The National tribune., 1908-07-16
Daniel Webster.

Horace Greeley and other Wings and
substantially all New Englanders were
unanimous in the belief that the god
like DanieP' Webster was the greatest
intellect which this country ever pro-
duced Webster's fame reached its Gull
mination in 1890, in his reply to the
speech of Robert Y. Hayne, Senator
the Union. This was an epoch-making
Grafton, which stated in its best and
most logical terms the Nationalist doc
trine which Is now the policy of the
country. Webster had begun life as a
Federalist and achieved much reputa-
ton in that party. Upon the organiza-
ton of the Wing Party he became one
of its leaders, and held himself ODE
its father. This assumption was not
agreed to by any means by the rest OF
the party, and in 1886 the party had
four candidates for President, Webster
receiving but IA of the 124 votes cast
by the party -Four years later he was
deeply angered at Gen. Harrison's being
preferred to him. but he took an active
part in the campaign and helped to
elect Harrison. entering his Cabinet
| afterward as Secretary of State. He
was candidate for the nomination in
1874, and again received a wound to
his pride in Henry Clay being preferred
| to him. His severest disappointment,
however, came in 1S48, when he felt
| that it was his last chance and that
he had added strongly to the reasons
which had before been SO powerful in
his favor. Expediency compelled the
nomination of Gen. Taylor, which Web
ster at first openly denounced as one
not fit to be made. He came around
in time, however, and supported the
Wing Administration in the Senate. He
lost strength In the North by his sup
port of the fugitive slave law, which
| was considered trucking to the South,
and his last appearance before a Whig
| Convention was in 1852, when he was
beaten by Gen. Scott for the nomina-
ton. This seemed to break his heart
for he went home and died.
Lewis Cass.
Gen. Lewis Cass was a man who
| would have made good President
and was undoubtedly superior in char
acter and ability to some whom his
party elected. He was Secretary o!
War under Jackson and as early as
1912 was proposed for the Presidency
but failed to secure the Democratic
nomination. He was nominated by tho
Democrats in 1S4S, but badly beaten
by Gen. Zachary Taylor. He was a
candidate for the nomination in 1852
and again in 1856. but the pro-slavery
Democrats would have none of him
He is entitled to grateful remembrance
| by all patriotic Americans for. his action
while Secretary of State in Buchanan's
| Cabinet, when he resigned because the
I President refused to reinforce the forts
at Charleston.
Il Stephen A. Douglas.
4 Next to Henry Clay probably Stepher
A. Douglas, 1.-The little Giant of thu
West" maintained for years the mos
enthusiastic following. A brilliant
popular orator, the advocate of meas
ures which captivated the public mind
: a shrewd political manager and al
able and forceful man in every way
Douglas attracted to himself the younl
: progressive Democrats Of his party ant
became their idol. In the Senate h
r held his place in the foremost rank an,
r he vainly sought to keep the Democratic
: Party in harmony on the Slavery lues
8 ton by his famous Squatter Sover
3 eighty doctrine which proposed middl
4 course between the ultra, uncompromis
! ing pro-slavery advocates and tn
! equally ultra uncompromising advocate
4 of universal free soil. This doctrin
4 denied that Congress had the RICH
T to legislate upon the question of slav
0 cry in the Territories. but that tn
Z status Of State should be settled b
I the actual residents. He was terribl
8 disappointed as to the effects of this
{ His policy instead Of quieting the con