The times., 1897-11-14
LIFE WORK OF DANIEL wEBsTER
Greatest of Our Orators. He Still
Could Not Be President.

conscioUsness OF the American people. Be
fore the war of 1912 the Union had been
boxed upon By many thoughtful and par
promising eRe, indeed, but Of uncertain
issue Whether II would To able 10 en-
dure the +tIitin OF divergent local inter
ests, feelings, andasDirations, and whether
It's component parts would continue in the
desire permanently 70 remain together In
one political structure. we're still matters
Of doubt and speculation. The results OF
the war of 1872 did much to inspire tho
American heart With glow OF pride in
the great common country, with confident
anticipat tions OF It's high deStinies, and
with an instructive feeling that che great
ness OF the country and the splendOTs ofits
deStinies depended altogether upon the per
manency OF the Union. The original theory
that the Constitution of the United states
was a mere compact OF partne rships be-
tween Independent and sovereign common
wealths, T. be dissolved at VIII whatever
historical foundation it may have had,
yielded Co an oyerruling sentiment OF a
comInon nationality.
This sentiment was affronted by the
nullirication movement in South Carolina,
which, unde- the guise OF resistance to the
high tariff OF 1928, sought to erect a bull
wdrk for slavery through the enforcement
OF the doctrine that State by its sOver-
eign action could oyerrule a Federal law,
and might. as a last resort, legally with
draw from the Federal compact" AgainsE
this assumption Webster rose up in his
might like Samson going forth against
the PhliStines. In his famous Reply
10 Hayne' he struck down the doctrine
of the legality OF State resistance and OF
secession with flows so crushing, and
maintained the supremacy or the Federal
authority in its sphere and the indissolu-
bility % the Union with an eloquence so
grand and triumphant, that as his words
vent over the land the national heart
bounded with Joy, and broke out In en-
thusiastic accIama tions. At that moment
Webster stood before the world as the
fist Of living Americans. Nor was this
the mere sensation OF a day. His Lib
erty and Union, one and insepara BILE,
now and foreyerl" remained the watch
wOrd OF American patriotism, and stEl
reverberated thirty years later In the
thunders OF the civil war. That glorious
epoch continues TO hold the first place
among nc monuments Of American ora
tory.
UnheppiIy FOR himself, Webster was not
satisfied with the theater of action On
which his abilities fitted him for the great
est service, and on which he achieved his
highest renOwn. AT q comparativ early
period or his career he ardently wished to
be sent ~ minister to England, and he bore
a grudge to John Quincy Adams for his
failure to crafty that desire. Ever since
his Reply to Hayne'' had made his name
a household word in the country an I'M
gGvernabIe longing possessed him to be
President OF the United states. The NOR
bid craving commonly called 1.-THE PresI-
Dental fever developed in him, as it be-
came chronic. its most distressing forms,
disOrdrring mis- ambition, unsettIing hts
Judgment and waTping his craftsmanship.
His imagination always saw the coveted
prize within his grasp, which, in reality.
il never was. lie lacked the sort OF pOpu-
larity. which. since the administration OF
John Quincy Adams, seemed TO be required
for a Presidential candidacy. He Travelled
over the Isad, South and North and East
and West. To manufa cture it for himself,
but in vain. The people looked at him with
awe and listened TO him with rapture and
wonder. bit as to the Presidency the fancy
and fdTor of the politicians, as well as OF
the masses, obstinately ran TO other men.
So it was again and again. Clay, too,
was unfortunate aS a Presidential candi-
date. But nc could have at least the
nomination OF his party 20 long as there
appeared 70 be any hope for his election.
Webster was denied even that. The vote
sor hiIH in the party conventions was al
ways di>rrGSsingly small, usually confined
To New England or only part OF it.
Yet he never ceased to hope against hope,
and thus 10 inv lie more and more CALLING
CiSaFpointmentS- To Henry Clay he could
yield without humiliation; but when ha
saw his party prefer TO himself, not once,
but twice and three times, men of only
military fame. without any political sig
nificance whatever. his modification waI
50 Keen tl.;tt in the bitterness OF his soul,
he twice openly protested against the re.
suit Worse than all this, he had to meet
the fate fate not uncommon with
chronic Presidential candida tes-tO see
the most important and most qurstfona-
bic act cf his last years attributed TO his
inoTdinate craving for the elusive prize.
The cause of this steady succession OF
failures may have been partly that the
people found him TOO unlike themselves
too unfamiliar to the popular heart-and
partly tha5 tie part mana gers shrunk from
nominating him because they saw in him
not only giant, but a very vulnerable
giant who would not ear weu'' as a
Candidate They had indeed reason to fear
the discussions tu which in an excited
canvass his private character would be
subjected. or his moral fanings those ro-
larinC to money we're the most notorious
and TIE most offensive To the moral sense
OF the plain p-ople- In the course OF his
public life he became accustomed not only
TO tl,e adulation but also to tue material
generosity. Of his followers. Great as his
professional income was, his prpdigahty
went Tar beyond his means, and the reck-
lesS:ieSs with which he borrowed and for
got TO return betrayed an utter insensibiHty
- pecuniary obligation. With the coolest
nonchalauce he spent the money or his
friends ana left TO them MS debts for pay
ment.
This habit increased as he grew older,
and severely tested the endurance OF his
admirers SO gave a departure from the
principles of common honesty could not fan
10 cast a dark shadow upon his character,
and it is not strange that the cloud OF dis
tuSt should have spread from his private
10 his public morals. The charge was made
that he stuOu n The Senate advocating high
tariffs as the paid attorney of the manu-
factuyers of New England. It was met by
the answer that so great man would not
sell himself. This should have been enough.
Nevertheless, his defenders We're grievously
embarrassed when the fact was pointed
out that il was, after all, In great part ths