the department
who enjoyed Mr.. Webster's esteem was
Mr.. LanlZinger, the son of 4 purser i'll
the navy. who possessed rare accomplish
ments. Whenever Mr.. Webster visited
his estates in New Hampshire or in Mas
sachusetts, he was always accompanied
by one of these gentlemen. who had the
charge of his correspondence.
The corner stone of one of the "exten-
sions" of he Capitol was laid on the
seventy-sixth anniversary of our national
ndepcndence-July /. lS51-by the fra
tcrnity of FrcemaSonS III due and am
pie form" President Fillmore. the Cabi-
net, the Diplomatic Corps. several Gov
ernors of States, and other distinguished
personages occupied seats on tempo
rary platform. which overlooked the place
where the corner stone was laid. Major
Is. b. French. Grand Master of Masons
of the District of Columbia, officiating.
Mr.. Webster was the orator of the day,
and delivered an eloquent, thoughtful.
and patriotic address. although he was
evidently somewhat feeble, and was COM
PEELED to take sips Of strong brandy and
water to sustain him rs he proceeded.
Among the vast audience were three
gentlemen who had, fifty eight years pre-
viously, seen General Washington aid
his brother Treemasons in laying the
corner stone of the original Capitol.
Later in that year, the large hall which
contained the library of Congress. nccu-
pyiug the entire western side of the Gen.
ter Of the Capitol. was destroyed by fire.
with almost all Of its valuable contents.
Nearly forty Thousand volumes of books.
many historical manuscripts, and col
lection of statuary. paintings. medals.
coins. and other curious specimens in
various departments of art and science.
were consumed in the flames. The
weather was intensely cold. and, had not
the tiremen and citizens worked hard.
the entire Capitol would have been de-
stroyed.
Filibustering was at that time the
means by which the pro-slavcry leaders
at the South hoped to increase their ter
ritory. and they defended it in the halls
of Congress, in their pulpits. and at their
public gatherings. Going back into sa-
cred and profane history. they would at
tempt to prove that Moses. Joshua. Saul.
and David were "tilibusters, and so
were William the Conqueror. Charlie
mango. Gustavus Adolphus. and Napo-
leon. Walker simply followed their ex-
ample. except that they wore crowns on
carried a sword in his hand. Was it
right, they asked. when a brave Ameri-
can advonturer, invited by the despairing
victims of tyranny in Cuba. or of an
archy in Central America. threw himself
boldly, with handful of comrades. into
their midst to SOW the seeds of civiliza-
right for the citizens Of the United States
themselves the sons Of filibusterinG
| sires-to hurl at him as a reproach what
was their ancestors highest merit and
| glory?
| General Walker. the grav-eyed man
| of destiny" was the leading native fill
| adventurerS.-the Dugald Dalgettvs OF
that epoch who ,me here from unS,ic-
| cesSful revolutions abroad to seek en-
! ployment for their swords. was General
! ITenigen. He had served with Zumala-
! Carreguy in Spain. with Schamyl in the
! Caucasus. and with kosSuth in Hungary
! won him the friendship OF Wellington
and other notables. Going to Central
America. he fought calamity, but IN
! successfully. at Grenada. and he then
; came to Washington. where he WAS soon
known as an envoy of Cuba Libre' =
lie married niece of Senator Berrien
of Georgia, devoted and cultivated
woman. and his tall. soldier like figure
was to be seen striding along on the SUM-
ny sidewalk of Pennsy lvania Avenue
every pleasant morning, until in late'
years he went South Ito live or die in
Dixie
| President Taylor having sent Mr.. Dud
ley Mann as confidential agent to Hun
! gary. to obtain reliable information con,
corning the true condition of affairs
there, the Austrian government instruct
ell its representative at Washington. the
Chevalier Hnlsemann, to protest agains
this interference in its internal affairs, a!
offensive to the laws Of propriety. Thi:
! protest the cneyalier communicated tC
| Mr.. Webster after he became Secretary
ui State and IN due time he received al
answer which completely eNtingnisheC
| him. 1t carefully reviewed the case, ant
in conclusion told the protesting cheva
lier, in plain Anglo Saxon, that nothing
would deter either the government ul
the people of the United States from ex
ercising, at their own discretion. tn,
! rights belonging to them as an indepen
| dent nation, and of forming and express
ing their own opinion freely and at al
times upon the great political event
which might transpire among the civi!
lied nations of the earth"
Meanwhile Kossuth had been released