Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-11

ALs lOADWnE cnS1f Hd1 NtitbcA w
Henry Miller, only son of A. s. Miller
Of Seattle. and read at the commence
ment exercises of Santa Clara College,
California:
In scanning the pages OF ancient his
tory We meet with the iliustrious name
of Demosthenes, who, laundering fiery
slodueuce from the Athenian bema,
struck terror 10 the heart of Philip of
Hacedon, and svaysd surging popu
lace by the magic power of his voice;
xith The name of Cicero, who made the
restrum of the seven-hillsd city royer-
herate with sonorous eloqnence, wbea
he defended Milo: and as we read the
lives OF these great men We are imbued
with a spirit of enulatIon, calculated to
make Us wish 10 follow in their foot
steps to the abode of fame. Bot, gen
tlemen, these are great men OF another
age and of another cline. Oar Own
country, young though she may be,
numbers among her sORs many We
torious gladiator in the arena of pol
itics, many a noted leader In tue science
Of craftsmanship, who, nurtured
among associations far from the as
sistance Of cultivation and polish of so
ciety. matnred by the opposition of try
ing circumstances and poverty, have
not bad greatness thrust upon them.
but achieved that greatness by
their own undaunt4ble will. wrestling
from the stubborn hand of fu;urity the
wreath of fame aRd the crown of sue
cess. Columbia has been a stern and
rugged nurse; but her sons have been
Taught to meet aud couqner difficulties,
20 show the Sorld that kings are not an
absolute necessity. nor monarchs the
only rulers of mankind. Oar Republic
has now lasted over century, and her
progress h marked with astonishing
prosperity and unrivalled success.
statesmen, orators, poets and hlstori-
ans have made lnsstimabie additions to
literature, while inventors and even me-
chanics have revolutionized the old 81 s-
TENS of science, and dug from the
depths of their fertile brains new and
useful instruments for the saving of
manual labor. The particular class,
however. of intellectual giants to whom
have reference are those who, breast
ing bravely the lashing waves of oppOsi-
ton and factious contention, have
guided the Ship of State through the
troablsd Sea of political intrigues to the
safe harbor of national sovereignty, those
who have unfurled the spanRled banner
| to the gentle breeze of Independence and
triumphantly raised its never setting
stars in the heavens of freedom ane
liberty. The blazing armament above
us, gentlemen, Is scintiIlating with my
Rad flashing gems but they vanish
| into obscurity at the first dawn of day.
brilliant lamp. Hundreds of mighty
rivers pour their. rushing volumes OF
| water into oceans receiving arms vel
there is Mississippi. Even too, gen
tlemen, 10 the countless array of states.
men blazoninq bright on our country,
life pages there is Daniel Webster.
II IN not my Intention to enter into
| any lengthy euloQium upon the charac
ter of Daniel Webster. nor do intesC
to confine my few remarks entirely Il
his private life, but | will endeavor, al
far as my humble efforts will permit
ne, TO picture the greatness of one who
ever iabored for his country's good : til,
greatness of one whose mastery of de
bate and knowlesgs of techicalitiel
made him the victor in many a polltica
combat on the floor of our nationa
| congress the greatness of one who
considered as a man, a writer, a lawyer
| an orator and q statesman, leaves 8
| name unequalled in the North, without
a superior in the South, and unrivalles
| in the annals of fame.
Born and nurtured among the rugged
chimes of New England, his early sur
roundings OF primitive aAd disconr,
| aging nature, Webster rose by the pow
ers of his own int llect To to be the frs
to tear away the shrOud that obscureC
| our constitutional law, and lived to bt
| the almost infallible expounder of al
that pertainsd to constitutional doe
trines. From childhood's earliest houl
he held in the highest regard God,
fourth law, and those divine principles
of truth and honesty he eve
| cherished and which won for him ma
| tiOn's imperishable love-were ins,illeC
| into his tender heart by kind and Low
ing mother. She it was that planted il
the virgin soil of his mind learning,
tiny acorn, and in after years her fonC
heart throbbed with triumphan
| Joy to see that acorn branchins
forth into a gigantic oak, which
for forty years withstood tho fierc,
ouffets Of = those D.. argumenfativ,
storms that roared about the seat OF
| justice OF New Hampshire and Massa
| ohusetts, and within the walls of oul
National Congress.
When be bad reached the proper AGE
bis father sent him to school aud al
those difficulties which were to be sur
mounted by the student of over half 4
century ago; those difficulties which
would have caused an ordinary man t,
be content with comparative obscurity
he overcame by his energy and perse
verance.
After finishing his college course il
1901 he began the study of law but a,
he WAS left to defray the expenses of hi
| brothers education. he was forced Il
teach school at different places in ordel
| to obtain money for the purpose. Ii
1906, however, when but % years of age
he was admitted to the Suffolk Court oi
Common Pleas, where he early display
ed such traits of learning and proofs o.
scholarship as to win for him the APP
plause of many noted jurist, who haC
already attained the utmost round il
the ladder of fame.
| After few years devoted to his pre-
fession the honor fell to his lot of eccu
| py ing the highest position in the powe
of his native State to grant, that of rep
resenting her in Congress. There, also
upon his first appearance he was re-
ceived with reclamation, and hi
maiden speech met with unbouuded ap
plause.
As a lawyer he was the acknowledged
leader Of able and learned contempora
ries. His pleadings were masterpiece,
of logical reasoning. As an orator hs
was the Demostkenes Of modern times
and his burning eloquence la defencs
OF truth and justice carried conviction
even to the hearts of his bitterest ad
versaries. The spiendor of his Bunkel
Hill Monument orations shall hand hi,
name down TO pcsterity, for they ar,
monuments Of his worth, as endurins
and as imperishable as the gieanti,
granite obelisk which he 50 grand,
eulogized. As q writer few hay,
equalled and less excelled him for hi
speeches and writings breathe tina
air Of refinement which refreshes a
with strong. deep and lastin,
civilixing influence. As a statesman b.
stands a prodigy of wisdom. and hi
three great speeches - the reply I,
Hayne, the speech on the Force bill an
upon the protest--are graud exposition
OF our constitutional Law, and will eve
DO turned to by rs and by pcsterity &
1 toarn xrkat a. - a. f.e.. l.. -.