The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-23
WEBSTERS-FATHER AND SON..
Nirginian Defends Motives of the One
and Chronicles Death of other.

Colonel Lawrence s. Marye, Of Lynch
burg contributed an interesting article in
Sundays Washington Post, taking issue
with certain chronlclers of the death Of
Colonel Fletcher Webster. son OF the great
Daniel Webster, I'm whose defense from
Northern criticisms the latter pprt Of the
article Is penned.
Colonel Marye recalls the account Of a
contributor TO the Galveston News Of the
death Of Colonel Webster, In which Il IS
made 70 appear that he was killed in a
personal encounter by one John Hagger-
ty. a courier for General Hood, and a
daredevil desperate. On this point Col
onel Marye says:
"But all official accounts Of the battle
Ohe second Manassas, as we'll as the
official reports show that Colonel Web
ster was MORALLY wounded al the head Of
his regiment, the Twelfth Massachusetts
while stubbornly resisting the Overwhelm-
ing assault by Longstreets corps upon
Bald Hill sometimes called the CHM
House,. where the Federal army made
its last determined stand. The cOura-
geOus resistance which he made may be
inferred from the fact that every regi-
mental commander Of the assaulting Con-
federate brigade was severely wounded,
namely, Colonel w r. Patton, Lieut.
Colonel q. c. Floweree. Lieut.-Colonel
Morton Marye. and Major A. A. Swim
der. Before this swift and surging tide
OF battle Fletcher Webster went down 10
death. in that dread abyss Of disunion
into whose depth his honored father
could not bring himself 70 look. There
is something in this pathetic beyond the
power of description"
Following the account OF the death OF
Colonel Webster Colonel Marye INDUCES
a few appropriate reflections upon the
objectionable crime Of the people Of Mas
sachusetts in saddening the last days OF
Daniel Webster. because Of the broad
and patriotic stand he took. I'm his It'll
OF March QSJO speech. 10 save the Union
from the impending danger which he so
clearly foresaw and so deeply deplored."
Colonel Marve says: Mr. Webster was
a lifelong opponent Of slavery, and al
ways expressed himself as opposed to
its extension into the newly-acquired ter
ritories. But he was. above and beyond
this. a patriot. an American citizen, who
loved his country and deplored as above
all earthly catastrOphies a dissolution Of
the Union. To avert this calamity he
was willing to forego and subiugate many
deep. very deep, pretudices-or rather
let me say, cOnvictons-among them his
adherence Of the fugitive slave law. But
as A constitutional lawyer he saw that
this law was embodied in the organic
Federal chart. and to save the Union he
was willing 10 add to its vitality and
effectiveness by Congressional enactment"
Colonel Marye adverts 20 the persecu-
ton OF Webster by such men az Garr!-
son. Greeley. Phillips. Lowell. whittier
and. later. Senator Hoar. He closes with
An expression Of qualification that Senator
H0ar, In one OF several interesting ar
ticles contributed TO Scribners Maya
zine in 1899. admits. though tardily. the
great wrong he did to Mr.. Webster, and
observes:
PITY it is that this posthumous con-
fession comes too late TO pluck the rooted
sorrow from the soul Of the great suffer-
or. for the cold, dull ear Of death hears
not. heeds not. the acknowledgements Of
wrong. the whisperings of repentance, or
the murmurs Of praise"