CHAPTER II.

Webster's Intercourse with Dr. Samuel Wood-He prepares himself for College-He enters Dartmouth College-His Habits and PursuitsHe delivers a Fourth-of-July Oration-Extract from it-He completes his Collegiate Course-His Speech at graduating.

AT this period the Rev. Samuel Wood, LL.D., a clergyman of talents and learning, and possessing an especially generous nature, removed to Boscawen, a short distance from Salisbury, the residence of young Webster. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College; and one of his most amiable qualities was the deep interest which he took in the advancement of youths who exhibited superior mental powers, or who seemed anxious to attain knowledge and distinction. An elective affinity soon attracted him to young Webster; and in a short time he felt a deep concern in his welfare. Daniel became a pupil of Dr. Wood, and remained several months under his tuition. He would have continued doubtless much longer, had not a benevolent plan been conceived by his tutor in reference to him. He discovered what an intellectual gem of the first magnitude and of the purest water lay embedded in the person of his gifted scholar; and he determined that it should not always remain hidden in the "dark unfathomed caves" of the ocean of obscurity where it then lay. He conversed with Daniel's father on the subject, and urged upon him the importance of sending his talented son to Dartmouth College. The proposition at first startled him. That was a bold and ambitious venture for his favorite son, which he had never anticipated, and scarce even then dared to contemplate. Though he then possessed a large tract of

land, which in the progress of time would become valuable, yet at that moment it was but little productive. His means therefore were limited, and his family was large. On the other hand, parental pride and affection pleaded loudly in favor of the measure. At length, after much deliberation and a desperate struggle, it was determined that Daniel should be sent to Dartmouth. When first informed of this important and decisive step by his father while riding with him in a rude sleigh in a remote and snow-covered part of the country, the emotions of the lad were too great for utterance. At one moment he wept, and at another exulted, and expressed his joy and gratitude to his father in feeling terms; for he well knew that no small sacrifices would be necessary on the part of his parent to enable him to carry out this resolution.

Daniel immediately commenced to prepare himself for his removal to the college. He arrived at Hanover at the moment when the Faculty of the institution were engaged in examining candidates for admission to the Freshman class. No time was to be lost; and young Webster, covered with mud, drenched with rain, and presenting in every respect a most unfavorable aspect, was called upon to undergo the terrible ordeal. His appearance was singular indeed. The rain had completely saturated his suit of blue clothes, which had been woven, made, and dyed at home, and the fugitive colors had in some measure been transferred to his person. He was then not only deserving of the epithet of "Black Dan," but also of "Blue Dan." Notwithstanding his repulsive appearance, he passed a favorable examination, and was admitted to the Freshman class. Dr. John Wheelock was then president, whose kindly regard toward the young applicant had been procured by the friendly influence and interposition of Dr. Wood.

During Webster's residence at Dartmouth College he was studious, orderly and industrious. It has long been the fashion of common and vulgar report to represent his conduct at this time differently; and thousands of idle and worthless juveniles, who have wasted and squandered the inestimable advantages of early education which were offered them, and frequently almost forced upon them, have excused their fatal follies and neglect of their opportunities by the supposed example of young Webster. Nothing could be more erroneous and preposterous than the supposition that he was idle and negligent of his studies while at college. His teachers at the institution. boldly predicted his future eminence; nor would they have done this had his conduct not then been worthy of admiration and applause. He did not excel in Greek and mathematics for these branches he exhibited but little fondness. But every other department of academical learning, especially logic, psychology, moral philosophy, and all those sciences which particularly require grasp and profundity of thought, he mastered with facility. When in his seventeenth year, in 1800, he was invited by the citizens of Hanover to deliver a Fourth-of-July oration. He accepted the invitation, which was itself a mark of honor, and delivered the first of his speeches, of which a record. has been transmitted to posterity. It was entitled "An Oration pronounced at Hanover, New Hampshire, on the 4th of July, 1800, being the Twenty-Fourth Anniversary of American Independence, by Daniel Webster, member of the Junior Class, Dartmouth University." It was published by the request of the subscribers, and printed at Hanover by Moses David, shortly after its delivery. That the reader may form an idea of the style of the youthful orator, we will quote an extract from this singular yet. meritorious production:

"No sooner was peace restored with England (the first grand article of which was the acknowledgment of our Independence) than the old system of Confederation, dictated at first by necessity, and adopted for the purposes of the moment, was found inadequate to the government of an extensive empire. Under a full conviction of this, we then saw the people of these States engaged in a transaction which is undoubtedly the greatest approximation toward human perfection the political world ever yet witnessed, and which, perhaps, will forever stand in the history of mankind without a parallel. A great Republic, composed of different States, whose interest in all respects could not be perfectly compatible, then came deliberately forward, discarded one system of government and adopted another, without the loss of one man's blood.

But

"There is not a single Government now existing in Europe which is not based in usurpation, and established, if established at all, by the sacrifice of thousands. in the adoption of our present system of jurisprudence we see the powers necessary for government voluntarily flowing from the people, their only proper origin, and directed to the public good, their only proper object.

"With peculiar propriety we may now felicitate ourselves on that happy form of mixed government under which we live. The advantages resulting to the citizens of the Union are utterly incalculable, and the day when it was received by a majority of the States shall stand on the catalogue of American anniversaries second to none but the birthday of Independence.

"In consequence of the adoption of our present system of government, and the virtuous manner in which it was administered by a Washington and an Adams, we are this day in the enjoyment of peace, while war devastates Europe! We can now sit down beneath the shadow of

knowledge, and, indeed, seemed intuitively to appreciate its vast importance. At the age of fourteen he could repeat from memory the whole of Pope's Essay on Man, together with a large proportion of the hymns and psalms of Dr. Watts. His first teachers were Thomas Chase and James Tappan, to whom belonged the honor of having aided in the opening of the mind and the first development of the powers of this as yet quiescent and infant giant. These faithful and patient pedagogues have long since passed away to the oblivious repose of the tomb; but their services in this connection entitle them to honorable mention in the history of their illustrious pupil through all coming

time.

It is also worthy of remark that during his boyish days Daniel was called on to contribute his share of manual work to the usual labors of his father's farm; and we may readily imagine the boy, arrayed in his tow frock and trowsers, with his rake or sickle in his hand, perspiring at every pore, toiling hard during the long days of harvesttime to gather the gold-bearing crop. Of this feature of his youthful days Daniel Webster was ever afterward proud; and in his great speech on the "Agriculture of England," delivered in Boston in 1840, he referred with undisguised pleasure to the fact that in his early life he had been made familiar with the labors and the details of husbandry.

At the age of fourteen Daniel was permitted by his father to become office-boy to Mr. Thomas W. Thompson, a young lawyer who at that period removed to Elm Farm and commenced practice. The latter was frequently compelled to be absent from home, and he needed some one to answer for him to clients and visitors when he himself was not present. He rewarded the lad by permitting him to use some of his books, and by giving him useful