The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-03-02
ABOUT DANIEL WEBSTER
RECoLLECT1oNS AND REFLEc-
TI0NS.
A Half Century Glance Backward.
BY HON. J. L. NJ. CURRY, IL. D.

BY HON. J. L. NJ. CURRY, LID.
Richmond Herald
When the shadows of life lengthen.
past events often assume greater fresh
ness and distinctness. Garrulity NAV
bring down ridicule from the younp.
but to one of "outstretched life" there
is keen enjoyment in recalling the
personal remembrance Of the men of
bygone days. Incidents rightly told,
besides the fascination to the narrator,
may have q historic benefit for the
young. If not communicated and
recorded, what may have some value
perishes beyond recovery. These rec
elections are not intended for any,
thing pretentfous or OF very serious
import. What will be written is
mainly what eyes haye seen, OF ears
haye heard, with only SO much of bi-
ographic or historic addition as may
serve to give increased interest or in
telligibllity.
Perhaps no one public min in the
whole history of the Northern States,
Lincoln excepted, is regarded with
more pride. or is so canonlzed for ge.
MUS and patriotic labors, as
DANIEL WEBSTER.
Great lawyer and orator as he un-
doubtedly was, the homage paid to
him Is chiefly as the defender of the
Constitution. His claim to that pre-
eminence does not rest on many illus
trious services or many papers and
speeches. or on any great legislative
schemes and accomplishments. but On
his debates with Hayne and Calhoun,
two South Carolina senators. His
speech in the Senate on March Z, 1850,
on the guarantees OF slavery in the
Constitution and in his resistance of
the mad efforts of anti-slavery fanatics.
lost him his popularity at home and
modified the judgment of his section
as to his soundness and frmness as a
statesman. The debates in different
years were really upon the one subject
of the relation of the States to the
Federal C.Isrnment. The first was on
resolutions Ct Senator Foote, of Yer
mont, pertaining to the public lands,
and the others were on the "Force
Bill" ana tie resolutions of Calhoun
defining tie powers of the correlated
govern The defense of the
Constitution was based on what was
fundamental and vital In determining
whether the General GovernmeE: vas
federal Or national, and whether the
ultimate right of decision as to the ex-
tent of delegated powers resided In the
Congress and the Supreme Court or in
the State, the creators of the Union,
from whom all grants proceeded.
Webster ldolized the Union as a sep
arate government, apart from the
Constitution, with inherent powers and
existing outside the creating States, or
the Constitution, of which 1t was a
result. The speech In reply to Hayne
is one of transcendent eloquence, infe-
rior to nothing In our language, and
its glittering periods OF patriotic ad-
ulation have furnished extracts and
themes ever since for school-boy decla-
nation. Rhetoric is not argument,
and conclusions should have been,
what they were not, logical deductions
from historic facts, or admitted on de-
monstrable premises. Benton, then in
the full vigor Of his intellect, gave the
palm OF victory to Hayne but such is
not the verdict OF the North, nor Of
her prejudlced historians. Having a
more formidable antagonist, Webster's
reply to Calhoun fell far short of that
to Hayne in augmentation for Cal
houn's speeches are as inexpugnable
as the propositions of Euclid.
Webster, Clay, and Calhoun were
the triumvirate who tor years domi-
mated the Senate and their parties.
Webster and Clay were rivals, each
coveting the Presidency, and each nn-
der the necessity of moving the other
from his path. Party and political al
fillation and conference could not be
avoided, but their personal relations
were not very cordial, and there was
no marked goodwill between them.
On the contrary, for oae another Web
ster and Calhoun had great respect,
drawn together by common patriot
ism and an affinity which exists between
lntellects of the highest order. Web
s.er was born In New Hamshire, en-
tered public life In that State, but
afterwards became identified with
Massachusetts,, which was very proud
of him, and has monopolized his fame.
In the contest in 1874, in the Whig