The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-23

II was said OF him by the great philoso-
nher OF New England, the only man OF
hta time whose influence as great pup
Ifc TEACHER equallcd mis- own:
"His weight was Ike the falling or n
planet: his discretion the return OF lis
"I re az y.as NOT more distinguished from
other public speakers by ms seNett 10
son, his sound sense and ms iolty elo o
auence, than by his moderaton anu
etraini He was master OF every emu
ton but one--love OF country IIat aioho
ne allowed TO obtain mastery OF hnn.
IL was hard for him TO argue the wrong
side. His genius Mas less the genus va
the advocate than Of the judge. Ills styie
was the fl vehicle for truth only. MS III,
clear logic could never be AT the coihiildhu
of error Calhoun i'm his dying hours
said. when MIR. Websters lame was iiieh-
toned 10 him: ..t,rd or
truth as any statesman | nave met III
debate. Convince HIM, and ne canhpt
reply, he is silenced' ne cdi ~ ~ ar.
truth i'm the face, and oppose u ny -
cumcnt | think that IL coulG DC Tc@uIts
Terceived when he felt the force Oh an
unansWerable reply. 80 NJ
Mr. HOar gave this account VI
Webstcr's celebrated speech OF March .
1880. when he destroyed most Of his popu-
larity in New England by advocating
a fugitive slave law:
Mr.. Webster was doubtless sincere Wheh
he stated his apprehension OF u.SS ~, "a.
ton OF the Union. and Of the Vasi ,ula-
rbief 10 humanity IL that dissolution
should bc accomplished. ouoSeq t; dSl,,
events and Calmer feneclloh nav 80
that In This respect II was ne, anu not
nj onnonents VINO was right. Bul no
Language can ntly describe tho ou.HND"
of mind with which the report OF MI
\Vabs;or's specch of the 1th OF March,
1Si0 was heard. Nothing could nave re-
sisted the dominion of Daniel WEBSTER
over New England until he prnvonetua IN an
encounter with the incNoraDie cOIlsCI,N','
of the puritan The shock of amazement,
OF Consideration. ana OF grlel Whlch wen
through the North has haa no pdtatIitt
save that which attended the aSSds1li' M
ton Of Lincoln. Is II you, DdIHtl w ~
ster that are giving us this counsel 10
YOU ten MS that when the fugluye slaNe
girl lays her suppliant hands on inc hoIII9i
Of the altar. that IL Is our f. ny bn youtrsged
10 be denied the right to Iedd Hcl ltIpIr'
10 be the mother OF progeny lor NIL tij,,..g,
for countless generations ihtSc ss9
shall be the common and relentless u0om
is il YOU. the orator OF Plymouth ROCK
of Bunker Hill, defender OF tht roilstlo
tuition, from whose volcano Ups CdnlI
those words OF molten lava, 'LlpeIty anu
Union. now and forever, one ana HSfP-
arable?" Has the intellect That "i9usnt
out the massive logic OF the rtPlE "
Hayne descended to this piutui arBu-
mont?
DO We
Ask for this great Deliverer now, and
t,eIrgs in GAIA at the mill with slaves?
Ie II slavery and Union, now and for
ever one and inseparableF 10 YOU VIM
erected in imperishable granite the t'eI-
nal monument of Nathan Dane, among
ne massive columns of your great diBu-
ment. tell us now that natural CONDITIONS
are 10 determine the question OF sidFciy,
and that an ordinance of freedom rs an
not re-enaCt the law OF Goa lS lhe re-
territory between the MISSISSIPPI anu me
Pacific to be left to its fate 40 you
who came To the side of Andrew Jackson
il, 1S32 counsel that the lawful authority
of this nation shall yield 10 Iue ,HttdLS
o. revolution and secession! Is IT, lrou
YOU that We hear that there IS no hlSner
law? Even n you are right III your H. IN,
terpretatiOn OF the Constitution, When dld
yod discover that it was greater than the
We're not the mandates OF Laud. which
the Puritans resisted and from which they
fled founded upon English law as not
the revocation Of the edicJ OF Ndille9
from the same lawful authority as ihdt
which enacted it, Were not the dolnSS
Of St Bartholomew Eve by command
OF a lawful king? Did not the Enghsh
judges determine the question Oh me r. .6S,.5
to impose ship money in the KING favor
Were Hampden and Russell mere traitors
and agitators? Your doctrine condemns
i'm one breath the champions ana llt
martyrs of English liberty and OF our
Own.
MIR. Webster for the first time in his
life failed TO comprehend the temper
Of the people among whom he was born
and bred lie met this eXpostulation win
arrogance and contempt Ia was, per-
hape. not unnatural He was growing old;
lie had been fed on adulation He had
found no antagonists fit to cope with
INN, or who dared 10 cope with him. lie
had failed
only when he tried
He had an old mans dread Of new
order of things. lie had a not ungenerous
ambition. lie was right in his estimate
of public danger. His constitutional ar
r.llr ~. irlnI NaIHI.