The Greenville times., 1882-09-02
Webster and the seuis.

eral Scott by the Whig convention
which met at Baltimore IN ls52,
insalted a delegation Of Southern
ers who called TO pay their re-
speets to him at the AstOr House,
New York, his friend and biogra-
pher, George TeknOr Curtis,
comes TO his defense and says IN a
letter to the Boston Advertiser:
Mr.. Webster was not at Marsh
field, but he was in Washington /
when the Wing convention assem-
bled at Baltimore. The convention
met on the 10th of June, 1852, and /
was in session until the 22d. There
were ffty-three ballotings for a
presidential candidate. The num-
Der Of votes necessary to a choice
was l47. On the fiftythird ballot
Scott had 159 votes, Fillmore liz,
and Webster q. Late in the even
ing Of the 22d, when the result was
known in Washington, Gen. Scott
was serenaded at his residence.
The crowd then moved to Mr..
Webster's house, and in response
to their call he addressed them
from the window of his chamber
81 thank you, fellow-citizens, for
your friendly and respectful call.
| am very glad to see you. Some
of You have been engaged IN an
arduous public duty at Baltimore,
the object Of your meeting being
the selection OF fit person to be
supported for the Office Of presi'
dent of the United States. Others
of you take an interest in the re-
suit of the deliberations of that
assembly of Wings. II so hap
pened that my name, among others,
was presented on that occasion /;
another candidate, however, was
preferred. ] have only to say,
gentlemen, that the convention
| did, / doubt not, what il thought
best, and exercised its discretion
in the important matter committed
to it. The result has caused me
no personal feeling whatever, nor
any change of conduct or purpose.
What | have been | am, in princi-
pie and character, and what am !
hopo to continue to be. Circum'
stances or opponents may triumph
over my fortunes, but they will
not triumph over my temper or
my self-respect. Gentlemen, this
is a serene and beautiful night
Ten thousand thousand Of the
lights Of heaven illuminate the fir.
mament. They rule the night. a
few hours hence their glory will be
extinguished:
Ye stars that glitter in the skies
And gaily dance before mine eyes,
what are ye when the sun shall rise 7
Gentlemen, there is not one among
you who will sleep better tonight
than shall. If | wake | shal
learn the hour from the constella
} tions, aud | shall rise in the morn
| ing, God willing, with the lark
} and though the lark is a bettei
!, songster than ! am, yet he will no
leave the dew and the daisies, ant
: spring up and greet the purplinl
1 east with more blithe and jocun'
$ spirit than possess. Gentlemen
+ | again repeat my thanks for thi
Il mark of your respect, and con
: mend you to the enjoyment of
}. quiet and satisfactory repose. Ma
God bless you all.'
On the day following the deli,
l. cry of this impromptu speech, tn
o delegates from the State of Missi'
u sippi called upon Mr.. Webster a
II his house in Washington, when, |
/ response to an address made t
u him by one of their number, b
;, said that "he regretted that the
III policy had appeared to be neee
y sary, only because it would writ
Z q false chapter in the history
q the country. BY the record it al
sS peared that in all the numeror
" ballotings the Southern delegate
II had failed to east their votes in Ii
III favor, even after the hope of su
u cess for their favorite candidat
y had been abandoned; but I'll
IL causes that prevented them fro
vi coming to his support were not
~ record. lie supposed he woul
r. be compelled to submit quietly
10 this apparent reflection upon h
nc public life but still knowing Il
u. circumstances that influence
VI them, it did not in the slighte
u' degree affect his feelings towar,
ro his Southern friends.n
~ When the Northern Demoer
90 wants something that the Sout
,st ern Democrat can get, the Sout
M ern Democrat is a "bully boy wi