The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1906-03-28
A STORY OF WEBSTER
ONE OCCASION WHEN DANIEL WAS
DEEPLY INUNDATED.

An Incident which shocked and Sur
prised Him into Tears - The Admit
ration, the Loyalty and the Gener-
osIty of His Circle of Friends.
TIE following incident in the life Of
Daniel Webster was related 10 the
writer by the late Joshua Seward:
Mr.. Seward came TO Woburn from
Boston i'll the early seventies and
bought farm, where he lived until
his death in 1855. lie was a native Of
the New Hampshire peace City" from
which place he came to Boston in early
manhood and later engaged in the HY-
cry business off School street. lie was
81 genial, social, active young man, and
in n short time many of the business
and professional men Of the city were
his friends and patrons. Daniel Web
ster, then In the fullness OF his mas
terly manhood, was his particular
friend and most favored patron. One
year Webster early engaged 10 deliver
the Fourth of July Grafton in the city.
A public procession was then an i'm
portant feature Of the celebration, and |
the orator Of the day was the chlef |
person of distinction in the parade. In |
those days there were no four wheeled
vehicles for convenience or for pleas
ure 4 chaise was the proper carriage
for gentlemen To use. Webster was
popular and proud as popular. lie saw
no ChaiSc in the city as good as he de
sired to appear in ON that important
occasion, and therefore he ordered one
10 be built by the principal carriage
maker OF the city Sargent, / think IL
wns), to be ready for use on that day.
In the morning of the Fourth he APP
peared ut Stewards stable Office and
requested Seward to go to the carriage
shop and get the chaise he had ordered.
Seward harnessed horse and went TO
the carriage shop as directed and told
the proprietor he had come for Mr..
Webster's Chalse. The proprietor in
firm and measured tones TINT could
not be misunderstood asked, Ibid MIR.
Webster send the money to pay for the
ehaiseY
In relating This TO me Seward said:
MIS- ntNtE 80 d6lplli0hNh ia AhJ $50
| should have been less surprised II he
had raised his fist and knocked me
down. ! had no thought that there was
Il nun living who had ever heard or
the great Webster, the godlike Daniel,
who would or who could have denied
him any request 1t was possible 10
grant | could only say, lie sent no
l,ty, tIthnn HuiI fhtA
prietor. tell him he can have the chaise
when he sends the money TO pay for II
and not till then Seward said he
was never in such dilemma In all his
life He could not 30 back and tell that
great man. whom he adorcd, that he
could not hnvc the chalse till lie paid
for it, And vet he must go back and
tell him something But what could he
tell him? Finally. after much thought
and study ii occurred TO him that he
had II new Chaise which he would oner
to Webster and tell him that the var
nSh ON the one he had ordered was not
yet hard and that II would be liable 10
inJure If taken out In the heat and dust
Of that public day. Webster met Sew
ard AT the door when he returned, and
before Webster could ask n question
Seward was telling him the story he
had invented ON the way home. Web
ster made no reply. but accepted Sew
ards statement us true and rode in his
chaisc that day.
About week later Webster came
again and said TO Seward Il think the
VarniSh ON that Chaise is hard now.
and You may 90 down and get It,"
Seward said "With II heavy heart l
harnesscd n horse and went again 10
the shop. | knew l should not get the
chaisc. and was not disappointed. In
the same manner | was asked the same
question as before ! could not invent
another story that would he credible
and was therefore compelled to so
back and tell him the truth" Webster
was inpatieutly awaiting Stewards re
turn, and when in hailiug distance he
called 10 Seward; where is the
chaisct What is the troublet" Seward
approached him moro closely and in
tones 50 low that no one could over
hear him replied, lie told me 10 tell
You that YOU could have the chalse
when you sent the money TO pay for 1t
and not before" Webster stood silent
an instant and then with voice trem
bling with emotion exclaimed, My
God. Joshua, did he say that" and
sank into a nearby chair and cried as
would a deeply aggrieyed child Of six
summers.
1t is we'll known that Webster would
Incur debt apparently with no Thought
that there were two parties to con
tract creditor and debtor, and
that their moral obligations were CO.
equal Consequently his creditors SO
multiplied and his indebtedness so in
creased rs to interfere with his po-
litieal plans, If not indeed. thIpaten his
political future AZ this time his
friends came to his aid and. II is said,
raised the sum of $4,000 to cancel his
Indebtedness and relieve him from the
further annoyance and pressure of his
creditors. When we realize that $40.
600 was larger sum TO raise then for
any purpose than would be 100000
today we have some measure of the
admiration and the loyalty of his
friends.-H c. Hall in Boston Tran
script
Just So.