BIBLIOGRAPHY EDITIONS: WEBSTER "Speeches, Forensic Arguments, and Diplomatic Papers of Daniel Webster," with a Notice of His Life and Writings. By Edward Everett. Boston, 1851. "The Writings and Speeches of Daniel Webster." The "National Edition." 18 vols. Boston, 1903. "Extracts from Speeches, with Biographical and Critical Essay." By Carl Schurz. In Warner's "Library of the World's Best Literature." "Great Speeches and Orations." By E. P. Whipple. Annotated school editions. By Horace Scudder, F. N. LIFE: "Life of Daniel Webster." By George Ticknor Curtis. 2 vols. 1869-70. "Biographical Memoir of Daniel Webster." By Edward Everett. "Daniel Webster and the Sentiment of Union." By John Fiske, in "Essays Historical and Literary.” "Discourse before the Students and Alumni of Dartmouth College." By Rufus Choate. CRITICISM: "Daniel Webster." Article in "The Encyclopædia Britannica," by Alexander Johnston. "Beacon Lights of History," pp. 441-484. By John Lord. "Daniel Webster as a Master of English Style." By E. P. Whipple, in "American Literature and Other Papers,” pp. 139-233. "Critical Essays on the Genius and Writings of Daniel Webster." By James Rees, in his "Beauties of Daniel Webster." iv INTRODUCTION I DANIEL WEBSTER DANIEL WEBSTER was born in Salisbury, New Hampshire, January 17, 1782. The Webster family had come to New England early in its history, the first members settling in New Hampshire about 1636. Ebenezer Webster, Daniel's father, was not slow to show his courage and his patriotism. He fought in the French and Indian War, and at its close married and settled down to cultivate a farm. His first wife died in 1774, but he did not wait long before taking another. In less than a year he was married again, this time to a young woman named Abigail Eastman. When the War of the Revolution broke out Ebenezer Webster was among the first to offer his services. He raised a company of two hundred men and marched to Boston. He was in several engagements, and by his courage brought his name to the attention of Genral Washington. If to his father Daniel owed his giant's strength, his courage, and his patriotism, he was none the less indebted to his mother for other qualities. She was a woman of strong character, and from her he derived his intellectual vigor, his taste, and his habits of thought. Daniel's early education was very meagre and scattered. As a young child he formed the habit of reading, and though he may not have read many books he was well acquainted with the "Spectator," Shakespeare, and the Bible. He says of himself that he can not remember the time when he was not able to read the Bible. He began early, also, to read aloud. He gained a local reputation as a good reader, and used often to delight the neighbors with his ability. He started to school young, in the little log schoolhouse near his home, but he did not go regularly. The schools were not the best, the sessions were short, and boys too often had to stay at home to help with the farm work, which had to be done even if the school work were neglected. When Daniel was fourteen years old his father took him to Exeter Academy, where he remained nine months. At the end of this time he spent a few months with Dr. Wood, a minister in Boston, from whom he received private instruction. He then took the examination for entrance to Dartmouth College. Though he passed the examination with some credit, his preparation had been wofully superficial and had given him little mental discipline. He had self-confidence, a good memory, and could cram facts with little difficulty; of hard, regular study he knew almost nothing. He taught school just before entering college, and later also during one of his vacations, to earn money to help defray his college expenses. For his services he received at first four dollars a month and later six. When he entered college in 1797 he was a tall, awkward, ill-dressed youth who promised to become a physical giant. He had a wonderfully strong, musical voice, a huge head disproportionate to the size of his body, and large, bright, hollow black eyes that earned for him the name of "All Eyes." From the first he was wont to estimate his own worth at its full value; he was in no sense over-modest, and if his classmates recognized him as first, he was quite as willing to vote himself the honor. As a college student he was scarcely ever known to work hard; he read widely, but not deeply, and he studied only such things as he liked. His phenomenal memory helped him to get credit for everything that he knew. He attained some distinction while in college both as a speaker and as a writer. He was fond of athletic sports, was at one time editor of his college paper, the first one ever published in America, and in this some of his compositions appeared. His style at this time was no better than that of the average college student. It was full of big words and high-sounding phrases, with none of the simplicity and force that characterized his more mature productions. It is interesting in comparing the oration which he delivered at Hanover, New Hampshire, on July 4, 1800, at the end of his junior year in college, with any of the speeches by which he is best known, to see how completely his literary style changed. In his first writing he was bombastic and inflated, but he later learned the value of the simple word and the direct statement. He graduated from Dartmouth College in August, 1801. It was his desire immediately to begin the study of law, but he felt that he was under obligations to his brother Ezekiel, who had up to this time remained at home and helped on the farm, and who now himself wished to enter college. In order that he might help Ezekiel, Daniel taught school for two or three winters, and sent what money he could to his brother. At the end of his teaching experience he went to Boston, where he had the good fortune to get into the office of Christopher Gore, one of the most noted lawyers in New England. In Mr. Gore's office he had an opportunity to study, and to meet men of the widest experience and of the broadest training. He was admitted to the bar in 1805, and began his practice in the little town of Boscawen. About all he got here was experience, for he could do little more than earn a bare living. His father died in 1806, and the next year Webster moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He met in Portsmouth, Jeremiah Mason, one of the keenest lawyers of his time, and from him he learned much. Mason was a simple, plain-spoken, blunt, practical man, and a logical thinker, who wielded a remarkable power over a jury. Nothing could have been of greater benefit to Webster, with his self-confidence and inflated oratory, than to |