The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-19

fsre with the Institution OF slavery II ne
states. and made their platform as strongly
prr-siavsry ss vas that Of the Democrats
The slsve-hoiding South believed that
the foundation principles OF the Wing
party we're sntag0nistic 70 slavery. and
the speeches OF Daniel Websssr 81 the
"Bunker Hill Monument" ccisbrsiion in
1874: sni IN 1880. in reply 20 Hayns. and
81 Niblo's Garden. New York city, ss late
as is4s, had been calculated 70 Justify this
helief.
In 1928 Henry Gays compromiss
tarsf saved Calhoun. but Webster stood
sloof. bar IN 1850 when there vas immI-
neat danger Of disruption Of the Union.
10 WAS saved by the compromise measures
which were the joint work Of the great
whig leaders, Webster and Clay.
Mr.. Webster was charged By the anti
slavery Wings, like William H Seward.
With having gone back on bis previous
record Of stalwsrt champion Of ccnsti-
tutionaI opposition 70 the slave power. bat
wsbsfez's friends always pleaded for him
tha. be consented 20 this compounds not
South, but because he saw with the
penetrating ere Of genius tina; il was
bitter choice between compromise and
war ard dssunion.
Its only fair 70 Webster and his great
friends. like Everett. Choate and Win
throp 70 say that when the grim face of
impending civil war was presented ten
years later that ali the critics OF Daniel
Webster were ready. from Free Soil"
Charles Francis Adams down, TO vote for
'rhe Corwin Compromise. worse
measure, more abject surrender than
Webster spoke and voted for in 1859.
Nevertheless. the self-sacrihce of Web
stsr, if Ii were self-sacrifce. did not save the
Wing party. tor while IL elected South
ern STAKEHOLDER. Gen. Taylor. president, in
isfs, It was obliterated from the face of
American poll tics by its terrible defeat in
the national election of 1852 Webster
did not live TO see its death, for he died in
October. 1859.
The fate OF the Wing party is most in
teresting political lesson. As party it
comprised very large share of the superior
intellect and intelligence of the country.
The neblest statesman of the South. Henry
Clay, vas its leader from ISIS to 1850: the
greatest intellect OF the North vas its IN
surpassabie orator and statesman. II was
a most patriotic party, for it stood by
Jackson. the president of the opposition.
against Calhoun. it elected two presi-
dents. but both died in Office.
The ireachery of Vice President Tyler
defeated. in 1874, that glorious Southern
statesman Henry Claw, the Gamaliei at
whose feet worshipped Abraham Lincoln
and Horace Greeley. President Taylor
was the last Southern statesman of Jack
sonian quality: he was a Nationalist, and
had he lived the Wing party might have
survived. Taylor, the potential Southern
Wing. the raliying point for the Southern
Unionists. died. and Clay and Webster,
believing the Union To bs in danger,
waived ali party questions TO avert the
calamity of disruption and civil war, and
stood forth as champions Of ''compromlse."
Clay and Webster meant well, but their
compromise" crushed the Wing party:
1t was spurned by the South, whose power
it had obsequiously courted. and IL lost
the confidence of its most conscientious
friends among the constitutional anti
slavery men Of the North.
The downfall Of the Wing party dates
from its defeat In 1852 Calhoun had died
In 1880; Clay in 1851. aud Webster in ls52.
The Liberty party" under the lead OF
James q. Blrney, a Kentucky ex-slave-
holder. beat Clay in 1874 in New York
state; and the Free Soil party in 1873 beat
Cass in New York state. and these two
anti-slayery Wing aud Democratic rem
nants fused to form the Republican party,
which came near electing Fremont in 1854
The Webster Wings. TO which Robert c.
Winthrop had belonged all his life, re-
fused TO join the Republican party, and
finally went over 20 the Democrats. Ii
cannot bs said of Winthrop that he was "a
oopperhead" during the civil war, but IL is
true of him that he was not as conspicuous
a champion of the Union a. so ably
gifted AID influential son of Massa-
ehusetts should have been AZ that great
a.
POLITICALLY indifferent to the issue
OF the conflict as Nathaniel Hawthorne.
who during our civil war seemed to limit
bis political vision by that of that most
contemplate Northern doughtace. e.
President Franklin Pierce Nevertheless.
Mr.. Winthrop. like mos, of the Webster
Wings. preserved during the war the atti-
tude OF the woman who said: go il, hus-
band. so il. bear" not very noble atti-
tade for great and honored citizen OF
Massachusetts to maintain when the fate
of the nation was at stake.
Mr.. Winthrop was a. one time in his
life the social friend and companion Of
Charles sumner, bat when Sumner at
tackled him Tor his pro-siavery attitude
Winthrop replied with great bitterness
and refused 10 recognize Sumner socially
thereafter. and "blus blood" Beacon
street silver tops" thenoeforth we're not
az home when Mr. sumner called, but
sumner survived the snue and vas buried
with greater funeral honors than Win
thFop will receive. despite the fact
that Winthrop. measured intellectually.
sAs s far Abler and more accomplished
man than samner. but Sumner was
man who pus conscience and
moral obligations far above mere
party allegiance. while Winthrop wor-
shipped intellect, sad preferred TO follow
the saoss Of Webster. 10 .he living
patriotic, uaion-saving personality Of
Abraham Lincoln % blessed memory.