The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-06-20
"Reminiscences Of Webster.

Daniel Webster was great lawyer
NAV | not say the greatest of American
law ers and his profession made him
at times stitie his individual convictions
to please bis polit cal followers. as he
would have argued the bad side of a
ca e t. earn the fee paid by n client. No
finer speech was ever made in favor of
free trade than that made by MIR. Web
ster in 1916 in the House of Represent
stives. when he was a Representative
from New Hampshire. and in $50 he
made another spec h in Faneuil Hall on
the same side of the question. But in
1924. acting in obedience 10 the wishes
of the Roston merchants interested in
cotton mills, who supported him. he
earnestly resisted the Southern attempt
to repeal the tariff, and thenceforth he
was prote ZIONIST.
So with the 9TH of March speech. Mr..
Webster had eloquently pleaded for the
! freedom of the Greeks. but when the
emancipation of the Africans euslaved
IN the Southern States began to loom
up in the political horizon he yielded to
| the temptation of the Southern WHY'S,
VINO offered him as 3 retainer prom
ises that they would give him the FRESH
dental nomination. do not believe
the assertion that he had prepared him.
| self to speak against the compromise,
as he had been i'm ?ressed by the horrors
of the civil war when he saw would be
inevitable, although he was laughed at
BY the Free soil orators and press, and,
As if to completely estrange him from
New England. where public opinion
was rapidly, though imperceptibly.
changing toward emancipation, the
| same Free Soil orators and editors
bro ght personal charges against his in
tegrity and mOralit . irsr rt
The most malignant and spiteful at
tack made upon Mr.. Webster was by
MIR. Charles Allen, then q Represents
tive in Congress from Worcester. One
evening. at the close of session. MIR.
Allen said plum ly that he would not
intrust Mr.. We ster with the making of
arrangements t. pay the three millions
of Mexican indemnify. he stated that
| it was notorious that when he was
called to take the office of Secretary OF
State he entered into negotiation by
| which ~. 900 was r:tised for him in
| State street. Boston. and $500 in
| Wall street, New York. Mr.. Allen
trusted that the Democratic party had
yet honor enough left to inquire into tine
matter. and that the Wings, even, would
not palliate it, If satisfied o the fact.
| Mr. George Ashmun, lie srssentadve
| from the Springfield district. retorted
that Mr.. Allen had ca en- salt with SIR.
| u ebSter. had re -ciyed ben fits from
| him. and that he was tie only one who
| dared hus Indignantly to assail him.
lir Ashmun alluded TO letter from
Washington, some time previously pub
\ lished in the ~ as, stating that a men,
| Der of the House had facts in his pos
session upon which TO found sresOlu-
ton charging a high officer with ''cor-
| ruptioh and treason, and he traced q
| come ct.on bet yeen that letter and Mr..
| Allen S insinuatious. Mr.. Julian. an
other prominent Free Soiler, seconded
Mr.. Allen. and tried to secure an in
vestigation, If not an Impeachment, of
Mr.. Webster. is'
Mr.. Ashmun declared on the floor of
the House, by the authority OF Mr.. Web
ster, that the statement Of Mr.. Allen
was ..false in all its length and breadth,
cad in all its details" bur there was
doubtless foundation for the state
ment. The friends of MIR. Webster ad-
mirted that voluntary contribution
bad been rendered him as compensa-
ton for the sacrifices he had made in
abandoning his profession to accept the
Office of Secretary of State, and they
justified his acceptance of the money
on the ground that after having devoted
the labors of long life to his profess
sion, and attained it in high rank.