as to his popularity and as to his ability. "The South," said a contemporary of him, "has not his superior, nor the North his equal." In March, 1805, Mr. Webster was admitted to practise in the Suffolk Court of Common Pleas; in May, 1807, he was attorney and counsel of the Superior Court of New Hampshire. In 1808, he married Miss Grace Fletcher, daughter of a New Hampshire clergyman, and by whom he had four children, Grace, Fletcher, Julia and Edward; only one of these survives him, Fletcher, a naval officer.

The time was now fast approaching when Webster was to distinguish himself in a larger sphere than that of a barrister, however well known, and however large his fees, and these latter were very heavy; he had, in fact, become so much sought after that his assistance was difficult to be obtained, and his power of oratory was so well acknowledged that counsel dreaded to have him against them.

us to raise, in our endeavours to imitate the magnificent structures which they have left us.

"A spot," he said, "so distinguished, so connected with interesting memorials as Greece, may naturally create some warmth and enthusiasm. We must, indeed, fly beyond the civilized world, we must pass the dominion of law and the boundaries of knowledge, we must more especially withdraw ourselves from this place, and the scenes and objects which here surround us, if we would separate ourselves entirely from the influence of all those memorials which ancient Greece has transmitted for the admiration and benefit of mankind. This free form of government, this popular assembly, the common council held for the common good, where have we contemplated its earliest models? This practice of free debate and public discussion, the contest of mind with mind, and that popular eloquence, which, if it were now here on a At the age of thirty, in May 1813, he subject like this, would move the stones took his seat as representative in Con- of the capitol-whose was the language gress, and soon distinguished himself. in which all these were first exhibited? At the adjournment of Congress he left Even the edifice in which we now ashis residence in Portsmouth, and estab- semble, these proportioned columns, lished himself in Boston. Towards the this ornamented architecture, all reclose of the year 1822, the inhabitants mind us that Greece has existed, and of Boston determined to be represented that we, like the rest of mankind, are by one who should reflect a credit on her debtors." Not contented, however, their city, and they so strongly urged with an illustration, at once so beauthis upon Webster that he allowed him- tiful and so appropriate, the orator, self to be put in nomination, and was warming as he proceeded, showed his elected, after being absent from the audience that the Greeks claimed a National Legislature for a term of six sympathy above even that of a grateful years. In 1823, he delivered perhaps pupil to its teachers, the sympathy of one the most powerful speech he had yet Christian nation to another. "The Greeks made, in a proposition looking to an address the civilized world with a paearly recognition of Greek independ- thos not easy to be resisted, they invoke ence. A part of this speech, which we our favour by more moving considerashall quote, will let the reader partly tions than can well belong to the coninto the secret of Webster's success in dition of any other people. They stretch oratory. He calls to men's minds the their arms to the Christian communities ancient glories of the country of Plato of the earth, beseeching them, by a geand Alcibiades, of Xenophon and Prax-nerous recollection of their ancestors, iteles, of Poetry and Art, and connects by the consideration of their own desothis reverential regard with the present |lated and ruined cities and villages, by life and feelings of his audience by the their wives and children sold into an familiar illustration of the interior of accursed slavery, by their own blood the house in which they sat, the house of representatives, which is of exceeding beauty, a beauty which, as he said, it owes to the arts of Greece. He wishes to raise a sympathy with a people struggling for freedom, and he does so by pointing to the polished marble column which their forefathers taught

which they seem willing to pour out like water, by the common faith, and in that Name which unites all Christians, that they would extend to them at least some token of compassionate regard."

The American Press circulated this powerful speech-part of which, by the

way, might well have been applied to plausibility to be based upon, and certain wives and children sold in sla- clearly deducible from, the Virginia very in their own free land-throughout and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 and their vast continent, and in the glow 1799, which are known to have been of admiration excited by it Webster drafted respectively by Jefferson and was said to equal Burke, and superior Madison, and repeatedly reaffirmed as to Chatham. In the same year he con- containing the democratic creed resistently favoured the acknowledgment specting the powers of the Federal of South American independence; and Government, and their rightful limitain 1824 made what is called his great tions. Mr. Webster inexorably deFree-trade speech, which was deemed monstrated the incompatibility of this the ablest ever delivered on the subject. doctrine with any real power or force In the same year, John Quincy in the federal government, and, admitAdams was put forward by the New ting fully the right of revolution as Englanders for President. To this superior to all governments, showed election Webster, although it was that a state could not remain in the known that he was no admirer of Mr. Union and assume to nullify acts of Adams, gave his unflinching support, Congress upheld by the supreme court; from the belief that Mr. Adams would that the contrary assumption was condo well for the country. Daniel Web-demned by the Constitution itself, and ster and John Randolph were tellers utterly at war with the public tranon the occasion, and Quincy Adams quillity and safety. Mr. Webster's was elected by the vote of thirteen speeches arrested the Jackson party on States to eleven; Webster became one the brink of committing itself irretriev of the ablest supporters of the adminis-ably to the doctrine of nullification-a tration of Adams and Clay. In 1826 committal which would have proved an he was chosen a Senator of the United act of suicide. States, and took his seat in the Upper House. Towards the close of 1827 his first wife died, whilst he was on his way to Washington to take his seat in the Senate. The next year, 1828, was signalized by the defeat of John Quincy Adams, and the accession of General Jackson to the Presidency.

During the session of 1829-30, occurred the memorable debate on Foote's resolution respecting the Public Lands, wherein Mr. Webster, in replying to Colonel Hayne, of South Carolina, vindicated his right to rank first among living debaters. It is hardly too much to say of his great and lesser speech on that occasion, that they rescued the Federal Constitution from a construction fast becoming popular, which, once established as correct, must have proved its destruction. The constitutional right of any State of the Union to nullify an act of Congress, whether by its ordinary legislature, or by a convention specially called, once admitted as legal, would strip the federal authority of all just claim to be considered a government, and throw us back upon the inefficiency and semianarchy of the old Continental Confederation. Yet that doctrine of nullification, so frankly propounded and ably defended by Colonel Hayne, in a debate with Webster, claimed, with much

In the Senate he also advocated the recharter of the second United States Bank, opposing the re-election of General Jackson, and supporting Mr. Clay in opposition to him; vigorously opposing nullification when attempted to be put in practice in 1833; opposing the tariff compromise of that year, the removal of deposits, &c. He was candidate for the Presidency in 1836, but received_the 12 votes of Massachusetts only. In 1839 he visited Europe, where, with the exception of some weeks spent on the Continent, he passed his time in England, where he was received by our statesmen, and by all with the greatest attention and civility.

He continued in the senate warmly advocating General Harrison's election, and upon that event taking place was called to fill the place of Secretary of State, or head of the Cabinet. This he continued to fill after Harrison's lamented and untimely death, and remained in it till 1843. During his administration the relations of England and America seemed likely to become embroiled through a disputed line of boundary. This dispute was known here as the Oregon question. Oregon extends from 42 deg. to 54 deg. 4 min. north lat., and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The terri

tory, vast and valuable from its products Brunswick, and Canada. The treaty and furs, north of the Columbia River, being signed in 1842, and terminating and south of the parallel of 49 deg. N. a dispute which, through a Mr. Macleod lat., is that which was in dispute be- setting fire to an American vessel, had tween the governments of Great Britain threatened the worst consequences to and the United States. The first ne- the two nations. On March the 7th, gotiation that took place about this 1850, while the country and congress much-disputed territory was in 1844, were agitated by questions connected when the discussion was left open. with the organization of territories reAmerica, it would seem, claimed more cently acquired from Mexico, and the than that for which her claim was valid. proposed interdiction of slavery therein, In 1818 a convention was made which Mr. Webster made a very eloquent threw open for a term of ten years the speech, taking stand in favour of a comdebateable land to the subjects of both promise respecting the territories and nations; America, on this, tried to against any act or proviso by congress populate the territory as quickly as aiming to exclude slavery therefrom. possible, so as to make her claim na- He argued that such an act was wholly tional. In 1826 Mr. Canning and Mr. uncalled-for; that the law of God had Huskisson proposed that a boundary interdicted slavery therein, and needed line should be drawn along the 49th no re-enactment by man. Previously parallel of latitude from the Rocky to this he had been opposed to the Mountains to the north eastern branch Mexican war on the principle that the of the Columbia River. America re-acquisition of so vast a territory would fused to agree to this, and made a proposal by which Britain would have been cut off from the Columbia River, the navigation of which was indispensable to her commerce. This was rejected. In 1827 the convention was renewed for an indefinite period. Throughout the whole of this time the claims of America seem to have grown larger and advanced with time. In 1827 the claim advanced to the 49th deg. N.; and in 1843 the President enlarged his claim again, on this occasion embracing the whole territory up to the 54th parallel; the cry being throughout the States, Upon the accession of President Fill"all or none." In England some were more, Mr. Webster again became Secrefor calling in the sword for arbitration, tary of State, in which office he conbut, fortunately, in Lord Ashburton tinued till his death. At the Baltimore and in Daniel Webster more efficient convention, to elect in the room of Fillarbitrators were found. America, under more, he was nominated to the Presiher wise and conciliatory adviser, with-dency, but the delegates gave him but drew her exorbitant claims without 33 out of 293 votes. This, and it is losing her honour, and on the 13th of said having personally to congratulate June, 1846, it was finally settled by the President elect, killed the ambitious convention that the boundary should be continued westwards along the 49th parallel to the middle of the channel which separates America from Vancouver's Island, and thence south through the middle of the said channel and the Fuca Strait to the Pacific Ocean.

Before this, which was to us in England the most noticeable action of his life, during Webster's administration as Secretary of State, Lord Ashburton, Minister Extraordinary of Great Britain at Washington, had settled the eastern boundaries of Maine, New

weaken rather than strengthen the United States. When he found that he was in the minority in regard to the invasion, he did not withhold his support from the government in voting sufficient supplies, thinking that the war, if carried on at all, should be carried on efficiently. In American parlance, Mr. Webster "invested a son" in this war, who was appointed Major in the Massachusetts regiment of volunteers; but the fatigue, coupled with the enervating and distressing climate, proved fatal to the promising young officer.

man. It became evident that his life was drawing to a close. He himself was aware of this, and had the male members of his family and his only surviving son, Fletcher Webster, sent for. He desired them to remain near his room, and more than once enjoined on those present, who were not of his immediate family, not to leave Marshfield till his death had taken place. assured by all that his every wish would be religiously regarded, he then addressed himself to his physicians, making minute inquiries as to his own con

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