The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-30
Webster and His Brother.

A hundred years ago, on the 18th O
January last, Daniel Webster first saw
the light of heaven on his fathers farm
among the hills of Salisbury, N. H. TIL,
centennial of his birth has been cele
brated on the very day of his advent t.
the world, in the East and in the West
in the North and in the South; and now
Just thirty years since he was buried b.
the sea on beautiful October dav, thu
public commemoration of his birth has
taken place at his home at Marshtield
that he loved SO WE'LL and in Boston
another home, where the people SO Ions
delighted to do him honor.
There was one event in the life o.
Webster most interesting and yet very
sad, that we have not seen described.
It was the great statesman at the funeral
and the grave of his beloved brother.
Ezekiel Webster.
The brothers were the children of
Judge Ebenezer Webster mother
being his second wife. whose maiden
name was Abigail Eastman, woman of
uncommon intellect and force of charac-
ter.
1t will be remembered that Daniel was
the younger brother, and that being a
boy OF delicate constitution, he was des-
tined to Dartmouth College; while Eze-
kiel, the stronger son, was to aid his
father upon the farm.
But in order that the younger shNld
be educated, the farm must be mort
gagged, which SO affected the boy as his
father carried him to Dartmouth that in
his o wn words, che laid his head upon hi,
shoulder and wept."
Sti mulated by Daniels example and
attachments, Ezekiel desired a public
education; and Daniel loved him well
enough to teach school at the rate of sly
dollars a month, that he might aid him
to attain it.
Ezekiel finally graduated at Dart
mouth, studied law, as did his brother,
and opened law Office in the town of
Boscawen. n. H., where Daniel haC
practiced law before him.
In early life the boys were inseparable.
They laboreJ together on their fathers
farm by day, and slept together at night.
70 show his love for his brother, among
other modes, he dedicated the first vol
ume of his works thus:
"'To my nieces Mrs. Alice Bridge
Whipple and Mrs. Mary Ann Sanborn;
many of the speeches contained in this
volume were delivered and printed in
the lifetime Of your father, whose fra
ternal affection led him to speak of them
with appreciation. His death, which hap
pened when he hal only Just passed the
middle Of life, left you without a father
and me without brother. | dedicate
this volume to you, not only for the love
have for yourselves, but also as a trib.
ute of affection to his memory, and from
4 desire that the name of my brother
Ezekiel Webster may be associated with
mine so long as anything written or
spoken by me shall be regarded or
read"
1t was in the spring of 1929, that Daniel
" Webster was shocked to hear that this
beloved brother had died in SANITY while
makinga pleain the Court House in Con-
cord, \. H.
The writer, then boy, born anIliviar
IN Concord heard of the same sad event.
which caused much lamentation in the
town, throughout the State and country,
for Ezekiel Webster was Il great LAWYER
and a distinguished citizen.
The funeral occurred soon after in the
COngre gational Church in Bo5cawen, a
town and the place of his
residence. Daniel Webster then 4 Sena-
tor in Congress from Massachusetts, who.
during the following year, delivered hi.
great speech in reply to Mr.. Hayne, of
South Carolina, came all the WAY from
Washington topay his last tribute of love
TO h is brother.
Boy as was, | went seven miles from
the farm of my father to attend those
solemn funeral rites. The large church,
with its galleries, was filled to overflow
ing. All BOscawen was there; many
came from the bordering towns of Con-
cord, Canterbury. Warner and Salisbury
and from distant towns.
L joined the boys in the western GAL
Iery, listened to the fervent prayers of
the then venerable and reverend DR..
Wood, who was the last teacher of Dan
lel Webster before he entered college,
and who had been his pastor.
AS USUAL Oh SUCH occasions IN Jlat QaV
DR.. Wood preached a sermon, but with
a voice somewhat impaired. He often
repeated the phrase. 1.-The enioyments
and employments of Heaven" which is
nearly all [ remember of the discourse,
oeng surrounded by boys not very quiet
an" looking upon the great Daniel for
the FIRST time.
II ever Mr.. Webster was handsome
man 1t was at that time. He was at the
age OF to'ty-seven years, or Just in mid
die life, and had about reached the
hel%ht OF his fame. His face was sad
under his great affection, as it often was
IN the Senate at Washington, when the
Union. that he 50 loved and so often de-
Tended, was threatened by sectional strife.
The service ended in the church, the
loved form of his brother was borne to
the village Goods acre" hard by. where
the great statesman looked upon that
face, called the most beautiful in New
Hampshire, for the last time. He stood.
he gazed, he wept! there was moral
lesson in the scene for all, especially for
every mother and every brother.
fo"1hS CompGni01.