THE LAST YEARS.
The story of the remainder of Mr. Webster's public life, outside of and
apart from the slavery question, can be quickly told. General Taylor died
suddenly on July 9, 1850, and this event led to an immediate and complete
reorganization of the cabinet. Mr. Fillmore at once offered the post of
Secretary of State to Mr. Webster, who accepted it, resigned his seat in
the Senate, and, on July 23, assumed his new position. No great negotiation
like that with Lord Ashburton marked this second term of office in the
Department of State, but there were a number of important and some very
complicated affairs, which Mr. Webster managed with the wisdom, tact, and
dignity which made him so admirably fit for this high position.
The best-known incident of this period was that which gave rise to the
famous "Hülsemann letter." President Taylor had sent an agent to Hungary to
report upon the condition of the revolutionary government, with the
intention of recognizing it if there were sufficient grounds for doing so.
When the agent arrived, the revolution was crushed, and he reported to the
President against recognition. These papers were transmitted to the Senate
in March, 1850. Mr. Hülsemann, the Austrian _chargé_, thereupon complained
of the action of our administration, and Mr. Clayton, then Secretary of
State, replied that the mission of the agent had been simply to gather
information. On receiving further instructions from his government, Mr.
Hülsemann rejoined to Mr. Clayton, and it fell to Mr. Webster to reply,
which he did on December 21, 1850. The note of the Austrian _chargé_ was in
a hectoring and highly offensive tone, and Mr. Webster felt the necessity
of administering a sharp rebuke. "The Hülsemann letter," as it was called,
was accordingly dispatched. It set forth strongly the right of the United
States and their intention to recognize any _de facto_ revolutionary
government, and to seek information in all proper ways in order to guide
their action. The argument on this point was admirably and forcibly stated,
and it was accompanied by a bold vindication of the American policy, and by
some severe and wholesome reproof. Mr. Webster had two objects. One was to
awaken the people of Europe to a sense of the greatness of this country,
the other to touch the national pride at home. He did both. The foreign
representatives learned a lesson which they never forgot, and which opened
their eyes to the fact that we were no longer colonies, and the national
pride was also aroused. Mr. Webster admitted that the letter was, in some
respects, boastful and rough. This was a fair criticism, and it may be
justly said that such a tone was hardly worthy of the author. But, on the
other hand, Hülsemann's impertinence fully justified such a reply, and a
little rough domineering was, perhaps, the very thing needed. It is certain
that the letter fully answered Mr. Webster's purpose, and excited a great
deal of popular enthusiasm. The affair did not, however, end here. Mr.
Hülsemann became very mild, but he soon lost his temper again. Kossuth and
the refugees in Turkey were brought to this country in a United States
frigate. The Hungarian hero was received with a burst of enthusiasm that
induced him to hope for substantial aid, which was, of course, wholly
visionary. The popular excitement made it difficult for Mr. Webster to
steer a proper course, but he succeeded, by great tact, in showing his own
sympathy, and, so far as possible, that of the government, for the cause of
Hungarian independence and for its leader, without going too far or
committing any indiscretion which could justify a breach of international
relations with Austria. Mr. Webster's course, including a speech at a
dinner in Boston, in which he made an eloquent allusion to Hungary and
Kossuth, although carefully guarded, aroused the ire of Mr. Hülsemann, who
left the country, after writing a letter of indignant farewell to the
Secretary of State. Mr. Webster replied, through Mr. Hunter, with extreme
coolness, confining himself to an approval of the gentleman selected by Mr.
Hülsemann to represent Austria after the latter's departure.
The other affairs which occupied Mr. Webster's official attention at this
time made less noise than that with Austria, but they were more complicated
and some of them far more perilous to the peace of the country. The most
important was that growing out of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty in regard to
the neutrality of the contemplated canal in Nicaragua. This led to a
prolonged correspondence about the protectorate of Great Britain in
Nicaragua, and to a withdrawal of her claim to exact port-charges. It is
interesting to observe the influence which Mr. Webster at once obtained
with Sir Henry Bulwer and the respect in which he was held by that
experienced diplomatist. Besides this discussion with England, there was a
sharp dispute with Mexico about the right of way over the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, and the troubles on the Texan boundary before Congress had
acted upon the subject. Then came the Lopez invasion of Cuba, supported by
bodies of volunteers enlisted in the United States, which, by its failure
and its results, involved our government in a number of difficult
questions. The most serious was the riot at New Orleans, where the Spanish
consulate was sacked by a mob. To render due reparation for this outrage
without wounding the national pride by apparent humiliation was no easy
task. Mr. Webster settled everything, however, with a judgment, tact, and
dignity which prevented war with Spain and yet excited no resentment at
home. At a later period, when the Kossuth affair was drawing to an end, the
perennial difficulty about the fisheries revived and was added to our
Central American troubles with Great Britain, and this, together with the
affair of the Lobos Islands, occupied Mr. Webster's attention, and drew
forth some able and important dispatches during the summer of 1852, in the
last months of his life.
While the struggle was in progress to convince the country of the value and
justice of the compromise measures and to compel their acceptance, another
presidential election drew on. It was the signal for the last desperate
attempt to obtain the Whig nomination for Mr. Webster, and it seemed at
first sight as if the party must finally take up the New England leader.
Mr. Clay was wholly out of the race, and his last hour was near. There was
absolutely no one who, in fame, ability, public services, and experience
could be compared for one moment with Mr. Webster. The opportunity was
obvious enough; it awakened all Mr. Webster's hopes, and excited the ardor
of his friends. A formal and organized movement, such as had never before
been made, was set on foot to promote his candidacy, and a vigorous and
earnest address to the people was issued by his friends in Massachusetts.
The result demonstrated, if demonstration were needed, that Mr. Webster had
not, even under the most favorable circumstances, the remotest chance for
the presidency. His friends saw this plainly enough before the convention
met, but he himself regarded the great prize as at last surely within his
grasp. Mr. Choate, who was to lead the Webster delegates, went to
Washington the day before the convention assembled. He called on Mr.
Webster and found him so filled with the belief that he should be nominated
that it seemed cruel to undeceive him. Mr. Choate, at all events, had not
the heart for the task, and went back to Baltimore to lead the forlorn hope
with gallant fidelity and with an eloquence as brilliant if not so grand as
that of Mr. Webster himself. A majority[1] of the convention divided their
votes very unequally between Mr. Fillmore and Mr. Webster, the former
receiving 133, the latter 29, on the first ballot, while General Scott had
131. Forty-five ballots were taken, without any substantial change, and
then General Scott began to increase his strength, and was nominated on the
fifty-third ballot, receiving 159 votes. Most of General Scott's supporters
were opposed to resolutions sustaining the compromise measures, while
those who voted for Mr. Fillmore and Mr. Webster favored that policy.
General Scott owed his nomination to a compromise, which consisted in
inserting in the platform a clause strongly approving Mr. Clay's measures.
Mr. Webster expected the Fillmore delegates to come to him, an unlikely
event when they were so much more numerous than his friends, and, moreover,
they never showed the slightest inclination to do so. They were chiefly
from the South, and as they chose to consider Mr. Fillmore and not his
secretary the representative of compromise, they reasonably enough expected
the latter to give way. The desperate stubbornness of Mr. Webster's
adherents resulted in the nomination of Scott. It seemed hard that the
Southern Whigs should have done so little for Mr. Webster after he had done
and sacrificed so much to advance and defend their interests. But the South
was practical. In the 7th of March speech they had got from Mr. Webster all
they could expect or desire. It was quite possible, in fact it was highly
probable, that, once in the presidency, he could not be controlled or
guided by the slave-power or by any other sectional influence. Mr.
Fillmore, inferior in every way to Mr. Webster in intellect, in force, in
reputation, would give them a mild, safe administration and be easily
influenced by the South. Mr. Webster had served his turn, and the men
whose cause he had advocated and whose interests he had protected cast him
aside.
[Footnote 1: Mr. Curtis says a "great majority continued to divide their
votes between Mr. Fillmore and Mr. Webster." The highest number reached by
the combined Webster and Fillmore votes, on any one ballot, was 162, three
more than was received on the last ballot by General Scott, who, Mr. Curtis
correctly says, obtained only a "few votes more than the necessary
majority."]
The loss of the nomination was a bitter disappointment to Mr. Webster. It
was the fashion in certain quarters to declare that it killed him, but this
was manifestly absurd. The most that can be said in this respect was, that
the excitement and depression caused by his defeat preyed upon his mind and
thereby facilitated the inroads of disease, while it added to the clouds
which darkened round him in those last days. But his course of action after
the convention cannot be passed over without comment. He refused to give
his adhesion to General Scott's nomination, and he advised his friends to
vote for Mr. Pierce, because the Whigs were divided, while the Democrats
were unanimously determined to resist all attempts to renew the slavery
agitation. This course was absolutely indefensible. If the Whig party was
so divided on the slavery question that Mr. Webster could not support their
nominee, then he had no business to seek a nomination at their hands, for
they were as much divided before the convention as afterwards. He chose to
come before that convention, knowing perfectly well the divisions of the
party, and that the nomination might fall to General Scott. He saw fit to
play the game, and was in honor bound to abide by the rules. He had no
right to say "it is heads I win, and tails you lose." If he had been
nominated he would have indignantly and justly denounced a refusal on the
part of General Scott and his friends to support him. It is the merest
sophistry to say that Mr. Webster was too great a man to be bound by party
usages, and that he owed it to himself to rise above them, and refuse his
support to a poor nomination and to a wrangling party. If Mr. Webster could
no longer act with the Whigs, then his name had no business in that
convention at Baltimore, for the conditions were the same before its
meeting as afterward. Great man as he was, he was not too great to behave
honorably; and his refusal to support Scott, after having been his rival
for a nomination at the hands of their common party, was neither honorable
nor just. If Mr. Webster had decided to leave the Whigs and act
independently, he was in honor bound to do so before the Baltimore
convention assembled, or to have warned the delegates that such was his
intention in the event of General Scott's nomination. He had no right to
stand the hazard of the die, and then refuse to abide by the result. The
Whig party, in its best estate, was not calculated to excite a very warm
enthusiasm in the breast of a dispassionate posterity, and it is perfectly
true that it was on the eve of ruin in 1852. But it appeared better then,
in the point of self-respect, than four years before. In 1848 the Whigs
nominated a successful soldier conspicuous only for his availability and
without knowing to what party he belonged. They maintained absolute
silence on the great question of the extension of slavery, and carried on
their campaign on the personal popularity of their candidate. Mr. Webster
was righteously disgusted at their candidate and their negative attitude.
He could justly and properly have left them on a question of principle; but
he swallowed the nomination, "not fit to be made," and gave to his party a
decided and public support. In 1852 the Whigs nominated another successful
soldier, who was known to be a Whig, and who had been a candidate for their
nomination before. In their platform they formally adopted the essential
principle demanded by Mr. Webster, and declared their adhesion to the
compromise measures. If there was disaffection in regard to this
declaration of 1852, there was disaffection also about the silence of 1848.
In the former case, Mr. Webster adhered to the nomination; in the latter,
he rejected it. In 1848 he might still hope to be President through a Whig
nomination. In 1852 he knew that, even if he lived, there would never be
another chance. He gave vent to his disappointment, put no constraint upon
himself, prophesied the downfall of his party, and advised his friends to
vote for Franklin Pierce. It was perfectly logical, after advocating the
compromise measures, to advise giving the government into the hands of a
party controlled by the South. Mr. Webster would have been entirely
reasonable in taking such a course before the Baltimore convention. He had
no right to do so after he had sought a nomination from the Whigs, and it
was a breach of faith to act as he did, to advise his friends to desert a
falling party and vote for the Democratic candidate.
After the acceptance of the Department of State, Mr. Webster's health
became seriously impaired. His exertions in advocating the compromise
measures, his official labors, and the increased severity of his annual
hay-fever,--all contributed to debilitate him. His iron constitution
weakened in various ways, and especially by frequent periods of intense
mental exertion, to which were superadded the excitement and nervous strain
inseparable from his career, was beginning to give way. Slowly but surely
he lost ground. His spirits began to lose their elasticity, and he rarely
spoke without a tinge of deep sadness being apparent in all he said. In
May, 1852, while driving near Marshfield, he was thrown from his carriage
with much violence, injuring his wrists, and receiving other severe
contusions. The shock was very great, and undoubtedly accelerated the
progress of the fatal organic disease which was sapping his life. This
physical injury was followed by the keen disappointment of his defeat at
Baltimore, which preyed upon his heart and mind. During the summer of 1852
his health gave way more rapidly. He longed to resign, but Mr. Fillmore
insisted on his retaining his office. In July he came to Boston, where he
was welcomed by a great public meeting, and hailed with enthusiastic
acclamations, which did much to soothe his wounded feelings. He still
continued to transact the business of his department, and in August went to
Washington, where he remained until the 8th of September, when he returned
to Marshfield. On the 20th he went to Boston, for the last time, to consult
his physician. He appeared at a friend's house, one evening, for a few
moments, and all who then saw him were shocked at the look of illness and
suffering in his face. It was his last visit. He went back to Marshfield
the next day, never to return. He now failed rapidly. His nights were
sleepless, and there were scarcely any intervals of ease or improvement.
The decline was steady and sure, and as October wore away the end drew
near. Mr. Webster faced it with courage, cheerfulness, and dignity, in a
religious and trusting spirit, with a touch of the personal pride which was
part of his nature. He remained perfectly conscious and clear in his mind
almost to the very last moment, bearing his sufferings with perfect
fortitude, and exhibiting the tenderest affection toward the wife and son
and friends who watched over him. On the evening of October 23 it became
apparent that he was sinking, but his one wish seemed to be that he might
be conscious when he was actually dying. After midnight he roused from an
uneasy sleep, struggled for consciousness, and ejaculated, "I still live."
These were his last words. Shortly after three o'clock the labored
breathing ceased, and all was over.
A hush fell upon the country as the news of his death sped over the land. A
great gap seemed to have been made in the existence of every one. Men
remembered the grandeur of his form and the splendor of his intellect, and
felt as if one of the pillars of the state had fallen. The profound grief
and deep sense of loss produced by his death were the highest tributes and
the most convincing proofs of his greatness.
In accordance with his wishes, all public forms and ceremonies were
dispensed with. The funeral took place at his home on Friday, October 29.
Thousands flocked to Marshfield to do honor to his memory, and to look for
the last time at that noble form. It was one of those beautiful days of the
New England autumn, when the sun is slightly veiled, and a delicate haze
hangs over the sea, shining with a tender silvery light. There is a sense
of infinite rest and peace on such a day which seems to shut out the noise
of the busy world and breathe the spirit of unbroken calm. As the crowds
poured in through the gates of the farm, they saw before them on the lawn,
resting upon a low mound of flowers, the majestic form, as impressive in
the repose of death as it had been in the fullness of life and strength.
There was a wonderful fitness in it all. The vault of heaven and the
spacious earth seemed in their large simplicity the true place for such a
man to lie in state. There was a brief and simple service at the house, and
then the body was borne on the shoulders of Marshfield farmers, and laid in
the little graveyard which already held the wife and children who had gone
before, and where could be heard the eternal murmur of the sea.
* * * * *
In May, 1852, Mr. Webster said to Professor Silliman: "I have given my life
to law and politics. Law is uncertain and politics are utterly vain." It is
a sad commentary for such a man to have made on such a career, but it fitly
represents Mr. Webster's feelings as the end of life approached. His last
years were not his most fortunate, and still less his best years. Domestic
sorrows had been the prelude to a change of policy, which had aroused a
bitter opposition, and to the pangs of disappointed ambition. A sense of
mistake and failure hung heavily upon his spirits, and the cry of "vanity,
vanity, all is vanity," came readily to his lips. There is an infinite
pathos in those melancholy words which have just been quoted. The sun of
life, which had shone so splendidly at its meridian, was setting amid
clouds. The darkness which overspread him came from the action of the 7th
of March, and the conflict which it had caused. If there were failure and
mistake they were there. The presidency could add nothing, its loss could
take away nothing from the fame of Daniel Webster. He longed for it
eagerly; he had sacrificed much to his desire for it; his disappointment
was keen and bitter at not receiving what seemed to him the fit crown of
his great public career. But this grief was purely personal, and will not
be shared by posterity, who feel only the errors of those last years coming
after so much glory, and who care very little for the defeat of the
ambition which went with them.
Those last two years awakened such fierce disputes, and had such an
absorbing interest, that they have tended to overshadow the half century of
distinction and achievement which preceded them. Failure and disappointment
on the part of such a man as Webster seem so great, that they too easily
dwarf everything else, and hide from us a just and well proportioned view
of the whole career. Mr. Webster's success had, in truth, been brilliant,
hardly equalled in measure or duration by that of any other eminent man in
our history. For thirty years he had stood at the head of the bar and of
the Senate, the first lawyer and the first statesman of the United States.
This is a long tenure of power for one man in two distinct departments. It
would be remarkable anywhere. It is especially so in a democracy. This
great success Mr. Webster owed solely to his intellectual power
supplemented by great physical gifts. No man ever was born into the world
better formed by nature for the career of an orator and statesman. He had
everything to compel the admiration and submission of his fellow-men:--
"The front of Jove himself;
An eye like Mars to threaten and command;
A station like the herald Mercury
New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill;
A combination and a form indeed,
Where every god did seem to set his seal,
To give the world assurance of a man."
Hamlet's words are a perfect picture of Mr. Webster's outer man, and we
have but to add to the description a voice of singular beauty and power
with the tone and compass of an organ. The look of his face and the sound
of his voice were in themselves as eloquent as anything Mr. Webster ever
uttered.
But the imposing presence was only the outward sign of the man. Within was
a massive and powerful intellect, not creative or ingenious, but with a
wonderful vigor of grasp, capacious, penetrating, far-reaching. Mr.
Webster's strongest and most characteristic mental qualities were weight
and force. He was peculiarly fitted to deal with large subjects in a large
way. He was by temperament extremely conservative. There was nothing of the
reformer or the zealot about him. He could maintain or construct where
other men had built; he could not lay new foundations or invent. We see
this curiously exemplified in his feeling toward Hamilton and Madison. He
admired them both, and to the former he paid a compliment which has become
a familiar quotation. But Hamilton's bold, aggressive genius, his audacity,
fertility, and resource, did not appeal to Mr. Webster as did the prudence,
the constructive wisdom, and the safe conservatism of the gentle Madison,
whom he never wearied of praising. The same description may be given of his
imagination, which was warm, vigorous, and keen, but not poetic. He used it
well, it never led him astray, and was the secret of his most conspicuous
oratorical triumphs.
He had great natural pride and a strong sense of personal dignity, which
made him always impressive, but apparently cold, and sometimes solemn in
public. In his later years this solemnity degenerated occasionally into
pomposity, to which it is always perilously near. At no time in his life
was he quick or excitable. He was indolent and dreamy, working always under
pressure, and then at a high rate of speed. This indolence increased as he
grew older; he would then postpone longer and labor more intensely to make
up the lost time than in his earlier days. When he was quiescent, he seemed
stern, cold, and latterly rather heavy, and some outer incentive was needed
to rouse his intellect or touch his heart. Once stirred, he blazed forth,
and, when fairly engaged, with his intellect in full play, he was as grand
and effective in his eloquence as it is given to human nature to be. In the
less exciting occupations of public life, as, for instance, in foreign
negotiations, he showed the same grip upon his subject, the same capacity
and judgment as in his speeches, and a mingling of tact and dignity which
proved the greatest fitness for the conduct of the gravest public affairs.
As a statesman Mr. Webster was not an "opportunist," as it is the fashion
to call those who live politically from day to day, dealing with each
question as it arises, and exhibiting often the greatest skill and talent.
Still less was he a statesman of the type of Charles Fox, who preached to
the deaf ears of one generation great principles which became accepted
truisms in the next. Mr. Webster stands between the two classes. He viewed
the present with a strong perception of the future, and shaped his policy
not merely for the daily exigency, but with a keen eye to subsequent
effects. At the same time he never put forward and defended single-handed a
great principle or idea which, neglected then, was gradually to win its way
and reign supreme among a succeeding generation.
His speeches have a heat and glow which we can still feel, and a depth and
reality of thought which have secured them a place in literature. He had
not a fiery nature, although there is often so much warmth in what he said.
He was neither high tempered nor quick to anger, but he could be fierce,
and, when adulation had warped him in those later years, he was capable of
striking ugly blows which sometimes wounded friends as well as enemies.
There remains one marked quality to be noticed in Mr. Webster, which was of
immense negative service to him. This was his sense of humor. Mr. Nichol,
in his recent history of American literature, speaks of Mr. Webster as
deficient in this respect. Either the critic himself is deficient in humor
or he has studied only Webster's collected works, which give no indication
of the real humor in the man. That Mr. Webster was not a humorist is
unquestionably true, and although he used a sarcasm which made his
opponents seem absurd and even ridiculous at times, and in his more
unstudied efforts would provoke mirth by some happy and playful allusion,
some felicitous quotation or ingenious antithesis, he was too stately in
every essential respect ever to seek to make mere fun or to excite the
laughter of his hearers by deliberate exertions and with malice
aforethought. He had, nevertheless, a real and genuine sense of humor. We
can see it in his letters, and it comes out in a thousand ways in the
details and incidents of his private life. When he had thrown aside the
cares of professional or public business, he revelled in hearty, boisterous
fun, and he had that sanest of qualities, an honest, boyish love of pure
nonsense. He delighted in a good story and dearly loved a joke, although
no jester himself. This sense of humor and appreciation of the ridiculous,
although they give no color to his published works, where, indeed, they
would have been out of place, improved his judgment, smoothed his path
through the world, and saved him from those blunders in taste and those
follies in action which are ever the pitfalls for men with the fervid,
oratorical temperament.
This sense of humor gave, also, a great charm to his conversation and to
all social intercourse with him. He was a good, but never, so far as can be
judged from tradition, an overbearing talker. He never appears to have
crushed opposition in conversation, nor to have indulged in monologue,
which is so apt to be the foible of famous and successful men who have a
solemn sense of their own dignity and importance. What Lord Melbourne said
of the great Whig historian, "that he wished he was as sure of anything as
Tom Macaulay was of everything," could not be applied to Mr. Webster. He
owed his freedom from such a weakness partly, no doubt, to his natural
indolence, but still more to the fact that he was not only no pedant, but
not even a very learned man. He knew no Greek, but was familiar with Latin.
His quotations and allusions were chiefly drawn from Shakespeare, Milton,
Homer, and the Bible, where he found what most appealed to him--simplicity
and grandeur of thought and diction. At the same time, he was a great
reader, and possessed wide information on a vast variety of subjects, which
a clear and retentive memory put always at his command. The result of all
this was that he was a most charming and entertaining companion.
These attractions were heightened by his large nature and strong animal
spirits. He loved outdoor life. He was a keen sportsman and skilful
fisherman. In all these ways he was healthy and manly, without any tinge of
the mere student or public official. He loved everything that was large.
His soul expanded in the free air and beneath the blue sky. All natural
scenery appealed to him,--Niagara, the mountains, the rolling prairie, the
great rivers,--but he found most contentment beside the limitless sea, amid
brown marshes and sand-dunes, where the sense of infinite space is
strongest. It was the same in regard to animals. He cared but little for
horses or dogs, but he rejoiced in great herds of cattle, and especially in
fine oxen, the embodiment of slow and massive strength. In England the
things which chiefly appealed to him were the Tower of London, Westminster
Abbey, Smithfield cattle market, and English agriculture. So it was always
and everywhere. He loved mountains and great trees, wide horizons, the
ocean, the western plains, and the giant monuments of literature and art.
He rejoiced in his strength and the overflowing animal vigor that was in
him. He was so big and so strong, so large in every way, that people sank
into repose in his presence, and felt rest and confidence in the mere fact
of his existence. He came to be regarded as an institution, and when he
died men paused with a sense of helplessness, and wondered how the country
would get on without him. To have filled so large a space in a country so
vast, and in a great, hurrying, and pushing democracy, implies a
personality of a most uncommon kind.
He was, too, something more than a charming companion in private life. He
was generous, liberal, hospitable, and deeply affectionate. He was adored
in his home, and deeply loved his children, who were torn from him, one
after another. His sorrow, like his joy, was intense and full of force. He
had many devoted friends, and a still greater body of unhesitating
followers. To the former he showed, through nearly all his life, the warm
affection which was natural to him. It was not until adulation and flattery
had deeply injured him, and the frustrated ambition for the presidency had
poisoned both heart and mind, that he became dictatorial and overbearing.
Not till then did he quarrel with those who had served and followed him, as
when he slighted Mr. Lawrence for expressing independent opinions, and
refused to do justice to the memory of Story because it might impair his
own glories. They do not present a pleasant picture, these quarrels with
friends, but they were part of the deterioration of the last years, and
they furnish in a certain way the key to his failure to attain the
presidency. The country was proud of Mr. Webster; proud of his intellect,
his eloquence, his fame. He was the idol of the capitalists, the merchants,
the lawyers, the clergy, the educated men of all classes in the East. The
politicians dreaded and feared him because he was so great, and so little
in sympathy with them, but his real weakness was with the masses of the
people. He was not popular in the true sense of the word. For years the
Whig party and Henry Clay were almost synonymous terms, but this could
never be said of Mr. Webster. His following was strong in quality, but weak
numerically. Clay touched the popular heart. Webster never did. The people
were proud of him, wondered at him, were awed by him, but they did not love
him, and that was the reason he was never President, for he was too great
to succeed to the high office, as many men have, by happy or unhappy
accident. There was also another feeling which is suggested by the
differences with some of his closest friends. There was a lurking distrust
of Mr. Webster's sincerity. We can see it plainly in the correspondence of
the Western Whigs, who were not, perhaps, wholly impartial. But it existed,
nevertheless. There was a vague, ill-defined feeling of doubt in the
public mind; a suspicion that the spirit of the advocate was the ruling
spirit in Mr. Webster, and that he did not believe with absolute and
fervent faith in one side of any question. There was just enough
correctness, just a sufficient grain of truth in this idea, when united
with the coldness and dignity of his manner and with his greatness itself,
to render impossible that popularity which, to be real and lasting in a
democracy, must come from the heart and not from the head of the people,
which must be instinctive and emotional, and not the offspring of reason.
There is no occasion to discuss, or hold up to reprobation, Mr. Webster's
failings. He was a splendid animal as well as a great man, and he had
strong passions and appetites, which he indulged at times to the detriment
of his health and reputation. These errors may be mostly fitly consigned to
silence. But there was one failing which cannot be passed over in this way.
This was in regard to money. His indifference to debt was perceptible in
his youth, and for many years showed no sign of growth. But in his later
years it increased with terrible rapidity. He earned twenty thousand a year
when he first came to Boston,--a very great income for those days. His
public career interfered, of course, with his law practice, but there never
was a period when he could not, with reasonable economy, have laid up
something at the end of every year, and gradually amassed a fortune. But
he not only never saved, he lived habitually beyond his means. He did not
become poor by his devotion to the public service, but by his own
extravagance. He loved to spend money and to live well. He had a fine
library and handsome plate; he bought fancy cattle; he kept open house, and
indulged in that most expensive of all luxuries, "gentleman-farming." He
never stinted himself in any way, and he gave away money with reckless
generosity and heedless profusion, often not stopping to inquire who the
recipient of his bounty might be. The result was debt; then subscriptions
among his friends to pay his debts; then a fresh start and more debts, and
more subscriptions and funds for his benefit, and gifts of money for his
table, and checks or notes for several thousand dollars in token of
admiration of the 7th of March speech.[1] This was, of course, utterly
wrong and demoralizing, but Mr. Webster came, after a time, to look upon
such transactions as natural and proper. In the Ingersoll debate, Mr.
Yancey accused him of being in the pay of the New England manufacturers,
and his biographer has replied to the charge at length. That Mr. Webster
was in the pay of the manufacturers in the sense that they hired him, and
bade him do certain things, is absurd. That he was maintained and supported
in a large degree by New England manufacturers and capitalists cannot be
questioned; but his attitude toward them was not that of servant and
dependent. He seems to have regarded the merchants and bankers of State
Street very much as a feudal baron regarded his peasantry. It was their
privilege and duty to support him, and he repaid them with an occasional
magnificent compliment. The result was that he lived in debt and died
insolvent, and this was not the position which such a man as Daniel Webster
should have occupied.
[Footnote 1: The story of the gift of ten thousand dollars in token of
admiration of the 7th of March speech, referred to by Dr. Von Holst
(_Const. Hist. of the United States_) may be found in a volume entitled,
_In Memoriam, B. Ogle Tayloe_, p. 109, and is as follows: "My opulent and
munificent friend and neighbor Mr. William W. Corcoran," says Mr. Tayloe,
"after the perusal of Webster's celebrated March speech in defence of the
Constitution and of Southern rights, inclosed to Mrs. Webster her husband's
note for ten thousand dollars given him for a loan to that amount. Mr.
Webster met Mr. Corcoran the same evening, at the President's, and thanked
him for the 'princely favor.' Next day he addressed to Mr. Corcoran a
letter of thanks which I read at Mr. Corcoran's request." This version is
substantially correct. The morning of March 8 Mr. Corcoran inclosed with a
letter of congratulation some notes of Mr. Webster's amounting to some six
thousand dollars. Reflecting that this was not a very solid tribute, he
opened his letter and put in a check for a thousand dollars, and sent the
notes and the check to Mr. Webster, who wrote him a letter expressing his
gratitude, which Mr. Tayloe doubtless saw, and which is still in existence.
I give the facts in this way because Mr. George T. Curtis, in a newspaper
interview, referring to an article of mine in the _Atlantic Monthly_, said,
"With regard to the story of the ten thousand dollar check, which story Mr.
Lodge gives us to understand he found in the pages of that very credulous
writer Dr. Von Holst, although I have not looked into his volumes to see
whether he makes the charge, I have only to say that I never heard of such
an occurrence before, and that it would require the oath of a very credible
witness to the fact to make me believe it." I may add that I have taken the
trouble not only to look into Dr. Von Holst's volumes but to examine the
whole matter thoroughly. The proof is absolute and indeed it is not
necessary to go beyond Mr. Webster's own letter of acknowledgment in search
of evidence, were there the slightest reason to doubt the substantial
correctness of Mr. Tayloe's statement. The point is a small one, but a
statement of fact, if questioned, ought always to be sustained or
withdrawn.]
He showed the same indifference to the source of supplies of money in other
ways. He took a fee from Wheelock, and then deserted him. He came down to
Salem to prosecute a murderer, and the opposing counsel objected that he
was brought there to hurry the jury beyond the law and the evidence, and it
was even murmured audibly in the court-room that he had a fee from the
relatives of the murdered man in his pocket. A fee of that sort he
certainly received either then or afterwards. Every ugly public attack that
was made upon him related to money, and it is painful that the biographer
of such a man as Webster should be compelled to give many pages to show
that his hero was not in the pay of manufacturers, and did not receive a
bribe in carrying out the provisions of the treaty of Guadaloupe-Hidalgo.
The refutation may be perfectly successful, but there ought to have been no
need of it. The reputation of a man like Mr. Webster in money matters
should have been so far above suspicion that no one would have dreamed of
attacking it. Debts and subscriptions bred the idea that there might be
worse behind, and although there is no reason to believe that such was the
case, these things are of themselves deplorable enough.
When Mr. Webster failed it was a moral failure. His moral character was not
equal to his intellectual force. All the errors he ever committed, whether
in public or in private life, in political action or in regard to money
obligations, came from moral weakness. He was deficient in that intensity
of conviction which carries men beyond and above all triumphs of
statesmanship, and makes them the embodiment of the great moral forces
which move the world. If Mr. Webster's moral power had equalled his
intellectual greatness, he would have had no rival in our history. But this
combination and balance are so rare that they are hardly to be found in
perfection among the sons of men. The very fact of his greatness made his
failings all the more dangerous and unfortunate. To be blinded by the
splendor of his fame and the lustre of his achievements and prate about the
sin of belittling a great man is the falsest philosophy and the meanest
cant. The only thing worth having, in history as in life, is truth; and we
do wrong to our past, to ourselves, and to our posterity if we do not
strive to render simple justice always. We can forgive the errors and
sorrow for the faults of our great ones gone; we cannot afford to hide or
forget their shortcomings.
But after all has been said, the question of most interest is, what Mr.
Webster represented, what he effected, and what he means in our history.
The answer is simple. He stands to-day as the preëminent champion and
exponent of nationality. He said once, "there are no Alleghanies in my
politics," and he spoke the exact truth. Mr. Webster was thoroughly
national. There is no taint of sectionalism or narrow local prejudice about
him. He towers up as an American, a citizen of the United States in the
fullest sense of the word. He did not invent the Union, or discover the
doctrine of nationality. But he found the great fact and the great
principle ready to his hand, and he lifted them up, and preached the gospel
of nationality throughout the length and breadth of the land. In his
fidelity to this cause he never wavered nor faltered. From the first burst
of boyish oratory to the sleepless nights at Marshfield, when, waiting for
death, he looked through the window at the light which showed him the
national flag fluttering from its staff, his first thought was of a united
country. To his large nature the Union appealed powerfully by the mere
sense of magnitude which it conveyed. The vision of future empire, the
dream of the destiny of an unbroken union touched and kindled his
imagination. He could hardly speak in public without an allusion to the
grandeur of American nationality, and a fervent appeal to keep it sacred
and intact. For fifty years, with reiteration ever more frequent,
sometimes with rich elaboration, sometimes with brief and simple allusion,
he poured this message into the ears of a listening people. His words
passed into text-books, and became the first declamations of school-boys.
They were in every one's mouth. They sank into the hearts of the people,
and became unconsciously a part of their life and daily thoughts. When the
hour came, it was love for the Union and the sentiment of nationality which
nerved the arm of the North, and sustained her courage. That love had been
fostered, and that sentiment had been strengthened and vivified by the life
and words of Webster. No one had done so much, or had so large a share in
this momentous task. Here lies the debt which the American people owe to
Webster, and here is his meaning and importance in his own time and to us
to-day. His career, his intellect, and his achievements are inseparably
connected with the maintenance of a great empire, and the fortunes of a
great people. So long as English oratory is read or studied, so long will
his speeches stand high in literature. So long as the Union of these States
endures, or holds a place in history, will the name of Daniel Webster be
honored and remembered, and his stately eloquence find an echo in the
hearts of his countrymen.
INDEX.
Aberdeen, Lord, succeeds Lord Palmerston as Secretary for Foreign Affairs,
252;
offers forty-ninth parallel, in accordance with Mr. Webster's suggestion,
266.
Adams, John, in Massachusetts Convention, 111;
letter to Webster on Plymouth oration, 123;
eulogy on, 125;
supposed speech of, 126.
Adams, John Quincy, most conspicuous man in New England, 129;
opposed to Greek mission, 135;
opinion of Webster's speech against tariff of 1824, 136;
elected President, 137, 149;
anxious for success of Panama mission, 140;
message on Georgia and Creek Indians, 142;
Webster's opposition to, 145;
bitter tone toward Webster in Edwards's affair, 147;
interview with Webster, 148, 149;
conciliates Webster, 149;
real hostility to Webster, 150;
defeated for presidency, 151;
comment on eulogy on Adams and Jefferson, 153;
compared with Webster as an orator, 201;
opinion of reply to Hayne, 206;
opinion of Mr. Webster's attitude toward the South in 1838, 285.
Ames, Fisher, compared with Webster as an orator, 201.
Appleton, Julia Webster, daughter of Mr. Webster, death of, 271.
Ashburton, Lord, appointed special commissioner, 251;
arrives in Washington, 253;
negotiation with Mr. Webster, 255 ff.;
attacked by Lord Palmerston, 259.
Ashmun, George, defends Mr. Webster, 269.
Atkinson, Edward, summary of Mr. Webster's tariff speech of 1824,
163-165.
Bacourt, M. de, French Minister, description of Harrison's reception of
diplomatic corps, 245.
Baltimore, Whig Convention at, 338.
Bank of the United States, debate on establishment, and defeat of, in
1814-15, 62;
established, 66;
beginning of attack on, 208.
Bartlett, Ichabod, counsel for State against College, 79;
attack on Mr. Webster, 80.
Bell, Samuel, remarks to Webster before reply to Hayne, 178.
Bellamy, Dr., early opponent of Eleazer Wheelock, 75.
Benton, Thomas H., account of Mr. Webster in 1833, 219, 220;
error in view of Webster, 221;
fails in first attempt to carry expunging resolution, 232;
carries second expunging resolution, 234;
attacks Ashburton treaty, 257;
supports Taylor's policy in 1850, 312.
Bocanegra, M. de, Webster's correspondence with, 260.
"Boston Memorial," 275.
Bosworth, Mr., junior counsel in Rhode Island case, 105.
Brown, Rev. Francis, elected president of Dartmouth College, 78;
refuses to obey new board of trustees, 79;
writes to Webster as to state of public opinion, 94.
Buchanan, James, taunts Mr. Clay, 251;
attacks Ashburton treaty, 257.
Bulwer, Sir Henry, respect for Mr. Webster, 336.
Burke, Edmund, Webster compared with as an orator, 199, 202, 203.
Calhoun, John C., speech in favor of repealing embargo, 53;
sustains double duties, 55, 157;
asks Webster's assistance to establish a bank, 63;
introduces bill to compel revenue to be collected in specie, 66;
internal improvement bill of, 68;
visit to Webster, who regards him as his choice for President, 130-145;
misleads Webster as to Greek mission, 135;
author of exposition and protest, 171;
presides over debate on Foote's resolution, 172;
compared with Webster as an orator, 201;
resigns vice-presidency and returns as Senator to support
nullification, 212;
alarmed at Jackson's attitude and at Force Bill, 214;
consults Clay, 215;
nullification speech on Force Bill, 215;
merits of speech, 216;
supports compromise, 219;
alliance with Clay, 222;
and Webster, 226;
attitude in regard to France, 230;
change on bank question, 236;
accepts secretaryship of state to bring about annexation of Texas, 263;
moves that anti-slavery petitions be not received, 1836, 281;
bill to control United States mails, 282;
tries to stifle petitions, 284;
resolutions on Enterprise affair, 286;
approves Webster's treatment of Creole case, 287;
pronounces anti-slavery petition of New Mexico "insolent," 298;
argument as to Constitution in territories, 298;
Webster's compliments to on 7th of March, 326.
California, desires admission as a state, 299;
slavery possible in, 319.
Carlyle, Thomas, description of Webster, 194.
Caroline, affair of steamboat, 247.
Cass, Lewis, attack upon Ashburton treaty, 259;
Democratic candidate for presidency and defeated, 274.
Chamberlain, Mellen, comparison of Webster with other orators, 203, note.
Chatham, Earl of, compared with Webster as an orator, 201.
Choate, Rufus, compared with Webster as an orator, 202;
resigns senatorship, 262;
leads Webster delegates at Baltimore, 338.
Clay, Henry, makes Mr. Webster chairman of Judiciary Committee, 131;
active support of Greek resolutions, 134;
author of American system and tariff of 1824, 136, 163;
desires Panama mission, 140;
Webster's opposition to, 145;
candidate for presidency in 1832, 207;
bill for reduction of tariff, 1831-32, 211;
consults with Calhoun, 215;
introduces Compromise bill, 215;
carries Compromise bill, 218, 219;
alliance with Calhoun, 222;
opinion of Webster's course in 1833, 222, 223;
alliance with Webster, 226;
introduces resolutions of censure on Jackson, 228;
attitude in regard to France, 230;
declines to enter Harrison's cabinet, 240;
attacks President Tyler, 250, 251;
movement in favor of, in Massachusetts, 258;
nominated for presidency and defeated, 262;
movement to nominate in 1848, 273;
resolutions as to slavery in the District, 284;
plan for compromise in 1850, 300;
introduces Compromise bill in Senate, 301;
policy of compromise, 309, 310;
consistent supporter of compromise policy, 315;
not a candidate for presidency in 1852, 337;
popularity of, 355.
Clingman, Thomas L., advocates slavery in California, 320.
Congregational Church, power and politics of, in New Hampshire, 76.
Congress, leaders in thirteenth, 49;
leaders in fourteenth, 64.
Cooper, James Fenimore, Webster's speech, at memorial meeting, 195.
Corcoran, Wm. W., gift to Mr. Webster, 357, note.
Crawford, William H., attack on by Ninian Edwards, 136, 146, 147;
bids for support of Webster and Federalists, 146;
defended by Webster, 147;
fails to get support of Federalists, 148.
Creole, case of the, 253, 255, 287.
Crimes Act, 138.
Crittenden, John J., Morehead's letter to, about 7th of March speech, 326.
Cruising Convention, the, 255, 259.
Cumberland Road, bill for, 137.
Curtis, George T., biography of Webster, 1, note;
opinion of reply to Calhoun, 216;
of expunging resolution, 234;
describes New York movement for Taylor as a blunder, 273;
says majority disapproved 7th of March speech, 303;
considers Taylor's policy in 1850 impracticable, 311;
views as to danger of secession in 1850, 314.
Cushing, Caleb, Minister to China, 260;
course in 1838, 285.
Dartmouth College case, account of, 74-97.
Davis, Daniel, 30.
Denison, John Evelyn, friendship and correspondence with Mr. Webster, 152.
Dexter, Samuel, a leader at Boston bar, 30;
practises in New Hampshire, 36.
Dickinson, Daniel S., attack upon Mr. Webster, 268.
Disraeli, Benjamin, free trade a question of expediency, 169.
Douglas, Stephen A., offers amendment to Oregon bill, 294.
Dunham, Josiah, attacks Webster for deserting Wheelock, 77.
Durfree, American citizen killed on Caroline, 247.
Duvall, Judge, opposed to Dartmouth College, 87;
writes dissenting opinion, 96.
Edwards, Ninian, charges against Mr. Crawford, 136, 146, 147;
character of, 146, 147.
Enterprise, case of the, 286.
Erskine, Lord, compared with Webster as an orator, 202.
Everett, Edward, Webster desires appointment of as Commissioner to Greece,
135;
Minister to England, 252;
refuses Chinese mission, 260.
Farrar, Timothy, report of Dartmouth College case, 81, 86.
Federalists, ruling party in New Hampshire, 76;
defeated on college issue, 78;
movement of to get decision for college, 92-94;
position of in 1823, 130, 131;
hostility to John Quincy Adams, 145, 146;
attempted alliance with Crawford, 146-148;
to be recognized by Adams, 149;
free-traders in New England, 155 ff.
Fillmore, Millard, offers Mr. Webster secretaryship of state, 333;
candidate for Whig nomination, 338;
urges Mr. Webster to stay in the cabinet, 344.
Foote, Henry S., moves to refer admission of California to a select
committee, 301.
Foote, Samuel A., resolution regarding public lands, 172.
Force Bill, introduced, 214;
debated, 215, 216.
Forsyth, John, attacks Mr. Adams's message on Creek Indians, 142;
answered by Webster, 142, 143.
Fox, Charles James, "no good speech reads well," 189;
compared with Webster as an orator, 202;
as a statesman, 350.
Fox, Henry S., British minister at Harrison's reception of diplomatic
corps, 245;
demands release of McLeod, 248.
Free-Soil party, nominations in 1848 do not obtain Webster's support,
274, 296;
attitude in regard to slavery in 1860, 316;
injured by 7th of March speech, 324;
revival and victory, 325.
Fryeburg, Maine, Webster's school at, 26;
oration before citizens of, 27.
Gibbons vs. Ogden, case of, 99.
Giddings, Joshua R., opinion of Mr. Webster's attitude toward the South in
1838, 286;
says Mr. Webster inserted passage about free negroes and Mr. Hoar after
delivery of 7th of March speech, 303;
interview with Mr. Webster, 322.
Girard will case, 101, 261.
Goodrich, Dr. Chauncey A., description of close of Mr. Webster's argument
in Dartmouth case, 89, 90.
Goodridge, Major, case of, 198.
Gore, Christopher, admits Mr. Webster as a student in his office, 28;
character of, 29;
advises Webster to refuse clerkship, moves his admission to the bar, 31.
Greece, revolution in, 132.
Hamilton, Alexander, compared with Webster as an orator, 201;
as a financier, 208, 226, 228;
in regard to attack on Adams, 274;
Webster's opinion of, and feeling to, 349.
Hanover, oration before citizens of, 20, 22.
Harrison, William Henry, nominee of Whigs in 1836, 225;
nominated by Whigs again in 1839; elected President, 240;
character of inaugural speech, anecdote, 244;
reception of diplomatic corps, 245;
death of, 250.
Hartford Convention, Mr. Webster's view of, 58.
Harvey, Peter, character of his reminiscences, 95, note.
Hayne, Robert Y., first attack on New England, 172;
second speech, 173;
Webster's reply to, 174 ff., 279;
effect of reply to, 206.
Henry, Patrick, compared with Webster as an orator, 200.
Hoar, Samuel, treatment of at Charleston, 302.
Holmes, John, counsel for State at Washington, poor argument, 84, 91.
Hopkinson, Joseph, with Mr. Webster in Dartmouth case at Washington, good
argument of, 84.
Hülsemann, Mr., Austrian Chargé, Mr. Webster's correspondence with, 334;
leaves the country in anger, 335.
Ingersoll, C.J., attack on Mr. Webster, 267-270.
Jackson, Andrew, Webster's opposition to as candidate for presidency, 145;
accession to the presidency, 171;
sweeping removals, 172;
begins attack on bank, 208;
vetoes bill for renewal of bank charter, 209;
determined to maintain integrity of Union, 212;
issues his proclamation, 213;
message asking for Force Bill, cannot hold his party, supported by
Webster, 214;
threatens to hang Calhoun, 215;
not sorry for compromise, 219;
alliance with Webster impossible, 221;
removes the deposits, 226;
sends "Protest" to Senate, 228, 229;
struggle with Senate and policy toward France, 230.
Jefferson, Thomas, intends an unlimited embargo, 45;
eulogy on, 125.
Johnson, Judge, adverse at first to Dartmouth college, 87;
converted to support of college, 93.
Kent, James, Chancellor, brought over to support of college, 93.
Kentucky, leaders in, opposed to Webster, 224, 225.
Kossuth, arrival and reception of in United States, 335.
Labouchere, Mr., 152.
Lawrence, Abbot, treatment of by Mr. Webster, 354.
Leroy, Caroline, Miss, second wife of Mr. Webster, 205.
Letcher, Robert P., opinion of Webster, 225.
Liberty party, 262, 287.
Lieber, Dr. Francis, opinion of Webster's oratory, 187.
Lincoln, Levi, elected senator from Massachusetts and declines, 144.
Livingston, Judge, adverse at first to Dartmouth college, 87;
converted to support of college, 93.
Lobes Islands, affair of the, 336.
Lopez, invasion of Cuba, 336.
Madison, James, Federalists refuse to call on, 60;
vetoes Bank Bill, 64;
Mr. Webster's admiration for, 349.
Macgregor, Mr., of Glasgow, Webster's letter to, 266.
Maine, conduct in regard to northeastern boundary, 248, 254, 256.
Marshall, John, sympathy for Dartmouth College, 87;
his political prejudices aroused by Webster, 88;
announces that decision is reserved, 92;
declines to hear Pinkney, 95;
his decision, 96.
Marshfield, Mr. Webster's first visit to, 152;
his affection for, 261;
accident to Mr. Webster at, 343;
Mr. Webster returns to, to die, 344;
Mr. Webster buried at, 345, 346.
Mason, Jeremiah, character and ability, 38;
effect upon, and friendship for Webster, 39;
plain style and effect with juries, 40;
thinks Webster would have made a good actor, 42;
allied with trustees of college, 76;
advises delay in removal of Wheelock, 78;
appears for college, 79;
brief in college case, 80;
attaches but little importance to doctrine of impairing contracts, 81;
unable to go to Washington, 84;
Webster's remarks on death of, 127;
supported by Webster for attorney-generalship, 148;
and for senatorship, 150.
Mason, John Y., advocates slavery in California, 320;
Webster's compliment to on 7th of March, 326.
Massachusetts, settlement of, 1, 2;
constitutional convention of in 1820, 110;
Webster's defence of, 185;
conduct in regard to northeastern boundary, 248, 254;
Whig convention of, declares against Tyler, 258.
McDuffie, George, Webster's reply to, on Cumberland Road Bill, 137, 173.
McLane, Louis, instructions of Van Buren to, as minister to England, 210.
McLeod, Alexander, boasts of killing Durfree, 247;
arrested in New York, 247;
habeas corpus refused, 249;
proves an alibi and is acquitted, 252.
Melbourne, Lord, ministry of, beaten, 252.
Mexico, war with, declared, 270, 290.
Mills, E.H., failing health, leaves Senate, 144.
Monroe, James, visit to the North urged by Webster, 129.
New Hampshire, settlement of, 2;
soil, etc., 3;
people of, 4;
bar of, 35, 36;
Webster refuses to have his name brought forward by, in 1844, 262.
New Mexico, petitions against slavery, 298;
quarrel with Texas, 299;
slavery possible in, 319.
New Orleans, destruction of Spanish consulate at, 336.
New York, attitude of, in McLeod affair, 248, 249.
Niagara, Webster's visit to, and account of, 152.
Niblo's Garden, Mr. Webster's speech at, 238.
Nicaragua, British protectorate of 336.
Niles, Nathaniel, Judge, pupil of Bellamy and opponent of John Wheelock,
75.
Noyes, Parker, early assistance to Webster, 107.
Nullification, Webster's discussion, and history of, 174 ff.
Ogden vs. Saunders, case of, 100.
Oregon, boundary of, Webster's effort to settle, 260-264;
Webster's opinion in regard to boundary of, 265;
claims of British and of Democracy, 285;
territorial organization of, 294.
Otis, Harrison Gray, a leader at Boston bar, 30.
Palmerston, Lord, hostile to the United States, 248;
assails Ashburton treaty and Lord Ashburton, 259.
Panama Congress, debate on mission to, 140, 279.
Parker, Isaac, Chief Justice, in Massachusetts convention, 111.
Parsons, Theophilus, Chief Justice of Massachusetts, 30;
practice in New Hampshire, 36;
argument as to visitatorial powers at Harvard College, 81.
Parton, James, description of Webster at public dinner, 195.
Peake, Thomas, "Law of Evidence," Webster's attack on, 37.
Peel, Sir Robert, effect of his obtaining office in 1841, 252.
Pickering, Timothy, unwavering Federalist, 50.
Pinkney, William, member of fourteenth Congress, 64;
counsel of State in Dartmouth, case, 94, 95;
anecdote of, with Webster, 95, note.
Plumer, William, leading lawyer in New Hampshire and early opponent of
Webster;
opinion of Webster, 36;
refutes Mr. Webster's attack on "Peake," 37;
in ill health and unable to act for Wheelock, 76;
elected Governor and attacks trustees, 78.
Plymouth, oration at, 117-124, 277.
Polk, James K., elected President;
committed to annexation policy, 263;
principal events of his administration connected with slavery, 264;
declarations as to Oregon, 265;
accepts Lord Aberdeen's offer of forty-ninth parallel, 266;
real intentions as to Mexico and England, 267;
refuses information as to secret service fund, 269;
brings on Mexican war, 270, 290;
policy as to slavery in territories, 207.
Portugal, treaty with, 260.
Prescott, James, Judge, Webster's defence of, 197.
Randolph, John, member of fourteenth Congress, 64;
challenges Webster, 67;
takes part in debate on Greek resolution, 134.
Rhode Island, case of, 104, 105;
troubles in, 260.
"Rockingham Memorial," 48.
"Rogers' Rangers," 5.
Root, Mr., of Ohio, resolution against extension of slavery in 1850, 314.
Scott, Winfield, nominated, for presidency, 338-343.
Seaton, Mrs., Webster at house of, 244.
Seward, William H., advises Taylor as to policy in 1850, 312.
Sheridan, R.B., compared with Webster as an orator, 201, 202.
Shirley, John M., history of Dartmouth College causes, 74.
Silliman, Prof. Benj., Mr. Webster's remark to on his own career, 346.
Smith, Jeremiah, Chief Justice of New Hampshire, 36;
allied with trustees of the college, 76;
appears for college, 79, 80;
unable to go to Washington, 84.
Smith, Sidney, remark on Webster's appearance, 194.
Spanish claims, 152.
Sparks, Jared, obtains appointment of boundary commissioners by Maine, 254.
"Specie Circular," debate on, 233, 284.
South Carolina, agitation in against the tariff in 1828, 171;
ordinance of nullification, 212;
substantial victory of, in 1838, 219.
Stanley, Mr., Earl of Darby, 152.
Stevenson, Andrew, minister to England, unconciliatory, 248;
retires, and is succeeded by Mr. Everett, 252.
Story, Joseph, chosen trustee of Dartmouth College by the State, 79;
adverse to Dartmouth College, 87;
converted to support of college, 93;
writes opinion in Dartmouth case, 96;
opinion of Girard will case argument, 102;
Webster's obligations to, 108;
a member of Massachusetts convention, 111;
supports property qualification for the Senate, 115;
opinion of Webster's work in the convention, 116, 117;
Webster's remarks on death of, 127;
assists Webster in preparing Crimes Act, 138;
and Judiciary Bill, 189;
description of Mr. Webster after his wife's death, 155;
assists Webster in Ashburton negotiation, 256;
treatment of, by Webster, 364.
Sullivan, George, leading lawyer in New Hampshire, 36;
counsel for Woodward and State trustees, able argument, 79.
Sullivan, James, 30.
Taney, Roger, removes the deposits, 226.
Tayloe, B. Ogle, anecdote of Mr. Corcoran's gift to Webster, 357.
Taylor, Zachary, tempting candidate for Whigs, 272;
movement for, in New York, 273;
nominated for presidency, 273;
elected President, 274;
elected by Southern votes, 296;
advises admission of California, 301;
attitude and policy in 1850, 311, 312;
death, 333;
agent sent to Hungary by, 333.
Tazewell, L.W., Mr. Webster's reply to on Process Bill, 155.
Tehuantepec, Isthmus of, right of way over, 336.
Texas, independence of, achieved, 232;
annexation of, 263, 289;
Mr. Webster's warning against annexation, 288;
admission as a State, 280;
plan to divide, 294;
troubles with New Mexico, 299.
Thompson, Thomas W., Webster a student in his office, 27.
Ticknor, George, account of Plymouth oration, 118, 119;
impression of Plymouth oration, 120;
description of Webster at Plymouth, 122;
account of Webster's appearance in eulogy on Adams and Jefferson, 152,
153.
Todd, Judge, opposed to Dartmouth College, 87;
absent at decision, 96.
Tyler, John, succeeds to presidency on death of Harrison;
vetoes Bank Bill, 250;
quarrels with Whigs, 251;
read out of party by Massachusetts Whigs, 258.
Van Buren, Martin, instructions to McLane, 210;
confirmation as minister to England, opposed, 210;
confirmation of, defeated, 211;
elected President, character of his administration, 236;
defeated for a second term, 240;
candidate of Free-Soil party in 1848, 274, 296.
Washington, Bushrod, Judge, friendly to college, 87;
opinion in favor of college, 96.
Washington, city of, appearance of, and society in, in 1841, 241-243.
Washington, George, opinion of Ebenezer Webster, 7;
oration upon, 127.
Webster, Abigail Eastman, second wife of Ebenezer and mother of Daniel, 8;
assents to Ezekiel's going to college, 24.
Webster, Daniel.
Birth, delicacy, friendship with old sailor, 9;
at the district schools, 10;
reads to the teamsters, reads books in circulating library, 11;
at Exeter Academy, with Dr. Wood, learns that he is to go to college, 12;
enters Dartmouth College, 13;
sacrifices made to him in childhood, 14;
Ezekiel lends him money, manner of accepting devotion of those about him,
15;
studies and scholarship, 16, 17;
opinions of fellow students; his general conduct, 18;
eloquence and appearance in college, 19;
edits newspaper, writes verses, 20;
oration at Hanover, 20-22;
other orations in college, begins study of law, 23;
obtains his father's consent to Ezekiel's going to college, 24;
teaches school at Fryeburg, 25;
conduct and appearance at Fryeburg, 26;
delivers oration at Fryeburg; returns to Salisbury and studies law, 27;
goes to Boston and is admitted to Mr. Gore's office, 28;
sees leaders of Boston bar, 29;
appointed clerk of his father's court, 30;
declines the office, 31;
opens an office at Boscawen; moves to Portsmouth, 32;
early habit of debt, 33;
first appearance in court, 34;
early manner, 37;
described by Mason, opinion of Mason's ability, 38;
value of Mason's example, 40;
married to Miss Grace Fletcher, at Salisbury, 41;
home in Portsmouth, popularity, mimicry, conservatism in religion and
politics, 42;
moderate and liberal federalist, 43;
gradual entrance into politics, "appeal to old Whigs," speeches at
Salisbury and Concord, pamphlet on embargo, 44;
line of argument against embargo, "The State of our Literature," speech
at Portsmouth, 1812, 45;
character of opposition to war in this speech, 46, 47;
writes the "Rockingham Memorial," 48;
elected to Congress, placed on Committee on Foreign Relations, 49;
introduces resolutions on French decrees, votes steadily with his party,
50;
dropped from Committee on Foreign Relations, tries to obtain debate on
his resolutions, 51;
strong speech against Enlistment Bill, 52;
speech on repeal of embargo, replies to Calhoun, 54;
remarks on double duties, 55;
character of these speeches, 56;
superiority to other speakers in Congress, 57;
views as to Hartford Convention, 58;
votes against war taxes, 59;
partisanship, calls on Mr. Madison, 60;
conversational manner in debate, 61;
takes a leading part in debate on establishment of bank, 1814-15, 62;
power of his argument against irredeemable paper, 63;
opinion of fourteenth Congress, 64;
speech against Bank Bill in session of 1815-16, 66;
votes against Bank Bill, introduces specie resolutions, carries them, 66;
challenged by Randolph, 67;
votes for internal improvements, retires from public life, 68;
removal to Boston, success in Supreme Court of United States, 69;
grief at the death of his daughter Grace, 70;
position on leaving Congress, 71;
reception in Boston, 72;
importance of period upon which he then entered, 73;
consulted by John Wheelock on troubles with trustees, 76;
refuses to appear before legislative committee for Wheelock, and goes
over to side of trustees, his excuse, 77;
advises efforts to soothe Democrats and circulation of rumors of
founding a new college, 78;
joins Mason and Smith in re-argument at Exeter, 79;
anger at Bartlett's attack, fine argument at Exeter, 80;
relies for success on general principles, and has but little faith in
doctrine of impairing obligation of contracts, 81, 82;
gives but little space to this doctrine in his argument at Washington,
83;
raises money in Boston to defray expenses of college case, 84;
adds but little to argument of Mason and Smith, 85;
"something left out" in report of his argument, 86;
dexterous argument, appeal to political sympathies of Marshall, 87;
depicts Democratic attack on the college, 88;
description of concluding passage of his argument, 89-91;
moves for judgment _nunc pro tunc_, 96;
true character of success in this case, 97, 98;
argument in Gibbons vs. Ogden, 99;
in Ogden vs. Saunders and other cases, 100;
in Girard will case, 101, 102;
nature of his religious feeling, 103;
argument in Rhode Island case, 104;
attracts audiences even to legal arguments, anecdote of Mr. Bosworth,
105;
skill in seizing vital points, 106;
capacity for using others, early acknowledgment, later ingratitude, 107;
refusal to acknowledge Judge Story's assistance, 108;
comparative standing as a lawyer, 109;
leader of conservative party in Massachusetts Convention, 111;
speech on abolition of religious test, 112;
on property qualification, for the Senate, 113, 115;
on the independence of the Judiciary, 116;
Plymouth oration, 117;
manner and appearance, 118;
fitness for occasional oratory, 120;
great success at Plymouth, 121, 122;
improvement in first Bunker Hill oration, quality of style, 124;
oration on Adams and Jefferson, 125;
supposed speech of John Adams, 126;
oration, before Mechanics Institute, other orations, 127;
oration on laying corner-stone of addition to capitol, 128;
reëlected to Congress, 129;
political position in 1823, 130;
placed at head of Judiciary Committee, 131;
speech on revolution in Greece, 132;
its objects and purposes, 133, 134;
withdraws his resolutions, success of his speech, 135;
speech against tariff of 1824, defends Supreme Court, 136;
speech on the Cumberland Road Bill, 137;
carries through the Crimes Act, 138;
carries Judiciary Bill through House, lost in Senate, 139;
supports mission to Panama Congress, 140, 141;
supports reference of message on Georgia and Creek Indians, 142;
tone of his speech, 143;
elected senator from Massachusetts, 144;
early inclination to support Calhoun, opposition to Jackson and Adams,
145;
to Clay, relations with Crawford, 146;
on committee to examine charges of Edwards, defends Crawford, 147;
wishes Mr. Mason to be Attorney-General, and English mission for himself,
takes but little part in election, 148;
interview with Mr. Adams, 148, 149;
friendly relations with Mr. Adams, supports administration, 149;
real hostility to, feels that he is not properly recognized, and accepts
senatorship, 150;
inactive in election, allied with Clay and Adams, and founders of Whig
party, 161;
Spanish claims, first sees Marshfield, English friends, Niagara, oration
at Bunker Hill, and eulogy on Adams and Jefferson, 152, 153;
grief on death of his wife, 154;
appearance in Washington after death of his wife, 155;
speech on bill for revolutionary officers, on tariff of 1828, 156, 165;
free-trade Federalist when he entered Congress, 157;
remarks in 1814 on protective duties, 158, 159;
advocates modifications in tariff of 1816, 160;
speech at Faneuil Hall against tariff in 1820, 160-163;
speech against tariff of 1824, 163-165;
reasons for his change of position, as to tariff in 1828, 166, 167;
speech at Boston dinner, 167;
character of this change of policy, and question of consistency, 168;
treats free trade or protection as a question of expediency, 169;
change on the constitutional question, 170;
opposes Jackson's removals from office, 172;
first speech on Foote's resolution, 173;
second speech, reply to Hayne, 174;
argument on nullification, 175;
weak places in his argument, 176;
intention in this speech, definition of the Union as it is, 179, 180;
scene of the speech and feeling at the North, 181;
opening sentence of the speech, 182;
manner and appearance on that day, 183;
variety in the speech, 184;
sarcasm, defence of Massachusetts, 185;
character of his oratory, 186, 187;
of his imagination, 188;
of his style, 189;
preparation of speeches, 190;
physical appearance and attributes, 191, 192;
manner with and effect on children, 193;
effect of his appearance in England, 194;
anecdotes of effect produced by his look and appearance, 195;
constitutional indolence, needs something to excite him in later life,
anecdote, 196;
defence of Prescott, 197;
Goodridge case, White case, greatness of argument in latter, 198;
opening passage compared with Burke's description of Hyder Ali's
invasion, 199;
as a jury lawyer, 200;
compared in eloquence with other great orators, 201, 202;
perfect taste of as an orator, 203;
rank as an orator, 204;
change made by death of Ezekiel and by second marriage, 205;
general effect on the country of reply to Hayne, 206;
ambition for presidency begins, desires consolidation of party, no
chance for nomination, 207;
advocates renewal of bank charter, 208;
overthrows doctrines of bank veto, 209;
opposes confirmation of Van Buren as minister to England, 210;
defeats confirmation, 211;
predicts trouble from tariff, 212;
sees proclamation, wholly opposed to Clay's first Compromise Bill, 213;
sustains the administration and supports the Force Bill, 214;
reply to Calhoun, "the Constitution not a compact," 216, 217;
opposes the Compromise Bill, 218;
Benton's view of, 219, 220;
impossible to ally himself with Jackson, 221;
joins Clay and Calhoun, 222;
soundness of his opposition to compromise, 223;
falls in behind Clay, tour in the West, nominated by Massachusetts for
presidency, 224;
no chance of success, effect of desire for presidency, 225;
alliance with Clay and Calhoun, opinion as to the bank, 226;
presents Boston resolutions against President's course, 227;
speaks sixty-four times on bank during session, 228;
speech on the "protest," 229;
attitude in regard to troubles with France, 230;
defeats Fortification Bill, speech on executive patronage, 231;
defeat of Benton's first expunging resolution, 232;
defence of his course on Fortification Bill, 233;
speech on "Specie Circular" and against expunging resolution, 234;
desires to retire from the Senate but is persuaded to remain, 235;
efforts to mitigate panic, 236;
visits England, hears of Harrison's nomination for presidency, 237;
enters campaign, speech of 1837 at Niblo's Garden, 238;
speeches during campaign, 239;
accepts secretaryship of state, 240;
modifies Harrison's inaugural, "kills proconsuls," 244;
De Bacourt's account of, at reception of diplomatic corps, 245, 246;
opinion as to general conduct of difficulties with England, 248;
conduct of McLeod affair, 249;
deprecates quarrel with Tyler, 250;
decides to remain in the cabinet, 252;
conduct of the Creole case, 253;
management of Maine and Massachusetts, settles boundary, 254;
obtains "Cruising Convention," and extradition clause, letter on
impressment, 255;
character of negotiation and its success, 256;
treaty signed, "the battle of the maps," continues in cabinet, 257;
refuses to be forced from cabinet, 258;
speech in Faneuil Hall defending his course, 258;
character of this speech, explains "Cruising Convention," 259;
refutes Cass, other labors in State Department, 260;
resigns secretaryship of state and resumes his profession, 261;
anxiety about Texas and Liberty party, supports Clay, 262;
reëlected to the Senate, 263;
efforts to maintain peace with England, speech in Faneuil Hall, 265;
letter to Macgregor suggesting forty-ninth parallel, opposition to war in
the Senate, 266;
attacked by Ingersoll and Dickinson, 267;
speech in defence of Ashburton treaty, 268;
remarks on President Polk's refusal of information as to secret service
fund, careless in his accounts, 269;
absent when Mexican war declared, course on war measures, tour in the
South, 270;
denounces acquisition of territory, death of his son and daughter, visit
to Boston for funerals, 271;
refuses nomination for vice-presidency and opposes the nomination of
Taylor, 272;
has only a few votes in convention of 1848, 273;
disgusted with the nomination of Taylor, decides to support it, speech at
Marshfield, 274;
course on slavery, draws Boston memorial, 275;
character of this memorial, 276;
attack on slave-trade in Plymouth oration, 277;
compared with tone on same subject in 1850, 278;
silence as to slavery in Panama speech, 279;
treatment of slavery in reply to Hayne, 279, 280;
treatment of anti-slavery petitions in 1836, 281;
treatment of slavery in speech at Niblo's Garden, 282, 283;
treatment of anti-slavery petitions in 1837, 284;
views as to abolition in the District, 285;
attitude toward the South in 1838, 280;
adopts principle of Calhoun's Enterprise resolutions in Creole case, 287;
attempts to arouse the North as to annexation of Texas, 288;
objections to admission of Texas, 280;
absent when Mexican war declared, 290;
views on Wilmot Proviso, 291;
speech at Springfield, 292;
speech on objects of Mexican war, 293;
Oregon, speech on slavery in the territories, 294;
speech on Oregon Bill, and at Marshfield on Taylor's nomination, 295;
adheres to Whigs, declares his belief in Free Soil principles, 296;
effort to put slavery aside, 297;
plan for dealing with slavery in Mexican conquests, refutes Calhoun's
argument as to Constitution in territories, 298;
Clay's plan of compromise submitted to, 300;
delivers 7th of March speech, 301;
analysis of 7th of March speech, 301, 302;
speech disapproved at the North, 303;
previous course as to slavery summed up, change after reply to Hayne,
304;
grievances of South, 305;
treatment of Fugitive Slave Law, 305-308;
course in regard to general policy of compromise; merits of that policy,
308-312;
views as to danger of secession, 313, 314;
necessity of compromise in 1850, 315;
attitude of various parties in regard to slavery, 316;
wishes to finally settle slavery question, 317;
treatment of extension of slavery, 318;
disregards use of slaves in mines, 319;
inconsistent on this point, 321;
interviews with Giddings and Free-Soilers, 322;
real object of speech, 323;
immediate effect of speech in producing conservative reaction, 324;
compliments Southern leaders in 7th of March speech, 325, 326;
effort to sustain the compromise measures, bitter tone, 327;
attacks anti-slavery movement, 328, 329;
uneasiness evident, 330;
motives of speech, 330-332;
accepts secretaryship of state, 333;
writes the Hülsemann letter, 334;
treatment of Kossuth and Hungarian question, 335;
of other affairs of the department, 336:
hopes for nomination for presidency, 337;
belief that he will be nominated, 338;
loss of the nomination, 339;
refuses to support Scott, 340;
character of such a course, 341-343;
declining health, accident at Marshfield, 344;
death and burial, 345;
disappointments in his later years, 346;
his great success in life, 347;
his presence, 348;
character of his intellect, 348, 349;
dignity, 349;
character as a statesman, 350;
sense of humor, 351;
charm in conversation, 352;
large nature, love of large things, 353;
affection, generosity, treatment of friends, 355;
admired but not generally popular, 356;
distrust of his sincerity, 355, 356;
failings, indifference to debt, 356;
extravagance, 357;
attacked on money matters, 358;
attitude toward New England capitalists and in regard to sources of
money, 359;
moral force not equal to intellectual, 360;
devotion to Union, place in history, 361-362.
Webster, Ebenezer, born in Kingston, enlists in "Rangers," 5;
settles at Salisbury, 6;
marries again, serves in Revolution, 7;
physical and mental qualities, 8;
made a judge, 11;
resolves to educate Daniel, 12;
consents to let Ezekiel go to college, 24;
disappointment at Daniel's refusal of clerkship, 31;
death, 32;
strong federalist, anecdote, 48.
Webster, Edward, Major, death of, 270.
Webster, Ezekiel, anecdote of his lending Daniel money, 15;
obtains consent of his father to go to college, 24;
teaches school in Boston, 28;
admitted to bar, 32;
strong Federalist, 43;
death of, 205.
Webster, Grace, daughter of Daniel Webster, illness, 65;
death, 70.
Webster, Grace Fletcher, first wife of Mr. Webster;
marriage and character, 41, 42;
death, 164.
Webster, Thomas, first of name, 5.
Wheelock, Eleazer, founder of Dartmouth College, 75.
Wheelock, John, succeeds his father as President of Dartmouth College, 75;
begins war on trustees; consults Mr. Webster, 76;
writes to Webster to appear before legislative committee, 77;
removed from presidency and goes over to the Democrats, 78;
originator of the doctrine of impairing obligation of contracts, 81;
fees Mr. Webster, 359.
Whig Party, origin of, 151;
condition in 1836, 235;
nominate Harrison, 237, 238;
carries the country in 1840, 240;
anger against Tyler, 250;
murmurs against Mr. Webster's remaining in Tyler's cabinet, 267;
attacks of, in Massachusetts, upon Tyler, 258;
silence about slavery and Texas, are defeated in 1844, 262, 289;
nominate Taylor, 273;
indifference to Mr. Webster's warning as to Texas, 288;
attitude in regard to slavery in 1850, 316;
nomination of Scott by, in 1852, 338-343.
White, Stephen, case of murder of, Webster's speech for prosecution, 198
ff.;
Webster's fee in, 359.
Wilmot Proviso, Mr. Webster's views on, 291-293;
embodied in Oregon Bill, 295;
shall it be applied to New Mexico, 299;
attacked in 7th of March speech, 301, 302.
Wirt, William, counsel for State in Dartmouth case at Washington,
unprepared, makes poor argument, 84, 91;
anecdote of daughter of and Mr. Webster, 193.
Wood, Dr., of Boscawen, Webster's tutor, 12, 13.
Woodward, William H., secretary of new board of trustees; action against,
79.
Wortley, Mr. Stuart, 152.
Yancey, William L., attack on Webster, 358.