The Osceola times., 1882-04-15
THE STORM WEBSTER MADE.
An Incident In the United States Senate
Thii y-six Years Ago.
Lecture by John Wentworth.

by his assistance IN Inc passage Oh tne
river and harbor bill in 1916. The bill
Mad passed the House and been re-
ferred to the committee on commerce,a a
of whom were Of the strict
school, believing that Con-
gress could improve natural harbor but
could not make one. ] went before the
committee to defend the Appropriation
for harbor at Little Fort, now called
Waukegan. | found that | had no
friends there but Senator Reverdy john
son, of Maryland. The committee rec
ommended that the appropriation Dc
struck out. Senator John A. DIX, OF
New York. led the opposition. lie had
been graduate of West Point, wss
good engineer, and brought up the msp
of survey into the Senate, and was nav
ing great influence against 1t. / was
seated in the lobby directly behind
Colonel Thomas H. Benton, and Webster
WAS upon his usual walk. He gave me a
nod of re e,ognition and passea on.
General Dix kept up his fire, and ielt
II Our Senators. Sidney Breese and
lanes Semple, were both from the
Southern part of our State. and had no
personal knowledge of the merits OF the
case. The Indiana senators were similar
lv situated. Wisconsin had no senatosr.
And the Michigan senators lived at Do
troit and they had only general knowl-
edge of Lake Michigan. As Webster was
travelling to and fro past me, the thought
occurred to me that, as he was a liberal
constructionist," he was just the man to
rectify all the damage that General Dix
was doing. But il was a small matter
for SO great a man. Besides, | knew
that his colleague, Senator John DAVIS,
was taking the side of Genera. DIX. AS
Webster would pass me ! would resolve
that the next time he would come l
would speak to him. But my courage
would forsake me when | reflected that
he was Whig and was Democrat.
wanted some excuse 10 speak to him.
He had known my father. He was son
of New Hampshire and graduate OF
the same college with myself. But my
heart failed me- aud yet it was all the
while siphing: webster, Webster, do but
sneak to me-" At length came his voice,
in deep, sepuchIal tone: Wentworth,
What is Dix making all this ado about?'
Promptly the answer came: Mr.. Web
ster, since your trip around the lakes
from Chicago, in 1887, we have had bnt
few appropriations for old han bors and
none for new ones. This place ia half
way between Chicago aud Milwaukee,
anG we want harbor Of refuge there"
81 see the point" says Webster and at
once went TO his seat upon the Senate
floor.
When General Dix had concluded Mr..
Webster observed that he could add
A. A. I. Of
the Senator from New York in favor Of
the appropriation. lie thought he had
satisfied all the senators that there was
no harbor at the place, and so the House
must have thOughe when 1t made the
appropriation to construct one there.
| Upon what did the Senator from New
| York found his doctrine that when God
created the world or even Lake Michigan,
he left nothing for man to do? The curse
pronounced upon our first parents for
their transgression was in entire con-
fict with any such doctrine. He did not
believe that the constitution of tho
! United States was such a narrowly con-
tracted instrument ,hat it would not per-
init the construction Of a harbOr where
the necessities OF commerce required 1t.
He then foreshadowed the growth ofihe
West its abundant pro !uCts its gigantic
CONNER, C its numerous people He start
ed steamer from Chi ago laden TO the
guards with freight and pa s-ngers lie
! then described the storm that no man
/ but Webster could describe. His flight
of eloquence eqaa'e ed lis best at Bunker
Hill or Plymouth Rock. You could hear
| the dash of waves the whistling winds,
/ the creaking timbels and the shrieking
passengers, and, as lac sent the vessel TO
| the bottom with all on board he ex-
claimed: "What but merciful Provi-
dence saved Iue from such catastrophe
when parsed over Lake Michigan in
| 1897" At such dire disaster could the
senator from New York derive any con-
ISOLATION from the reflection that his
narrow Interpretation OF the constitu-
ton had been mliniained2 As Webster
| closed, Colonel Benton turued % me
and said: That IL the greatest speech
upon 80 small matter that | ever
heard" Keverdy johnson came up and
said: 'Now, don't you abuse the Wings
any more And Senator Breese said:
Now you caa 60 back 10 the House.
That speech saves u.s. The bill passed
without amehdment. But alas, Pres ident
Polk vetoed It, And out ofhis veto grew
that wonderful event in the history of
Chicago, the river and harbor convention
OF lSi7, a vast assemblage, composed of
the most talented, enterprisng, wealthy,
and Influential men OF all parts OF The
country. At the laying of the corner
stone OF the Douglas monument, General
DIX was here ~ the principal orator.
While others we're speaking | called his
attention to our magnificent harbor
works. After complimenting them high
ly, he said; They ought to protect you
from any s,orm-eyeG from such oae as
Webster manufactured for you in the
Senate in 1916"