0 3!?‘ AT BOSTUN, v «JULY 9, 1852 RECEPTION OF‘ DANIEL WEBSTER, AT BOSTON, JULY 9, 1852. /\A,%PJV%/ ‘WVV%N/\&. BOSTON: 1 8 5 2. EASTBURN’S 1=-mass. RECEPTION 01" DANIELVVEBWHNL Few events have ever occurred in this country more striking and remarkable, than the late reception of Mr. Web» ster at Boston, on his return from Washington. The purely voluntary character of the whole demonstration, the great popular enthusiasm exhibited on the occasion, and the im- posing display of public feeling "Wl’llCl”1 greeted the distinguish»- ed statesman, render it proper that a permanent record of the occurrences should be made. The following account has therefore beentprepared, under the direction of the Com-- mittee of Arrangernents, of this extraordinary pageant. At a meeting of “ The Webster State Committee of Cor» respondence,” held in Boston on the 25th of June, Messrs. Franklin Haven, George T. Curtis, J. Thomas Stevenson, Peter Harvey and C. R. Ransom, of Boston, and Samuel H. Walley, of Roxburv, and Benjamin K. I-Iough,of Glouces- ter, were appointed a Committee to make arrangements for a public reception of Mr. Webster, on his arrival from Wash- ington 5 it having been understood that he was about to leave that city, on a short visit to his home in Massachusetts. It was deemed proper by the Committee, after the result of the Whig National Convention, that the citizens of Massachu- setts, tvithout distinction of party, should have an opportu-- nity to express the veneration and attachment, which, it was 4 MR. w:eBsrnr.’s well known within the limits of the State, were felt bye them towards Mr. Webster : and in coming forward to take the direction of a demonstration, which the Committee were well aware must be made in compliance with a vehement popular demand for some form of expression towards the great Statesman, the Committee felt that they assumed the responsibility belonging to public organs of a great public sentiment. Their first care, therefore, was, to commit the ceremonial part of this reception to some gentleman whose experience and ability in conducting such proceedings would ensure dignity, safety and convenience, in the midst of the vast assemblies likely to congregate within the City, on the day of Mr. Webster’s arrival. The known talent, urbanity and skill of General John S. Tyler designated him as the most suitable person for the post of Chief Marshal; and he very kindly and promptly acceeded to the request of the Committee, and entered at once upon the duties of that office. The Chief Marshal appointed the following gentlemen as his AIDS AND AS SISTANTS¢ F. W. Lincoln, J. A. Abbott, George B. Upton, C. J. B. Moulton, Lewis W. Tappan, 8. Bartlett, jr., C. H. Appleton, Francis Richards, Farnham Plumrner, J. A. Cummings, Edward Crane, J. F. Marsh, William P. Baker, J. A. Richards, Edward F. Hall, Lewis Beck, J. H. Eastburn, J. R. Bigelow, Thomas Gray, J. M. Wright, William Dehon, Isaac Cary, Granville Mears, J. H. Foster, jr., J. L. Dimmock, Thomas W. Gray, Ezra Forristall, Elisha G. Tucker, Williiam Whitney, ‘ Dudley H. Bailey, E. W. Pike, J J. M. Wightman, . C1 RECEPTION AT BOSTON. R B. Hill, James Dillon, H. D. Child, Jarnes H. Beal, D. F. M. Gilvray, G. H. Kingsbury, B. F. Cook, , J. R. Lee, P. Butler, jr., J. B. W heelock, D. B. Hooper, Ives G. Bates, B. B. Williams, J. S. Wiggirr, C. W. Frost. 13’. E. Kingman, J. Dennie, jr., C. F. Longee, F. A. Fuller, Otis Kimball, Adolphus Davis, J . Russell Bradford, W- W- Clara Jr-. John :19. Ober, J, Dunlmm, j1~,, R. J. Burbanlr, J. R. Spalding, C George )3‘. ’I‘rain, C. S. Cutter, 0. 0. Rogers. It was, at first, intended by the Committee of Arrange-- ments, that the procession, to be formed as an escort, should be of a wholly civic character ; partly because the Committee had no means of obtaining orders for a rnilitary parade, and partly because a civic procession was felt by some to be a more appropriate mode of honoring a great statesman, who had never borne any military character‘. But it was no sooner known that there would be a procession, than the Committee received, through the Chief lVIarsha1, offers of mi1-- itary escort of a voluntary nature, so pressing and so full of feeling for the honor of the occasion, that it was impossible for them to adhere to their original determination. It be- came apparent, at once, that the military of Boston, and of other places, were about to demand as their right, the duty of performing the escort, and were determined to perform it, in a manner which would show that orders were wholly unnecessary, upon an occasion of honors to Daniel Webster. The original plan was accordingly changed. The Chief Marshal was requested to receive any offers of military es- cort that might be tendered ; and the result was the assem- bling of a body of troops, larger than ever before appeared in New England, upon a service purely voluntary, and es:press- 6 MR. wEBsrEa’s ing by their presence that it was a sentiment that called them to the arduous duties of an unusually sultry day. Major General B. F. Edmands kindly offered to take the command of the escort. At an early hour of the forenoon, the shops and stores began to be closed, and the city began to put on the garb of a national holiday. The various thoroughfares were thronged with people, multitudes of whom were strangers; and every train upon the various railroads leading into the city, brought new accessions to the crowds that had assembled to witness this interesting ceremony. The streets through which the procession was to pass were very generally decorated, and for the most part in an exceedingly tasteful manner. The citizens appeared to vie with each other, in the gaiety of their flags and other decorations, in patriotic and appropriate mottoes, and in graceful designs expressing the feeling which animated the whole people. Innumerable busts and portraits of the great statesman were displayed upon the balconies and walls of the houses, evincing how extensively those remarkable features are cherished as a household image. From the costly marble crowned with bays to the most or- dinary print, every form in which they have been reproduced stood out upon dwellings of all degrees,until one gave up the attempt to count them. The following account, extracted from the newspaper re- ports, will give some idea of the appearance of the streets through which the procession passed. WASHINGTON STREET. At the Roxbury Line, where Mr. Webster was received, there was a fine display of flags, pennants, &c. From the residence of J. M. Bassett, 841 Washington street, extending across to the house of D. I-Iamblen, 830, there were displayed several large American flags, and a large color, on which was the word “Oregon.” Both of the above houses were taste»- fully festooned. The residence of J. Simes, corner of Washington and Lenox streets, was finely decorated. In front was a large nscsrrron AT BOSTON. 7 engraving of Webster, surrounded by the ever beautiful stars and stripes. At the Washington Hotel (Ooo1ey’s) there was a fine dis- play. Several flags were hung across the wide street, and attracted deserved attention. The Jenny Lind Hotel was handsomely arrayed in stars and stripes. The house of Mrs. Ann Atwell, 787 Washington street, was elegantly decorated. This patriotic lady’s efiinrts are deserving especial mention, as showing an appreciation of Mr. Webster. Flags were pendant across the street. Franklin square, east side, presented a beautiful appear- ance, and as seen from ‘Washington street, attracted general attention. The residences of D. S. Hall, Oaltes Tirrell, Sam- uel Wheeler and Alvin Adams are worthy of particular corn- mendation. Three awnings were constructed of the flags of various nations and colors, producing a most happy effect. The houses 658 and 656, occupied by Francis Boyd and F. A. Hall, were splendidly decorated, and were not sur-- passed by any in the whole city. Two exquisite canopies were extended before the doors, while all around fluttered the gayest pennants. Flags were also stretched across the streets. The residence of Mr. N. Broughton, 692, was finely deco- rated. O. T. Lougee’s dwelling house, 732, was gay with flags and pennants. On front was a transparency with the follow- ing inscription :~—--——-“ Welcome Home the Gallant Defender of the Constitution.” The house of Mrs. I~Iannah Wilkins, No. 735, was splen- didly decorated, and attracted deserved attention. The dwelling of James Barry, Captain of the Watch, 690, was finely arrayed in holiday attire. A splendid engraving of Webster was placed in front of the house, surrounded and gracefully entwined with flags. Flags were also extended across the street. Dr. Wakefield’s apothecary store was elegantly fcstooned and attracted much attention. 8 MR. wnssrrcsfs The residence of Dr. Cummings, 727, was beautifully decorated. In front was a transparency with the following motto :---“ Daniel VVebste1'-~—-We honor his gigantic intellect, his transcendent genius, and his self-sacrificing devotion to his country.” Among the most noticable decorations of the day were those on the residence of D. Pulsifer, 725. The display of bunting was both large and beautiful. Flags and streamers were stretched across the street in great taste. Prominent among them was the pilot boat flag “Daniel Webster,” especially loaned for the occasion. The decoration attracted universal attention. The house of L. M. Dyer, 725, was beautifully decorated. Mr. Waterman’s house, 7533, presented a fine appearance. No. 684, occupied by J. M. Mayo, attracted considerable attention. In front was a portrait of Webster, and the whole house was elegantly festooned. D. P. Lewis, 721, was notable in the decorative art. Fes- toons and flags were prominent. Alderman Cary’s dwelling house, 719, was splendidly decorated. Garlands, festoons, wreaths———--all forms of the gay and beautiful, were displayed. In front was a transpar- ency, on which was the following: “Daniel VVebster---~—l1e has the hearts of the people.” These decorations were much admired. John H. Griggs, 715, displayed a large number of flags across the street, and with much credit. At the residence of George H. Child, 707, there was an elegant display. On a transparency was the following: “Pride in the gift of country and of name, Speaks in the Eye and Step ; I-Ie treads his native land.” 011 a flag across the street, was the following inscription: “ His worth is warrant for his welcome hither.” The Franklin School House made a good display. Flags were stretched across the street. At Williams Market flags were thrown across the street. On the main flag was the inscription, “Webster and the Compromise,” and on another, “One Country, one Constitu- tion, one Destiny.” nsceerron AT BOSTON. 9 John Green, Jr., 657, displayed a large number of flags, pennants, &.c. . At Baker, Perry 65 Co.’s, No. 611, there were many flags. On one was the word “Home,” in large letters. Pendant from the awning were the words, “Union and the Constitu-~ tion----the two great lights in the American firrnament.” C OMMON STREET Was generally decorated with flags, pennants, &c., most gracefully disposed. The citizens in that famous street are entitled to great credit. 'riaEMoN'r STREET. The residence of E. L. White, 226, was decorated in ex- tremely good taste, and attracted universal attention. In front was a bust of Webster, surrounded with flags, and be- neath a transparency, on which was the following :----“ Dan- iel Webster the People’s Choice.” At the residence of Dr. H. A. Ward, 228, we noticed a large display of hunting. A At Park Hall and the Winthrop Billiard Saloon the atmos- phere was brilliant with flags, streamers, &c. The Winthrop House was splendidly decorated, and at- . tracted universal attention. On Colonnade Row, at the residence of (3‘reneral John S. Ty-~ ler, the Chief lV.larshal, there were rich and unique decorations. A bust of Webster was surmounted by a chaplet of green, while on every side, up and down, were brilliant festooins of bunting. It was one of the best decorations on the whole line. WE ST STREET. The residence of Dr. E. Tucker was finely arrayed. It presented one of the most exquisite festoons we noticed. The Temple Club building was one vast sea of hunting. It was the most imposing display of the whole route. C The well known store of Hill, Lincoln, Greer dz; Co., cor—- ner of West and Washington streets, was elegantly attired in flags, festoons, «Sec. 2 10 MR. Wn:esrrn;e’s BEDF ORD STREET. The residence of Henry Atkins, No. 11, was beautifully de- corated. Cn a transparency was the following : “ Daniel Webster, and the Compromise.” At the house of Daniel Curtis, 23, there was a unique dis- play. Agriculture and Commerce were neatly represented by peculiar designs and implements. Nothing in the line attracted more deserved attention. At 42 and 44, the residences of Messrs. Nicholson and Bixby, there was also a magnificent and elaborate display. Festoons, flags and designs were all to be noted. On a trail»- sparency was the following : “ Welcome to the Defender of the Constitution.” At the residence of J. G. Locke, besides a neat display of festoons, &c., was the following inscription, appended to a flag: “New England, with one long convulsive shout, in fond embraces takes her loved champion home.” At the residence of Mrs. Tubbs, 69, there was also a fine display. Among other things a superb engraving of Webster in an elegant frame. SUMMER STREET. This street was finely decorated, though not in a manner to call for much special description. At the residence of Hon. Edward Everett we noticed a fine bust of Webster, surmounted by a green wreath. At Chandler do Pettes’s there was an elegant display of flags, &c. r WASHINGTON STREET, AGAIN. At the four corners of the streets Summer, Winter and Washington, there was awhole sea of floating flags; and from Winter to Franklin street, it was one continuation of bunting, displayed in fine taste. At George W. Warren’s store there was a magnificent show. At Henry Wenzell’s were busts, of Webster and John Adams. , , At Fessenden’s No. 205, was a motto, “Our Country’s Shield,” within which was a portrait of Webster. RECEPTION AT BOSTON. 11 Brewers, Stevens 56 Cashing made a handsome display of flags. James French, bookseller, made a fine display of pennants, &c. On one side was the word “Liberty,” on the other, “ Union.” In the centre was a bronze medallion of Webster, beneath which an engraving of the distinguished man. Fetridge 65 Co., presented a fine show. A bust of Web- ster was placed in front in the second story, and with eXcel~ lent effect. STATE STREET. The Old State House, (south side), was splendidly decor- ated with large flags, which made an attractive appearance. The Bee building was handsomely decorated. The whole front of the establishment was elaborately displayed with flags, pennants, doc. hanging in festoons. In the centre win- dow was a medallion, with the following iriscrription : “ The Ul1l0I1----R81"I1GXI1l)B1‘ its creation, Respect its Laws, and Honor its Defender.” On the seconrl story was a bust of Webster, and directly beneath, on clear white, as follows: “Pride of America.” On each side was suspended a frame picture of Webster, encompassed in l:)nnting, and the whole was sur-- monnted by an American .Eagle, on the top of the building, suspending an Americairi flag in each wiiig. In front, ex- tending across the street, was a 1nagr'1ificet1t flag, on the bottom of which was :inscriibed,--~“ The l’eople’s Candidate, Daniel Webster.” On the cupola of the State l~Iouse building was a fine dis- play of flags, colors, 650., by Messrs. ]}Indson «Sc Smith, of the Merchants’ Exchange. Along the whole line of State to Commercial street, there was a grand display of flags. At the corner of State and Commercial streets there was a fine display of flags of various nations. sonrrr I\I.A:RK.E'.l.‘ sranrrr. At Ruggles, Nourse 62; lV.[ason’s establishment, in Fanenil Hall Market building, there was an excellent display. On a transparency was the following : “ Daniel Webster.” 12 MR. wsnsrnrfs The names of the different States, in colored letters, was also displayed on neat transparencies. The store of Geo. W. Torrey & Co., No. 25, was also neatly decorated. A transparency was displayed, on which was the following : “Welcome Daniel Webster.” A bust of Webster, surrounded by festoons of pennant, was displayed. Among the outward demonstrations, yesterday, in honor of Mr. Webster, we noticed no finer spectacle than that present- ed by South Market street. From each store throughout the whole length of the street was displayed an American ensign. On the opposite side, Faneuil Hall Marlret, was finely decorated with colors. A line of national flags extended across each end of this wide street, while the centre was spanned by a magnificent tri- urnphal arch, bearing on one side the inscription : “ Welcome, Senator of the Um'o7t.” On the other———- “A Grateful People Welcome at Faitlrfltl Servant.” This arch, beautifully decorated, and stretching across the space of forty—six feet, at an altitude of over thirty feet, was the largest and grandest work of the kind that has graced our streets on any public occasion. The project of erecting this arch, involving much labor and expense, was started only a day or two previous to the reception. The public spirited merchants of South Market street, aided by the hearty co~operation of the occupants of Faneuil Hall Marlret, who are never tardy in doing “honor unto whom honor is due,” immediately subscribed the neces- sary amount, and put the work in progress. All came cheer- fully forward without distinction of party. Democrat as well as Whig cordially joined together in erecting these testimo-- nials of their esteem and veneration of the first of American Statesmen. During the forenoon, it is to be regretted, the grand arch gave way, and was prostrated to the pavements, and so badly broken that it was utterly impossible to erect it before the procession passed. Faneuil Hall and vicinity was magnificently decorated, RECEPTION AT BOSTON. 13 and flags were thrown across the street, presenting a fine appearance. In Dock square there was also a fine display. The Museum, as usual on public days, presented a hand- some appearance. The Albion Hotel was likewise finely decorated. In Beacon street we noticed that the residence of Post- master Gordon was elegantly decorated, as also the Club House. The Regiments constituting the military escort, formed in line between three and four o’clock, on “the Neck,” with their right resting upon the Roxbury line, awaiting the arri-~ val of Mr. Webster. Upon the opposite side of this broad avenue, were posted the various civic bodies, mentioned in the following programme of the procession; and behind the lines, as far as the eye could reach, in the direction of the city, stood a vast crowd of eager spectators, apparently un- conscious of the intense heat of the sun, awaiting the ap- proach of him whom they had come out to welcome. Mr. Webster, who was tarrying at the house of the Hon. Samuel H. Walley in Roxbury, entered a barouche, drawn by six gray horses, at half-past three o’cloclc, and accom- panied by the Committee of Arrangements, who were seated in the same carriage and two others, and escorted by the National Lancers, proceeded towards the dividing line which separates the two cities. As soon as the cortege left the resi- dence of Mr. Walley, a discharge of cannon announced his departure, and the salute was repeated by field-pieces sta-- tioned in the great square of the City of Roxbury and along the line where the military escort was in waitincr. At the same instant, the bells of Roxbnry and Boston made known to the inhabitants of the metropolis that the procession was about to move. Upon the arrival of Mr. Webster across the line, he was met by Gen. TYLER, the Chief Marshal, who, in a few brief words, tendered to him the civic escort which had been ar- ranged. Gen. Enmanns also tendered to him a military escort 14 MR. wEBsrEn’s of a purely voluntary character. Mr. Webster thanked them both, and to Gen. EDMANDS he said-—-- “Please to accept for yourself, and to communicate to the members of the escort, my most affectionate regards. I am one who was early taught the value of our citizen soldiery, and I believe a volunteer militia constitutes the only needful defence of a free country.” . The carriages having passed the military escort drawn up in line on the West side of Washington street---~ THE PROCESSION At a quarter past 4, took up its line of march for the Common, through the streets previously indicated, in the following order :---- THE MILITARY ESCORT. A division under command of Maj. Gen. B. F. EDMANDS and Stafi", consisting of Lt. Col. Francis Boyd, Majors C. Cr. King, J . L. Plummer and B. C. Howard. The division consisted of two Brigades, and the Divisionary Corps of Cadets. FIRST BRIGADE, Under command of Brigadier Gen. SAMUEL ANDREWS and Staff, consisting of Brig. Major P. S. Davis, Capts. H. C. Brooks, and Curtis. The National Lancers, or Light Dragoons, under command of Capt. J. C. Jipson, numbering 75 men, and accompaniecl by the SUFFOLK Bnass BAND----P. S. Gilmore, Leader. FIFTH REGIMEN T OF ARTILLERY. ‘BOSTON CORNET BAND--—-Alonzo Bond, Leader. Under command of Col. ROBERT COWDIN, with the following field and stalf o1‘.iicers:-«-Lt. Col. Henry W. Usher, Lt. F. A. Heath, Lt. Adin Partridge. The regiment comprised the fol- lowing companies :---- Washington Artillery, Capt. William W. Bullock, 45 guns. Boston Artillery, Capt. Thomas H. Evans, 50 guns. Roxbury Artillery, Capt. Moses H. Webber, 36 guns. Cowdin Phalanx, Capt. Wardwell, 25 guns. Columbian Artillery, Capt. Elijah Thompson, 52 guns. RECI<‘.l?TIOl\T AT nosron. 15 FIRST REGIMENT LIGHT INFANTRY. BostroN BRIGADE BAND--John Bartlett, Leader. Under command of Col. CHARLES L. HOLB:aooK, with the follow- ing Stan":---Lt. Col. John C. Boyd, Maj. James A. Abbott; Lts. Thomas E. Chickering, C. T. Curtis, W. B. Oliver, I. I. Har- wood. This regiment comprised the following companies :--- Boston Light Infantry, Capt. O. D. Ashley, 47 guns. New England Guards, Capt. J. L. Henshaw, 47 guns. Pulaski Guards, Capt. A. J. Wright, 43 guns. Boston Light Guard, Capt. George Clark, J r., 45 guns. City Guards, Capt. J. H. French, 35 guns. Independent Fusiliers, Capt. William Mitchell, 40 guns. Washington Light Guard, Lieut. Upton, 86 guns. Winthrop Guards, Capt. Houston, :25 guns. Mechanic Itiflemen, Capt. Samuel G. Adams, 3?. guns. SECOND BRIGADE, Consisting of companies from adjoining counties, &c., under command of Col. J. DURELL GREENE, of the 4th Regiment. FOURTH AND FIFTH IIBG-IMENTS LIGHT INFANTRY. CORNET BAND, Lowell, D. Marble, Leader. Under the command of Lt. Col. HORACE WILLIAMS, with Major Moses J. Cobb and Lt. Josiah Porter as field and stand‘ ofiicers. The following companies were comprised in this command :-I--~ Lowell Mechanic Phalanrz, (5th reg.) Capt. Thomas Farmer, 45 guns. Charlestown City Guards, (4th reg.) Lt. Pierce, 31 guns. Wamesit Light Guards, (5th reg.) Capt. H. A. Sargent, 50 guns. Cambridge City Guards, (4th reg.) Capt. Meacham, 29 guns. Lowell National Blues, (5th reg.) Capt. Lawrence, 35 guns. ~ SIXTH AND SEVENTH REGIMENTS LIGHT INFAN- TRY. SALEM BnAss BAND----J. Smith, Leader. Under the command of Col. N. P. COLBURN of the 7th Regi- ment, with Maj. S. Dikc and Adjutant George 0. Carpenter, as field and stafi’ oflicers. This command included the 16 MR. wEBs'rEE’s Salem City Guards, (6th reg.) Capt. Felton, 35 guns. Richardson Light Guards, (7th reg.) Capt. N. S. Dearborn, 42 guns. Stoneham Light Infantry, (7th reg.) Capt. Lyman Dyke, 55 guns. The Boston Veteran Association, Capt. Gunnison, 85 guns. The Divisionary Corps of Independent Cadets, Lieut. Col. Thomas C. Amory, 40 guns, accompanied by the American Brass Band, 0. H. Wilmarth, Leader. N ext came THE CIVIC DISPLAY, Under the direction of Gen. JOHN S. TYLER, Chief Marshal, assisted by the following gentlemen as aids, and a large body of Assistant Marshals-m-Frederick W. Lincoln, Lewis W. Tappan, Charles H. Appleton, Farnham Plummer, Thomas Gray, George B. Upton, William Dehon, and Granville Mears. Mr. WEBSTER, in a barouche, followed by carriages containing the Committee of Arrangements, the Webster State Committee, the Massachusetts delegation to the Baltimore Convention, May- ors of Boston, Roxbury, Cambridge and Charlestown, Editors and Reporters of the Boston press, and other invited guests. In one of the barouches, accompanied by Otis P. Lord of Salem, and Col. N . A. Thompson of Boston, was Mr. Joseph Balch, 93 years of age, a revolutionary pensioner, and a resident of Fulton county, N. Y. Then came the BOSTON BRASS BAND----E(lWar(l Kendall, Leader. A portion of the Baltimore Delegation, on foot, under the mar- shalship of EDWARD CRANE. NEWTON Bnass BANE----Milo Lucas, Leader. The Webster Association, TOLMAN WILLEY, Chief Marshal. This Association turned out nobly, numbering upwards of three hundred, showing that their devotion to the great statesman was yet unabated, and would manifest itself in spite of the unfriendly elements. They bore with them an elegant banner, having upon it a fine portrait of the great Expounder, and the inscriptions—--'-—- ,“ The Ncttz'on’s Gratitude: the JEh'_ghest Gift qf a.PecpZe.” “ l7Vebster for the Union.” RECEPTION AT BOSTON. 17 These Were followed by the CAMBRIDGE Baass BAND--—--J::‘t1‘I1eS McCoy, Leader. A noble delegation of the sons of Cambridge, to participate in the pageant. CHARLESTOWN BRASS l3AN:o----R. Balcotn, Leader. THE CAVALCADE, Under the command of Capt. EZRA FORRISTALL, Chief Mar»- Shal, led off by a portion of the Baltimore Delegation, and several hundred other citizens of Boston. These were followed by a fine delegation of forty horsemen from Watertown, under the inarshalship of HENRY LYMAN. East Cambridge sent 50 strong, under E. C. KINGSLEY, Chief Marshal. WALTHAM Bnass l3ANn-----F. Buttriclr, Leader, with a delegation one hundred strong, from Brighton, S'.rE1?I~IEN H. BENNETT, Chief Marshal. They carried a beautiful banner, having the inscription, “ Wbster cmd the Union.” Next came the _ Roztnuav Bnass BAND----—ThOma.S II. Perkins, Leader, with a noble array of horsemen, from Roxbury, under the direc- tion of THOMAS ADAMS, Chief Marshal. Dorchester brought up the rear of this portion of the proces- sion, with a large delegation under the marshalship of M. 0. Banner. Bringing up the rear of all were some thirty carriages, filled with earnest friends of the great statesman, and adding much to the effect of the tleinonstration. The Whole procession was a magnificent display, and when we take into consideratioii the extreme sultriness of the weather, and the voluntary, spontaneous character of the demonstration, we can truly say that no other man than DANIEL VVEBSTER ever did or could receive such a Splendid token of regard from the citizens of Massachusetts. The military portion of the cortege was especially brilliant, embracing twenty-nine companies. Its appearance when in motion was very striking. The rich uniforms and noble steeds of the cavalry»--—-the shining bayonets and elegantly 3 18 , MR. WrJBs'ran’s varied costumes of the infantry--the brilliant uniforms of the superbly mounted general ofiicers, whose mett.lesome steeds caracoled and pranced along the streets---—formed a beautiful scene, whilst the bewitchin g strains of martial music, from numerous bands, resounded through the stately, high walled streets, with a charm that drew willing listeners by thousands, and meeting the zephyrs as they floated from housetop to housetop, were wafted softly to the ears of thou- sands more who were debarred from witnessing the proud display. The civic array was also brilliant, and hardly less impressive. The long line of footmen and horsemen, the latter numbering some eight or nine hundred, told of the deep and heartfelt admiration of the people for one who stands peerless among his fellows in all that constitutes intellectual greatness, and of the gratitude for the great and enduring services which he has rendered to their common country. Along the whole route of the procession, there was a heartiness and depth of feeling in the popular manifestations, such as is seldom seen. A dense crowd lined the-streets ; the door-—steps, balconies and windows of the houses were crowded with men, women and children, who seemed to have come forth as if to bestow an unwonted and unparalelled ovation upon one who deserved the purest feelings of their hearts. Old men crowded to the carriage to greet the object of this extraordinary display. Women held up their infants, that they might say, in after life, they had seen the Defender of the Constitution on his triumphal entry into Boston. Cheer followed cheer, bouquets and garlands were showered uponthe carriage, towards which all eyes were turned, and every possible token by which a people can evince affection- ate admiration and respect, was lavished by the vast multi- tude, as the procession wound its slow way through the crowded streets. The naturally reserved character of the New England people had totally disappeared: joy illumined every countenance; those who were unaccustomed to public displays of their emotions became expressive, graceful, and animated; and while the streets were densely filled with nncnnrrou AT reoscron. 19 men, who multiplied “three cheers” into one continuous roar of voices, the back-«ground of ladies, filling the houses to their roofs, and waving their kerchiefs, gave a beauty and impressiveness to the scene, which will never be forgotten by those who had the good fortune to pass through the whole of it. The route of the procession was through Washington, Tremont, West, Bedford, Summer, Washington, State, Coma- mercial, Cornhill, Court, Tremont and Beacon streets, to the Common-----—the whole of this long route being densely crowd- ed by multitudes, waiting their turn to give a greeting to Mr. Webster. One of the journals of the following day, has preserved the following INCIDENTS OF THE PROCESSION. Along the whole line of the procession, from the Roxbury line to the Common, the streets and sidewalks were one liv- ing mass of men and women. On no public occasion have we ever seen such a dense crowd in our streets. It was an interesting sight to sit in one of the carriages and gaze upon the mighty throng, composed of the gray-haired sire and ardent youth, the merchant, the trader, the professional man, and the hard-fisted, honest--hearted, hard»-visaged laborer and artisan, and see them, all with one consent, rending their lungs to shout “three cheers for Daniel Webster.” At the time the venerated form of the Patriot Statesman was seen crossing the line, a cheer was started which did not cease until he arrived at the Common, where it assumed the shape of one perfect torrent of applause. The windows, too, along the whole route, were crowded with the loveliest of Boston fair, who literally showered bouquets, wreaths and garlands upon Mr. Webster. At the time of his arrival on the Com»- mon, he had some two or three bushels of these offerings of his fair friends, in his barouche. Many of them were of sur- passing beauty, and were accompanied by appropriate and tasteful mottoes. One beautiful wreath, thrown by a fair one from the balcony of a house in Tremont street, lodged on Mr. Webster’s head, where he wore it for some distance. 20 MR. WEBSTEIVS Many of the citizens along the line of the procession kept “open house,” and by a. liberal supply of iced water, lemon- ade, 650., did much towards relieving the sufferings of the members of the procession from the most intense heat. The enthusiasm among the military was unbounded, and set at defiance all military rule and discipline. The men for the moment forgot they were in line, and joined in the one universal shout of welcome to the gallant Defender of the Constitution. At every stoppage which the procession made, it was more than the united force of a strong body of police, backed up by a dozen marshals on horseback, could do to keep the crowd from rushing to the carriage and shaking hands with Mr. Webster. We saw at one time at least a dozen hands hold of Mr. Webster’s hand and arm, (which was covered nearly to the elbow,) and all shaking with a strength which showed the depth of the feeling which prompted the act. At several places along the route, the carriages were stopped to allow the presentation of bouquets to Mr. Web»- ster by the hands of some of our fair daughters. Miss FRAN- DES KELLER, a young lady of the Dwight School, presented Mr. Webster a bouquet in Washington street. She was neatly attired in white, and wore upon her head a beautiful wreath. Mr. Webster received the gift with evident pleasure, _ and rising, called for three cheers for the “handsome young women,” which were given with a hearty good will. In Common street, a little daughter of Mr. Otis Kimball, some three years of age, was carried to the carriage and very grace- fully handed a beautiful bouquet to Mr. Webster. lV.lr.'Web- ster received it, and implanted a kiss upon the lips of the little one in return. In Tremont street, in Bedford street, and in Summer street, similar scenes were enacted, but the dense crowd around the carriage and upon the walk prevented our getting the names of the donors. While the procession was halting in Trernont street, Father TAYLOR pressed his way to Mr. Webster’s car- riage, and greeting him most cordially, said---“I hope you may live forever.” p a Mr. Webster cordially returning the RECEPTION AT BOSTON. 21 greeting, said—----“ I intend to live as long as I can, and l hope you and all other good men will live as long as you can, in order that I may have your company.” Passing through Summer street, Mrs. Webster was seen at the residence of a friend. She was honored with three hearty cheers. Hon. Edward Everett, who also appeared upon a balcony in Summer street, was most heartily greeted. The head of the procession reached the Common at about seven o’cloclc, and entering the Charles street gate at the foot of Beacon street, the military escort formed in line facing to the West, and towards a platform erected near the Charles street mall, about midway between Beacon and Boylston streets. Mr. Webster, accompanied by the Committee of Arrangements, the invited gtiests, and other persons, then alightecl from the carriages, and entering by the gate, passed in front of the troops, and ascended the platform. At this point, the amphitheatre formed by the elevated ground oppo- site the platform, presented a most impressive scene. Along the base of the hill, upon the flat parade ground, were para- ded the troops in line, and in. their rear, an immense crowd of persons of both sexes extended to the summit of the hill. As soon as the formality of the military salutes was over, all barriers were removed, and the crowd rushed towards the platform, which was immediately surrounded by an immense and eager audience. Quiet being restored, J. THOMAS Srevnnson, Esq, came forward and addressed the assembly as follows :-—-- FELLOW CITIZIEINS,---REPUIELICANS :--—-I count it a high honor, for aprivate citizen like myself, to be permitted to be the organ of communication between such an assembly as this and him, Whom We welcome home to-day. I might well have shrunk from the per- formance of even this agreeable duty, had I not known that the time, the place, the occasion, and all the attendant circumstances would compel the utterance of the proper word. The time--—-—the hallowed week of our nation’s nativity; the place--Boston Com- mon, dedicated to the public, and used now because no roof, short of the canopy of God’s first temple, is broad enough to cover the 22 MR. Wm3s'.rE:e’s multitudes Whom nothing could prevent from being present at this first greeting: the occasion—---the return of Daniel Webster, whose name shall have no epithet here, from the scene of his public du- ties and his public cares, to the midst of those who love him for What he is, and who know that the story of what he is, is best told in the public record of what he has done. [Cheers] The time, the place, the occasion, speak for themselves ; so that it would seem a Waste of Words to say to you what this un- wonted concourse of free and independent citizens means. It is the great public heart giving expression to its irrepressible emo- tions. [Cries of that’s it, that’s it.] I will therefore bear your message, with no delay, to him you come to greet. Justice to a patriot is justice to the people. [Prolonged cheers] I may say, from you to him, that, which addressed to any other man, were flattery. For Massachusetts Must know The value of her own. ’TWere a concealment Wo1~se than a theft, no less than a traducemeut, To hide [his] doings; and to silence that, Which, to the spire and top of praises vouched, Would seem but modest. Therefore, I beseech you, (In sign of what [he is], not to reward What [he has] done) before our people hear me. Mr. Stevenson, then addressing Mr. Webster, proceeded as follows :-—-- Sir: Upon this occasion of your return, the people have sent no delegates to Welcome you, but have come themselves, [cheers ;] they have come with their hearts in their hands. [Loud cheer» ing] Look around you upon this sea of men’s countenances, bounded almost, like the ocean, by the horizon. As you have passed through the public Ways, it has been a swelling stream tributary to this ocean here. Its very silence speaks to you. All that you see is real; [cries of yes, yes,] no man is here for a selfish object, or with an ulterior purpose. N 0 man is here be- cause he holds an office, or because he wants an office. This vast assemblage is the result of no preconcerted arrangements, pre—» senting a seeming beyond the truth. No party bugle has sound- ed a call for this gathering. rill that has been done was to no-— tify the public of this opportunity. See how the public has seized ital [Loud cheers] RECEPTION AT BOSTON. 23 Each man is here prompted by his own impulses. The military escort is composed of the volunteer militia, here in obedience to no order---each man his own commander. NO curiosity has brought us here, for We come to meet a familiar form. No prom- ised eloquence has attracted us; We are here to see and to greet you. C There are no disguises here. There are no restraints here. The expression may be as free as the thought. Let the utterance of this scene be distinct to you. Let its spontaneous testimony assure you that this republic is not ungrate- ful. She may not confer her offices with their cares ; she cannot withhold her honors with their satisfactions. [Loud cheers.] The unbidden pulsation of an educated people’s heart is the true exponent of that people’s mind. As sometimes the mariner, returning from a long and eventful voyage, sees looming up above the deceptive fog that is resting on the waters that he is travers- ing, a friendly lighthouse, and so is assured that his course has been. and is correct, so let the event of to-day, showing itself above all the mists of party, give like assurance to yourself. [Cheers.] The old and the young are liere---»-the old to renew their testi- mony to the value of your public services, and the young to give 4 assurance that they are profiting by your public teachings. Public gratitude will take some form of public expression, as the full heart will speak, and this multitude is here to greet you as a faithful teacher and a wise guide. [Cheers.] We thank you for what you have done to secure to this young republic her proper rank in the scale of nations. We greet you as a statesman. We tliank you, as We stand on Boston Common, for what you have done for the freedom of the seas ; for your masterly solution of the complex question of the right of search----a solution so grand that it gives to the flag of our country the power to protect every American vessel on every sea, yet so simple that every American boy, who reads the discussion of it, wonders that it took a man to make it. [Cheers] We greet you as the defender of commercial rights. We thank you for the prolific seeds of true republicanism, which you have scattered broadcast through the land. Who ever 24 MR. wm3srnn’s closed a volume of your published works, without feeling himself more fit for a republican after its perusal? [Cheers.] Your counsels have not fallen like autumn leaves upon the frozen ground, but they are producing a rich harvest of republi- canism from both the willing and the unwilling soil. We greet you as the great republican teacher. [Cheers.] We thank you for what you have done to bind together this great family of States; rejoicing that whether you have stood here in the neighborhood of your family altar, or in the capitol, amid scenes of sectional strife, or nearer to our southern border---~ wherever within the limits of this great nation you have stood, you have been able to say, “this is my country ; how can I serve her ?” [Cheers.] We greet you as THE AMERICAN. [Cheers.] We thank you for what youhave done to enshrine the Constitution of our com-« mon country upon the inner altar of the temple of our hearts. We greet you as its greatdefender. We thank you that, in your advocacy of the citizens’ rights, you have not failed to remind them of their cluties-~—for if the former are not to be surrendered, the latter are to be performed. We greet you as the champion of the Union. [Cheer-s.] We thank you for what you have done to still the unnatural turbulence of the sea of domestic strife, and to preserve the re- lations of peace with foreign countries with honor to your own. Surrounded by all the blessings of peace, we do not forget that you have three times averted the horrors of foreign war. We greet you as the great treaty-maker. [Cheers.] We thank you for that fidelity to political principles, which you have done so much to establish in the hearts of our people, which carries with it its own reward----is its own reward. That jewel is a treasure, which he who earns it cannot lose by accident, nor be robbed of by design. It is his amid all changes and through all dangers. It is a treasure in his own keeping, and the breath of another cannot tarnish it. It is his for an ornament-—-it is his for a praise-4----it is his for a consolation under all circumstances ; and, in a republic, it is his with a talismanic power over the policy of his country, whether he be in office or out of ofice. [Cheers.] Parties we must have in a republic, difi"ering from each other, not in love of their common country, nor in a sincere desire to RECEPTION AT nosron. 25 promote her interests and to guard her honor; but at variance chiefly upon the best means of doing both. [Cries of good, gOod.] And this necessity is not an unmixed evil. We thank you, that, during the time of your public service, you have been ready and willing to stand up before your country, regardless of the behests of party, and to lend the influence of your intellect, of your voice and of your vote to measures emanating from the party to which you were generally opposed, when you have seen that your country’s good required it. This we know is a difficult duty for a public man, rarely performed; we thank you for the repeated performance of it. [Cheers.] We thank you for the genuine patriotism, which has been not only a conviction of your understanding, but the passion of your heart—--rejoicing that, from the beginning, you have shaped your course by that fixed star, and never by any wandering meteor, however brilliant, that flashes and is gone. [Cheer-s.] We thank you for your long public services. It rarely happens to a man to be justified in feeling that he has served his country through more than a whole generation, always with honor both to himself and to her. And now, Sir, let us welcome you to the scenes of many fond memories. We welcome you to the heart of hearts of a com- monwealth which knows you. [Cheers.] We welcome you to armies of friends, who are proud of your position. We welcome you to your home, and to that temporary retirement which you are seeking, and which we know will not be wholly uninterrupted by public cares. We welcome you as the American Patriot, whose name the people of this community are willing should be associated with that of Washington. [Hearty cheers.] And, as we all welcome you, it is “ an hundred thousand welcomes.” [Loud cheering] Mr. Webster then rose, and as soon as the enthusiastic cheering, with which he was greeted, would permit his voice to be heard, addressed the multitudes as follows :-A---- Mn. Srnvsnsorv nun FELLOW Cmznns :---This honor which you confer on me, as much exceeds all my expectations as I feel that it exceeds my merits. [Cries of “ No,” “ No.”] I owe it all to your kindness, to your friendship, and to your constant re- .. 4 26 MR. w;sBs'rnn’s gard. I rejoice in it ; I am proud of it. Nothing on earth can be more gratifying to me than to come to the bosom of a commuw nity, in which I have lived for so many years, and which for so many years I have endeavored to serve to the best of my ability, and find that I am not disowned. [Cries of “ No,” “ No.”] Gentlemen, the hour of the afternoon will allow me to address to you but a few remarks, but I will, out of the abundance of the heart, speak to you. [Good] I am known of you; I have lived among you more than half my life ; I have been honored by the favor, both of the citizens of Boston and the Legislature of Massachusetts, and with all humility and all modesty, before you, I am ready to account for the manner in which I have discharged the duties which their kindness devolved upon me. [Cheers.] It is now, gentlemen, thirty years, since I came to this City of Boston. In my early manhood I had had some, but not much, experience in political affairs. I had left the world of politics, as I thought, forever, and I came here to pursue my profession, to earn my living, and to maintain and educate my children. From my brethren of the Bar, I received a most cordial welcome. From all the citizens of this then town, new city, the kindest reception. It was enough for me, and fulfilled all my expectations in life, that I should be able moderately to provide for my own necessi» ties by my professional labors, and enjoy the pleasures of the in- tellectual and agreeable society of the town of Boston. I re- mained here, gentlemen, some years in pursuit of these private objects, neither looking for, nor desiring, any change in my posi- tion. “ But no man knows his own destiny---at least, I did not know mine. As I was sitting in my ofice, poring over Mansfield and Blackstone, in the autumn of 1822, there came a committee to me. They did not look like clients. [Laughten] I did not believe they had any law suits. Thomas H. Perkins was Chair- man. Another of the members is now living----Mr. William Stur- gis---and they stood up straight in my presence. I threw down my law books, and they said----“ Sir, we have come to tell you your destiny. You must give up these law books. We come to tell you that on Monday next you will be chosen to represent the City of Boston in the Congress of the United States. We come to make no request, we come to enter into no discussion, we take mscnrtrxon AT BOSTON. 27 no answer,” and Col. Perkins made a graceful bow, and with his committee went ofl‘. Well, gentlemen, I submitted to what I supposed to be the will of the good people of Boston,->--and although it has interfered with private purposes and private emoluments, I do not regret it, but rejoice at it. And if I may feel this day that my conduct in that capacity, and in the capacity in which I afterwards served as Senator, be satisfactory to this great and ancient and glorious State of Massachusetts--whether in riches or in poverty, or in health or in sickness-A----I am rewarded. [Cries of “ good,” and loud cheers.] , Now, gentlemen, I must be allowed to say to you that from my earliest acre —-'-from the moment when I be can to read and under- I C‘) 9 C3 stand political matters and political history, the political history of Massachusetts had been a sort of beam ideal to me. I have stud- ied it from my earliest youth, and loved it and honored it always; and I wish to say to you to«-night, what was Massachusetts when I became a member of Congress, at the bidding of the people of Boston. What was she? To answer this question I must go back to her history. ’l‘he great history of Massachusetts begins with the revolutionary struggle of the country, and what was that? For what did Massachusetts struggle? For what did she offer to pour out her blood like water, and exhaust all her treasures as if they were worthless, and run all the risk of war, and of civil strife, and of the gallows, and of execution as traitors? What did she do it all for? Why, depend on it, gentlemen, it was not any narrow principle, any local object, any sectional concern of her own. She did not broolz: the power of England for a strip of land, of fifty miles width---- between Connecticut and New Hampshire. She did not do it even to protect this glorious bay before us, so beautiful, and studded and gemmed with so many islands and islets. No, no, no. Massachusetts struck for the liberty of a continent I [Cries of good, good, and loud cheers.] It is her everlasting glory-- everlasting unless she terminates it herself-—-[yes]—-—-—-that hers I was the first effort ever made by man to separate America from European dominion. [Applause] That was vast and compre- hensive. We look bacls: upon it now, and well may we wonder at the great extent of mind, and genius, and capacity, which influ- enced the men of the revolution. 28 MR. wnBsTnn’s Gentlemen, friends, fellow citizens : Let me tell you that Mas- sachusetts hacl all America in her heart, when she summoned her whole strength into her arm, and gave a blow for the liberty of the American world. [Cries of good, and hearty eheers.] It was nothing less than that; it was nothing less than that. War- ren did not die for Massachusetts only. [N o.] Her soil is hon- ored by receiving his blood»-—-but the world is not wide enough to circumscribe his fame. All the generations of mankind upon this continent will never be able to make recompense for his devotion to republican institutions, and his death in the cause of liberty. Well, gentlemen, that is the original character of Massachu- setts; that is the foundation of all her renown that is worth pos- sessing. It is her original devotion to liberty as a cause-—--to the whole of America, as a country. Her renown, in that respect, is placed on deep, well laid, and firm foundations; foundations never to be disturbed, unless in some day of darkness and of death---in some moment of folly and of frenzy, and of madness, she shall herself subvert, with that same arm, the foundation of all her greatness and glory. [Cries of never, never.] That will not happen. [N o.] I pray Almighty God, at least, if that is to happen, the judgment of that day may be postponed, till my head shall be covered with the sods of the valley. [Cheers] We-ll, gentlemen, let us adhere to that spirit of union, of nation- alism, of Americanism, and let no narrow, selfish, local policy-- no trifling concern of the day and the moment, influence the coun- sels of Massachusetts. In the day that made Massachusetts what she was, and what she has been, her policy was large, eomprem hensive, united. She never drew a breath that was not a national breath. She never had an aspiration which did not embrace all the colonies, and if the crown of Great Britain on that day had oifered her an exemption from all the rigid enactments; if it had offered her free trade, unrestricted by colonial legislation; if it had had offered her twenty seats in her House of Commons, and two hundred noblemen, she would have rejected them all. [Good.] She struck for principle----she risked, for America. If America could free herself, she wished to be free ; and if America was to be subjugated, and that was the will of God, she l was willing to be subjugated, and remain in subjugation until a more fortunate hour should arise for the freedom of the whole. nnonrrzron AT nosron. 29 Now, gentlemen, let us dwell on that, and any man, at this day, who sets up peculiar notions and sectional distinctions, who would have us believe that her interests are essentially disconnected from, and alien to, the interests of other members of this republic, is an enemy to you, is an enemy to the republican cause, and an enemy to freedom all over the world. [Cries of “ good,” and cheers] That was the original character of Massachusetts, which I learned in early life, and which inspired me with veneration and devotion. I think I understand it. I think. I have read every page of her history. I have known some of the great men of that day, personally. I never saw John Hancock, or Samuel Adams, or James Otis. I have known John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry, and other great men of that period, and I have listened to them as to oracles teaching me, as a young man, the proper performance of my duties, if I should have pub» lic duties to perform. Well, then, succeeding to this revolutionary epoch, came the constitutional epoch. The condition of the country at the close of the war showed the necessity of a more efiicient form of gov- ernment than that, which then existed. It was a great thought. It was, if one may say so, a fearful experiment. It appeared so to some of the wisest and best men of Massachusetts. It appeared to those men, at the head of whom was Sam Adams, that it might be dangerous to create a central government with authority to act directly upon the people and not obliged to act through the interference of the States. But Samuel Adams, however jealous of liberty, was a wise man. He saw the necessity of such a gov» ernment, and he yielded to it; and in yonder old State I-Iouse----— or rather, I believe it was in the Old South--—-he gave his vote for it. I think I behold him now, in his half Quaker dress, with his broad brim hat, his gold-headed came, not less than five feet long,and after all the discussion and all his doubting, crying out “Aye,” and the whole assembly echoing, re-echoing the shout of rejoicing. [Cries of good] The constitution went into operation, and the country had the good fortune to place Washington at the head of affairs. You all know how it revived every thing. Massachusetts went under that Constitution, sacrificing her peculiar rights to the general good, and suflering the General Government to possess and enjoy her 30 MR. wEBsrnn’s commerce, which was more than the commerce of any other State in the Union three times over--—yielding the whole to the best interests of the new government. And she has from that day to this, experienced a rich reward for all she sacrificed by the pro- tection which that government has afforded her, by upholding her flag all over the world, and instead of holding up her venerable Indianwith the bow and arrow, maintaining the stars and stripes from ocean to ocean, and river to river. [Good, and cheers.) There were great men in that day of the establishment of the Constitution, many of whom I have seen and heard. There was Crorham, and Cabot, and Strong, and Sedgewick, and Sewall, and Croodhue, and Ames, and other persons connected with the adop- tion of the Constitution, and the administration of Washington. There were Eustis, and Samuel Dexter, and Gen. Varnum, of Middlesex, all eminent and distinguished in their day and genera- tion. Now, by this time the people of this Commonwealth had been formed into parties, and different sentiments divided them in relation to the public concerns of the general government, and different sentiments prevailed in respect to the administration of afi’airs at home. Rival candidates were put forth for offices, and sometimes one succeeded, and sometimes another. Various suc‘- cesses attended various party movements, down to the period of 1823, when it was my fortune, for the good or evil of the country, to be placed amid its councils. [Cries of “ Good.”] Mr. Web»- ster, bowing-v-“ I thank you.” N ow let me say, that down to that period, that is fifty years from the period of Independence, there was not in all the parties in Massachusetts, from Berkshire to Cape Cod, to be found an eminent man with the slightest tincture of disunion sentiment about him. [Cheers] There was not a man who was not willing to thank God, daily, that we had been so successful in establish-— ing a government, which had secured to us such an eminent de- gree of prosperity. And when I went to Congress from the City of Boston, there was not a man in Congress who entertained dis-*- union feelings, and if it had been so, he could not have held his place one hour after the people had had the opportunity to decide upon his merits. Now, gentlemen,that was Massachusetts when I came into her counsels, in 1823. That was the Massachusetts which I embraced, nncnrrron AT BOSTON. “31 and which did me the honor to embrace me. That was the Mas- sachusetts which I had honored, historically, from the revolution downwards. The character of nations and of men, gentlemen, is made out of facts. It is not the portraiture of the pencil, so much as it is the narrative of the pen. History tells us what Massachusetts was, when she did me the honor to call me into her service, and in that character, I honored her, and still honor her, if not as the first, among the first of all the true, patriotic Union states. I will not, say she was primus inter pares, but I will say she was not seczmolus enter pares. If she did not go before all others, I aver no others went before her. This being the character of Massachusetts, this her attachment to the Constitution and to the Union, with some difierences of sentiment as to state and national politics, but after all, the ruling sentiment being attachment to the constitution, attachment ty the cause of American liberty, attachment to that great prin-— ciple of government that first made America what she is---~this being the characteristic of the state, I entered into her service with all the devotion of my heart, and I gave to it whatever abili- ty I possessed. Now, gentlemen, from the time I entered into the Congress of the United States at the wish of the people of Boston, my man- ner of political life is known to you all. I do not stand here to night to apologise for it. [Cries, “ You don’t need it.”] Less do I stand here to demand any approbation. I leave it to my country, to posterity, and to the World, to say whether it will or will not stand the test of time and truth. [Cries, “ It will, it will,” and loud cheers] Now, gentlemen, I have only to say to you that at my present time of life I am not likely to adopt any sudden change. What I have been, I propose to be. N o man can foresee the occurrences of future life. I profess to foresee nothing. The future is dis- tant, the present is our own, and for the present I am content with expressing my utmost gratitude to you and assurance of my perpetual regard. But I ought to thank you a little more particularly for this gen»- erous, spontaneous outpouring of such a multitude to greet me. I thank you for your civic procession--—-for all the kindness of in«- 82 MR. wnBs:rnn’s RECEPTION. dividual citizens, many of Whom are known, and many of Whom, especially the young, are unknown to me. I ought also to ex- press a particular debt of gratitude to the military who have ac- companied us as escort. You all know, gentlemen, it is not my fortune to be, or to have been a successful military chieftain. [Laugliter and applause] I am nothing but a pains-taking, hard- working, civilian-—--[_'voice, “ You are Daniel Webster and that’s enougl1,”]-—-giving my life, and my health, and my strength to the maintenance of the Constitution, and the upholding, accord- ing to the best of my ability, under the Providence of God, the liberties of my country. [Great applause and cheers] At the conclusion of this speech Mr. VVebster, accompa- nied by the Committee of Arrangements, was escorted by the National Lancers from the Common to the Revere House, the eager crowd of citizens filling the streets through which he passed. After alighting from his carriage, he thanked the multi- tude, which filled Bowdoin Square, in a short speech, which was responded to by “ nine cheers for the American Patriot.” Digitization information for the Daniel Webster Pamphlet Project University Libraries University of Missouri——Columbia Local identifier web000 Digitization work performed by the University of Missouri Library Systems Office Capture information Date captured Scanner manufacturer Scanner model Optical resolution Color settings File types Source information Format Content type Derivatives — Access copy Compression Editing software Editing characteristics Resolution Color File types Notes 2004-2005 Minolta PS7000 600 dpi Unknown tiff Pamphlets Text with some images Uncompressed Adobe Photoshop 600 dpi Bitonal; images grayscale tiff Pages cropped and brightened Blank pages removed Property marks removed