discordant, belligerent; on a land rent with civil feuds or
drenched, it may be, in fraternal blood! Let their last feeble and
lingering glance rather behold the gorgeous ensign of the Republic,
now known and honored throughout the earth, still full high
advanced, its arms and trophies streaming in their original lustre,
not a stripe erased or polluted, nor a single star obscured,
bearing for its motto no such miserable interrogatory as 'What is
all this worth'? nor those other words of delusion and folly,
'Liberty first and Union afterwards'; but everywhere, spread all
over in characters of living light, blazing on all its ample folds,
as they float over the sea and over the land, and in every wind
under the whole heavens, that other sentiment, dear to every true
American heart--Liberty _and_ Union, now and forever, one and
inseparable!"

The great audience that listened spellbound to that oration, arose and
left the Capitol like persons in a dream. Never were they to forget the
effect of that tremendous speech.

But the last years of his life were ruined by his ambition to be
President. In spite of his commanding talents, or, perhaps, because of
them, he never at any time had a chance of receiving the nomination of
his party, and his final defeat in 1852, by Winfield Scott, practically
killed him.

[Illustration: WEBSTER]

Webster was the son of a New Hampshire farmer, who managed to send him
to Dartmouth College, from which he graduated in 1801. Four years later
he was admitted to the bar at Boston, and in 1812 he was elected to
Congress. We find him at once violently opposing the second war with
England, for which Clay was working so aggressively. For ten years after
that, he devoted himself to the practice of his profession, and soon
became the foremost lawyer of New England, especially on constitutional
questions. In 1823, he was again sent to Congress; entered the Senate in
1828, and remained in public life practically until his death.

It was in 1830 that he delivered the speech already referred to--perhaps
the most remarkable ever heard within the walls of the Capitol. Senator
Hayne, of South Carolina, had made a remarkable address, lasting two
days, advocating the right of a state to render null and void an
unconstitutional law of Congress--in other words, the right of secession
from the Union. Two days later, Webster rose to reply. His appearance,
alwa