New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-23

the agency which thwarted the calculations OF
Jefferson and his party after their succession
TO governmental control
In their pleasant plans and anticipations OF
revenge it must have seemed as if nothing could
stop the onset of an all powerful President
backed by a subservient Congress. Surely the
national principle, the national life, the oroao
construction of the Constitution would shrlVei
away before such an attack. There seemed no one
in the way for however much JeIerson,
watcnful may have suspected, ms oNL
followers certainly did not reckon as very TOT
midable the great lawyer sitting far apart III
the cold seclusion of a courtroom. Yet there
the eremy There he sat entrenched. his
powers were limited. but his opponents We're 10
find out what he could do with them Ihey
were to learn by bitter experience that even
those limited powers in the hands OF great man
sufficient to extend the Constitution ana 10
build it up faster and far more surely than they.
by executive act Congressional speeches.
could narrow it or pull it down
We must pass over with a brief comment
Senator Lodges address the unveiling of a
statue of Daniel Webster in Washington. At
ter rareful analysis and comparison OF the
masterpieces of great orators. Greek, Latin
French and English, he is disposed TO think that
Webster is unequalled, and sure that he is I'M
surpassed He stan Is the final test OF vitality.
a host Of speakers deemed immortal in their
day have faded into oblivion Webster sur
wives not as a mere relic. but as a living and
Lodges judgnert that has preserved him.
His speeches ARE never essays or anything but
speeches-and vet upon all alike is the literary
touch" He had the combination of Shake
speares Brutus or Antony, or Demosthenes or
Cicero" When open the volumes of his
speeches. it is like unrolling the wrappings
of an EGYPTIAN mummy, to find within a dried
and shrivelled form. faint perfume alone sur
viving to recall family the vanished days, as
when some queen long dead, young
Rather it is like the opening OF Charlemagne's
tomb when his imperial successor started back
before the enthroned figure of the great Emperor
looking out upon him, instinct with life, under
the red glare of the torches IN practical proof
and exhibition OF webster's supremacy, hIr.
Lodge says: Turn to any serious and large
debate in Congress, and you will find Webster
continually quoted. he is in every session,
quoted twenty times often any other public
man in our history That is an interesting
declaration, and a suggestive one. 1t is often
said that the age of great oratOry ended when
the use tor great Cratory ceased; that there is
need to-day for such a power Webster's;
that, indeed, if Webster were to be reincarnated
the power would not he felt, that his occupa ton
would be gone But if Webster. dead for half a
century is still continually and profuseIy quoted
by the practical legislators of this era. who want
TO persuade public spinicn and impress the
minds and capture the votes of their collea CUES
what sufficient reason is there to believe that
living Webster could not get hearing? The
fact that truly great oratorv is scarce does not
prove that it is not wanted Truly great poetry
is not abundanty produced in these days but
the world is yearning for it. We have no idea
that another Reply to Hayne" answering to
new conditions. would fall unheeded or fail to
win immense ranown-
We cannot dwell on the authors Treaty
Making Powers of the Senate" in which he
argues the proposition that the Senate has
always possessed never doubted and ha-
btuaIly exercised the power of amending treaties
at its discretion; or on the addresses commem-
Grating Three Governors of Massachusetts"
IN which the Massachusetts Senator, in a strain
of ardent pride and love felicitously celebrates
the virtues OF Greenhalge. Robinson and VOL
colt. Space must, however, be reserved for the
Grafton Oliver Ellsworth before the grad
uating class of the Yale Law School last June
because it passes judgment a question which
is of some present interest, and which may here
after become of great importance. Senator
Lodge assigns to Ellsworth lerge share of
credit for the acceptance Of the constitutional
principle of representation according to pop
ulation in the lower branch of Congress and
equality Of the States in the Senate-a some
what larger share than his colleague, Mr.. Hoer
solictous for the fame of Roger Sherman, is
willing to Concede TO Roger Sherman's col
league in the convention. Having expressly re-
marked that the equality of the States in the
Senate was the one provision of the Constitution
which the trainers declared could not be changed
without the consent of every State" Mr.. Lodge
continues:
Just there is a movement on foot to bring
about the election of Senator's by direct pop
ular vote II successful. it will inevitably be
followed ny proportional representation in the
Senate, and the most radical revolution con-
ceiNa bic viii take place in our form of govern
ment If the Senate is placed upon the
same basis as tire House and is chosen in the
same way by the same constituency, its char
acter and meaning depart, the States will be
stitution will be destroyed Capitalization will
advance with giant strides and shall enter
upon a period of constitutional revolution of
which the end cannot be foretOld-
We aware that other Senators have de-
clared the same belief. but il appears to that
the foregoing paragraph contains a violent non
sequitur. We have never advocated or thought
well of the proposal that Senators should be
elected by popular vote, and not disposed to
deny that proportional representation in the
Senate might engender all the evils which Mr..
Lodge foresees; but cannot admit that pro-
l'ortional representation would inevitably follow
popular election. NO State witnout its consent
shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Sen
ate" There is no power residing anywhere.
or capable of being called into existence, which
can ever relax that prohibition, except the
ultimate power of revolution, and we cam
not imagine how a revolution could possibly
be brought about for the accomplishment Of
such change. To our minds such combina-
ton of State populations as would be essential
to effect it is absolutely inconceivable