The times., 1901-04-21
WEBSTBR'S LAST ADDRESS
A Brief Greeting to Serenaders at
His Washington Home.
4 Reference to the baltimore Con-
veutiou and His Candidacy s--scren-
-ity Equal to the summer stars.
Failing of the Leaders i'm 1852.

veutiou and His Cnndidacs --seren-
-ity Equal to the summer stars
Falling of the Leaders i'm 1882.
J. Ormond Wilson. OF this city. re-
Gently recalled the fact that the last
public address of Daniel Webster was
delivered in Washington from the portico
Of his home TO a grOup Of serenaders-
Mr.. Webster was at the time living in
an unpretentious brick house, two stories
and a basement. with a plain wooden
porch in front ef the entrance, on the
north side Of d street northwest. ad-
joining the Unitarian Church. which sep
arated it from Sixth Street. The church
is now the Police Court, and the house.
with the portico removed, does service as
| the Webster Building. aff0rding Office
room to several attorneys.
| The occasion was a starlit night. June
| .. 1852 Immediately after the adjourn
ment OF the National Whig Convention.
| which nominated Cen Winfield Scott for
| President. in Baltimore. Mr.. Webster
was then Secretary Of State in President
| FiIImore's Cabinet. and was the logical
| candidate for the nomination. which.
/ after ffty-three ballots, was given to
! Scott Mr.. Webster expected TO be his
party's choice. and the result was un-
|
| him and to bis friends.
on the evening named crowd Of cti-
| zens. accompanied by band Of music
| and by some OF the delegates and other
! attendants upon the convention, went 20
Mr. Webster's home for the purpose Of
/ giving expression 10 their political en-
| thusiasm in the form of a serenade to a
| great leader Of the Whig party. The
band played several patriotic airs, and at
length Mr. Webster wearing a long dress
| ing gown, appeared on the porch and
| spoke briefly to the crowd. He had been
in feeble health for some time, and the
| weary. sad expression on his face was
sight never to be forgotten by those pres
ent. He looked like lion at bay, fully
conscious of a mortal wound, butt main
| tanning his native majesty 20 the last
Mr. Wilson was present and has fur
nished for The Times a copy Of the sd-
dress. as follows:
Il thank you, feIlow-citizens, for this
| friendly and respectful call I am very
glad to see you. Some OF you have been
engaged in an arduous public duty at
Baltimore-the object of your meeting be
ing the selection of tit person TO be
| supported for the Office OF President OF
the United States Others of you take an
interest in the result of the deliberations
| of that assembly Of Wings. 1t so hap
| pened that my name. among others, was
presented on the occasion; another can
didate, however, was preferred.
Il have only to say, gentlemen, that the
convention did, 1 doubt not what it
thought best, and exercised its discretion
in the important matter committed TO IT.
The result has caused me no personal
feeling whatever, nor any change OF con-
duct or purpose What l have been l am,
/ in principle and character, and what l am
: / hope to continue to be. Circumstances
or opponents may triumph over my for
Il tunes but they viii not triumph over my
: temper or my self-respect-
} Gentlemen. this is a serene and beauti-
full night. Ten thousand thousand of the
, lights of heaven illuminate the armament.
j They rule the night. A few hours hence
: their glory will be extinguished.
; Ye stars that glitter in the skies,
Z And gayly dance before my ewes.
Z hat ye when the sun shall rise?
J Gentlemen. there is not one among
: you who will sleep better tonight than
shall. If l wake, | shall learn the hour
from the considerations, and / shall rise in
i ! the morning. God willing. with the lark
and though the lark is better song
, ster than 1 am, yet he will not leave the
. | dew and the daisies and spring upward
: | TO greet the purpling East with a more
= SeSS.
I | Gentlemen, I again repeat my thanks
! for this mark of your respect. and com
' ! mend you to the enjoyment Of quiet and
Z ! satisfactory repOSe. May God bless yOJ
: all.
n The gloom of disappointment which sad
dened the heart of Daniel Webster is not
concealed in the address delivered thai
!. night to his friends and followers. JUS
how much il may have fastened hi:
; death cannot be known. but after thi.
the great orator and statesman appeared
to lose his grip upon public affairs. De
I serted by his political associates. he wit
y messed the fall of the leaders around him
o on March 81 John c. Calhoun had died
: and while Webster spoke to the Serenad
t ers before his home. Henry Clay lay upOl
2 week later Clay died, and the natioi
n mourned his loss.
n Mr.. Webster left Washington shortly
O afterward, and returned to his home a
i. Marshfield Mass. where he died OctObe
o q. 1852. in the seVenty-first year of hi
I age, uttering as his last words. Il still
4 ! live.
y The Whig party did not long surviv
. its illustrious leader. Internal strife owe
: the Compromise Act, Of 1850, almost dis
q | rupted the Baltimore convention. In IL
y ! platform il adopted Clays Omnibus bill
= | though three-fourths of the delegates a
y | heart opposed il. The Free Soil part.
y entered the field with its candidates. ant
g | the Wings were hOpelesSly beaten in tn
II grave which Fillmore and his friend ha
N tdug for their party, arose KnOw-NOthing
- ism and the Free Sellers, which, wit
= other elements. We're merged into tn
party that elected Abraham Lincoln eigh
l. years later.