The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-10-21
s. Webster Replying to Hayne
- .
FRor1 THE PAINTING sS ttEAu1

had as schoolboys acclaimed passages from this
Immortal speech"
Webster was born on New Hampshire farm
January 49, 1880 this year is the one hun
dred and fifth anniversary of his birth as well
as the SEVENTEEN anniversary of his famous
speech. His parents were poor, but they were
determined their son should have an education.
Accordingly, Webster was entered first at Exc
ter and then, in 1897, at Dartmouth college.
After winning his degree he served briefly as
schoolmaster at Fryeburg, Maine But in 1904
he took the decisive step and went to Boston,
where he entered the law Office of Christopher
Gore, an excellent lawyer who saw in Webster
qualifications far beyond those of an ordinary
law clerk.
Dligent in his studies, the dark, noble-browed,
handsome young Webster was not long in being
admitted to the Boston bar and shortly after his
father died he assumed the elder Websters debts,
removed to Boscawan n. H., and then trans
fe7red his law business to his brother, Ezekiel
He himself went to Portsmouth, where he came
In contact among others, with jeremiah Mason,
one of the outstanding lawyers of the time. On
opposing Sides Mason and Webster were to
make legal history People came miles to hear
them argue their cases.
Webster attained his first fame shortly there
after when he expressed most clearly the views
of large section of the people against the War
convention held in August of 1912 by the citizens
of Rockingham county to oppose the war against
England who wrote the famous Rockingham
Memorial.
Massachusetts rewarded him for this service
by sending him to congress in 1913 and there,
although he was only thirtyOne years of age,
his legal reputation was so great that Henry
Clay, who was speaker of the house. made him
a member of the committee on foreign relations.
No rao1aa cd b11f OF nj
second term in 1917 he left congress to return to
his law practice, for series of misfortunes had
made it necessary that he give thought to his
own private life rather than to public service.
To this era of Webster's life belongs the great
Dartmouth college case, which owes its vast
Importance to the fact that 1t resulted in a
decision by the Supreme court of the United
States that no state legislature had the right to
interfere in the affairs of an institution such as
Dartmouth college, established by private per-
sons for special purposes.
Although Webster's oratory left the New
Hampshire judges in tears they had decided
against him and the case was carried to the
United States Supreme court, where his oratory
In support of his case so moved the learned
Justices, including Chief Justice John Marshall,
that they reversed the New Hampshire decision
BY now Webster was regarded as the out
standing orator of the day and he was much
n
grafton at Plymouth upon the second centennial
of the landing of the Pilgrims his Grafton at
the laying of the cornerstone of Bunker Hill
monument and his eulogy on Adams and Jeffer-
son. People would go long distances to gaze
upon Websters majestic presence, to SAVIOR the
charm. of his personality to hear the flow Of
his oratory.
In 1922 he was returned to congress, where
he became supporter Of that @tariff of abomin-
atoms" which so outraged Calhoun, and in 1927
he was prevailed upon to accept the United
States senatorship from Massachusetts,.
From that time on his fame increased con-
stantly. becoming international In its scope. But
although ambition turned his eyes toward the
White House. he was never to realize the at
tainment of that goal When the Wing party
was organized, Webster became one of its lead
ers: but, Just as that party failed to offer the
Presidency to it's other great leader, Henry Clay.
so it failed to offer it to Webster. He could
have had the Vice Presidency, but refused 1t /;
he was. however secretary of state under both
Harrison and Tyler.
To the end he remained the great orator and
in the list of speeches by which he is remem-
bered is that of March Z, 1885, when he sup
ported the dying Henry Clay's compromises.
thereby alternating the abolitionists, killing his
final Presidential hopes and bringing down upon
himself torrent of abuse For there are many
dark spots in the career of Daniel Webster just
as there are magnificent highlights. But in
spite of this, his prophetic dying utterance of
10 years ago Is still true Daniel Webster de-
fender of the Constitution. still lives.
&c by Western Newspapsr Union,