Webster Daniel, Signed (32 results)

Paperback. Condition: Fine. Signed and dated by the author on the title page, with an inscription to a named individual. Crisp, bright, clean; no owners' marks; as new. 48pp.; Signed by Author.

Condition: As New. Signed Copy First edition copy. . Very Good dust jacket. Inscribed by author on front endpage verso. [9780615296296] (Baptists, Church History, Alabama).

This is a SIGNED copy of Volume I from "The Works of Daniel Webster" - Webster's hand signature appears in ink on the "Subscriber's Copy" page at the front. 1851; Charles C. Little and James Brown; Boston. The prestigious "Subscriber's Edition" was a limited first collected edition of Webster's works. The sets were issued specifically to subscriber's who pre-ordered. This is Volume I only of the six-volume set - only Volume I contains Webster's signature. Three-quarter leather binding with marbled covers, and gilt lettering with five raised bands on the spine. There is an engraved frontispiece portrait of Webster, as well as an engraving of the "Birth Place of Daniel Webster - Salisbury, N.H." The contents of Volume I are grouped as follows: Biographical Memoir of Daniel Webster; First Settlement of New England; The Bunker Hill Monument; The Completion of the Bunker Hill Monument; Adams and Jefferson; The Election of 1825; Dinner at Faneuil Hall; The Boston Mechanics' Institution; Public Dinner at New York; The Character of Washington; National Republican Convention at Worcester; Reception at Buffalo; Reception at Pittsburg; Reception at Bangor; Presentation of a Vase; Reception at New York; Reception at Wheeling; Reception at Madison; Public Dinner in Faneuil Hall; Royal Agricultural Society; The Agriculture of England. Condition: Some fading and scratches to the marbled paper on the back cover. Bright gilt lettering on the spine. Light wear to the cover corner tips. There is a crack at the front hinge between the end paper and pastedown - despite the crack, the front cover is still firmly attached and is not shaky. The back cover is firmly attached. The frontispiece engraving of Webster and the preceding end paper have nearly detached and are only holding at the bottom string. Nice interior - the pages are mostly clean with only occasional mild foxing, though a bit heavier foxing to the engraving of Webster's Birth Place and to the tissue guard over it. Webster's hand signature in ink appears on the "Subscriber's Copy" page at the front. There are a few tiny cloth tears at the left and right edges of the spine. Overall the book is in Good- condition.

Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Webster, Daniel. Autograph Letter Signed [ALS]. 2 pp [front and back, one sheet], 6.5" 4.5". Washington: April 5, 1847. Webster's letter to Mrs. Elizabeth P. Gray, "It gives me pleasure, my dear Mrs. Gray, to comply with your request, & to send you my autograph, for the King of Wurtemburg, if such title can be worthy of His Majesty.[over].Majesty's acceptance. From, with very true regard, yours Daniel Webster." Paper a bit darkened, 2 light stains, short tear at fold, else very good. The King of Wurtemburg was a German title for the holder of lordship over Wurtemburg, the five so-called cities of the Danube [Ehingen, Munderkingen, Riedlingen, Mengen, and Sulgen, with their dependencies], and a variety of other German states. In 1847, he would have been William I, son of Frederick I. Provenance available to purchaser. LG11. Signed by Author(s).

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. Complete in 6 volumes. Original brown stamped cloth in plastic dust jackets. First Edition. Subscribers Edition signed in ink by Webster. Webster and Edward Everett were considered the two greatest orators of their age. In 1959, the Senate named Webster one of the five greatest senators in American history. Few leaves of foxing, Near Fine. Signed by Author(s).

Hardcover. First Edition. Publisher's light brown cloth, rebacked with later cloth; illustrated with a lithographic frontispiece of Native American dances. Volume 1 (of 2) only. INSCRIBED on the front endpaper: "Daniel Webster Esq/with the best regard & esteem of/The Author/Buckingham Palace/July,1839." Webster went to England in 1839 for both personal and business reasons meeting with notable figures like Charles Dickens and dining with Queen Victoria. Occasional light foxing. Near Fine.

Condition: Good. - Octavo, 10 inches high by 6 inches wide. Softcover, bound in homemade tan wraps titled in ink on the front cover. The covers are stained & creased with a small chip out from the bottom front corner of the front cover. 40 pages, printed in two columns. "Mr. Hayne's Speech, Debate in the Senate, on Mr. Ford's Resolution, Thursday, January 21." p. [1]-16. "Mr. Webster's Speech. In Senate, January 26, 1830." p. [17]-37. And "Notes", p. 38-40. The front corners of several pages are slightly chipped and there is occasional light foxing to the edges of a few pages. Good. RARE. Very probably the first Boston edition. Sabin 102274; Howes W-200: "Most famous American oration of the nineteenth century, presenting the doctrine of a Union paramount and indissoluble."Robert Young Hayne (1791 - 1839) was a senator from South Carolina and a leading advocate of the states' rights doctrine. He favored low-tariff policies that would be to the benefit of the agricultural states and he held that slavery policy should be legislated state by state. Daniel Webster (1782 - 1852) was a senator from Massachusetts who supported high tariffs and a powerful central government. In this debate concerning the sale of western lands Hayne accused senators of wanting to increase the power of the federal government at the expense of the individual states.From the library of a Joseph P. Moody, signed by him on the cover sheet. This is quite likely the same Joseph Moody who brought action on behalf of African American workers against the Albemarle Paper Company for violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He has marked in pencil the pro-slavery commentary in the speech of Hayne: "Sir, I have had some opportunities of making comparisons between the condition of the free negroes of the North, and the slaves of the South, and the comparison has left not only an indelible impression of the superior advantages of the latter, but has gone far to reconcile me to slavery itself.".

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 6 volumes. This is a mixed set. Volumes 1 and 2 are from the Subscriber's Edition. Volumes 3-6 are from the trade edition. They are identical (both printed in 1851) except for a single page inserted at the front of volume 1 that says "Subscriber's Copy" with Webster's signature on it. Volumes 1 and 2 are faded and sunned. Volumes 3-6 are crisp and clean, with bright lettering on the spine. All bindings tight and text blocks tight and clean. Approx. 450 pages in each volume. The first two volume have early ownership names at the front "Theodore Dehon and Edward Blake. Volumes 3-6 have bookplates from W.P. Beckwith and ownership name "H.A. Brigham" on the front endpapers. Please email with questions or to request photos. Extra shipping will be required because this is a heavy 6 volume set. Signed by Author(s).

Cloth. Condition: Near fine. The first edition of The Lawyer, The Statesman, and The Soldier, inscribed by Senator George F. Boutwell. This work is collection of historical sketches of Rufus Choate, Daniel Webster, President Abraham Lincoln, and General U.S. Grant. (illustrator). First Edition. Octavo, [8], 232pp, [2]. Green cloth, title stamped in gilt. Top edge gilt. Gray endpapers, booksellers' label on the rear pastedown. (Monaghan 418) Inscribed by George F. Boutwell on the second free endpaper, with a quote from the book: "Written at the request of Mr. De Witt, June 1, 1896. / We value a machine by the measure of it's strength at the place where it is weakest, but we value a man by the measure of his strength at the place where he is strongest. George F. Boutwell. Groton, Mass." George S. Boutwell (1818-1905) was an American politician and reformer who rose from Massachusetts state politics to national prominence as a leading Radical Republican during Reconstruction. He served as Governor of Massachusetts (1851-52), was a founder of the Republican Party in the state, and served in the U.S. House of Representatives, advocating strong federal measures to secure civil rights. He was the first Commissioner of Internal Revenue under U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Appointed Secretary of the Treasury by President Ulysses S. Grant (1869-73), he pursued fiscal discipline, reduced the national debt, and supported hard-money policies before winning a seat in the U.S. Senate (1873-77). Signed.

Original Wraps. Condition: Very good. Signed copy of An Address Delivered before the New York Historical Society by Daniel Webster. (illustrator). First Edition. Octavo, 57pp. Original green printed wrappers, disbound with remnants of binding along spine, string-bound inside. Errata slip tipped-in after page 57. Text pages clean except for some light foxing and a faint dampstain to the lower inside corner of the last few pages. Soiling to covers, chipping to corners and spine. Light crease down the center from handling. Inscription by the author on front cover: "Hon. J.D. Green, Cambridge - with my sincere regards / Danl Webster." The recipient of this pamphlet was most likely the Hon. James D. Green (1798-1882), Unitarian minister and first mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Signed.

Hardcover. New Edition. Very Good, bound in full leather, with more contemporary rebacking to spine, with leather label and gilt decoration. Bumps and scuffs to boards, expected toning and scattered discoloration to interior. 8vo, 9 1/2"h x 6"w. Daniel Webster's personally owned and signed copy, with his bookplate inside front panel, along with clipping and handwritten note about the auction of Webster's books in 1875. Webster's bookplate includes the family coat of arms, motto and facsimile signature: Motto reads "Vera pro gratis." Signed "D. Webster" on the front end page. Also attached inside the front panel is a printed quote from Webster's 1830 senate speech relating to government serving the people. Volume accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity. Daniel Webster (17821852) was one of the most significant American statesmen and orators of the 19th century, and his influence on the development of the United States was profound. He played a key role in shaping the nation's political landscape during a critical period, serving as a senator, a congressman, and as Secretary of State under three presidents. It is likely that the present volume had an early influence on Webster's thinking. The History of the Rebellion and the Civil Wars in England by Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, is a monumental work that offers a vivid and deeply personal account of the English Civil War (16421651) and its aftermath. Written by a key royalist figure who served as an advisor to King Charles I and later as Lord Chancellor to Charles II, this history provides a rare insider's perspective on the political and military struggles that divided England. While fiercely partisan, defending the monarchy and critiquing the Parliamentarians, Clarendon's narrative goes beyond simple propaganda. It explores the moral, religious, and political forces that led to the war, reflecting on the disastrous consequences of rebellion and the fragile nature of political stability. With its eloquent prose and philosophical depth, the work is not only a critical historical document but also a thoughtful meditation on power, loyalty, and the complexities of civil conflict. Written during Clarendon's exile after the Restoration, the history serves as both a defense of royalist ideals and a rich source for understanding the turbulent period of the 17th century. A must-read for anyone interested in English history, Clarendon's History remains one of the most important and influential works on the Civil War.

ÒA remarkable volume, in which the finer part of an old play is separated from the coarser under-plot, and printed by itself under a new title. In 1874 Mr. Edmund Gosse publicly suggested that a play by John Webster (d. about 1625) and William Rowley (d. about 1642) entitled A Cure for a Cuckold, and first printed in 1661, could be Ôconfidently and yet not rashly divided in detail between its two parentsĠ; and WebsterĠs Ôstately comedyĠ here stands undebased by RowleyĠs Ôcoarse and boisterous little farceĠ. Gosse also chose the new title, suggested by an expression on p. 2, and writes an interesting and solid preface. Mr. Spring-Rice edits the play from the text of Dyce, but adds no notes or commentary in detail. The book is reviewed in the Atheneum, October 10, 1885, p. 479: the writer praises the typography of this Ôcharming volumeĠ and testifies to the renown of the Daniel Press, even at this early date, but is very critical about the authorship of the double play and its divisionÓ (Daniel Press Bibliography, p. 97). [4], ix, [3], 69, [3] pp. Decorative woodcut borders and publisherĠs device. Prefatory note by Edmund Gosse. Quarter vellum over blue paper boards, gilt spine. Some light browning to spine and boards, edges lightly foxed, but a remarkably good, clean copy. Presentation copy from Edmund Gosse, inscribed on the front free endpaper: ÒMrs. Bessie Waterhouse with Uncle GosseĠs duty.Ó One of 150 copies. Presentation copy, inscribed by the editor to a niece. Daniel Press Bibliography, no. 11.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; Subscriber's edition signed by Webster. 6 volume set bound in cloth with very light rubbing and wear. All interiors very clean and tight. ; Signed by Author.

The subscriber's edition of the works of Daniel Webster, signed by Webster in the first volume. Octavo, 6 volumes, bound in original cloth, frontispiece, and one other plate. In near fine condition. Daniel Webster was a lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the 14th and 19th U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore. Webster was one of the most prominent American lawyers of the 19th century, arguing over 200 cases before the Supreme Court in his career. During his life, Webster had been a member of the Federalist Party, the National Republican Party, and the Whig Party. He was among the three members of the Great Triumvirate alongside Henry Clay and vice president John C. Calhoun.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First Edition. Quatro. Original cloth over boards, blindstamped design and borders on covers, gilt lettering and decoration on spine, yellow pastedowns and free end papers, subscriber's copy with author's signature. Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 6 of 6. Near fine, very light wear, covers and spines faded, pages mostly clean with light foxing and timetoning.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Original cloth with 5 (of 6) volumes, lacking the second volume and with volumes 3 and 5 supplied from another set. Illustrated with plates. A presentation copy with a 34-word SIGNED INSCRIPTION by the author to William Judson in the first volume. While the signed Subscriber's Edition is fairly common, inscribed sets of Webster's works are rather scarce.

Santa Anna's document is 12 x 8.5, with embossed seal at top, boldly printed masthead, neatly written in Spanish, with folds held onto mat loosely with corner mounts, appointing Luis Hargons as Consul at New York, December 1841, with multi-leafed embossed paper seal (some spotting to seal) at bottom. BOLDLY SIGNED BY SANTA ANNA and one other. Webster letter is neatly penned by secretary, 12 x 8, folds, couple holes at folds, minor spotting, dated March 2, 1842, to Hargons, forwarding Santa Anna's document, NEATLY SIGNED AT BOTTOM BY "DANL WEBSTER." Both pieces held loosely by corner mounts to backer board, Webster's also attached at top to inside of mount (with small tear there). Still, a great combination of signatures from two of the most powerful men in North America, circa 1842.

Wraps. First Edition. Octavo (5.5" x 8.74") pamphlet bound in printed wraps; 57 pages. INSCRIBED and SIGNED by the orator on the title page to "For Mrs. Paige; with the/love & affection of/Danl Webster." Webster's speech discusses government in the Classical Era and in Revolutionary America, with much on the Constitution. Harriette Story Paige was Webster's sister-in-law and author of DANIEL WEBSTER IN ENGLAND: JOURNAL OF HARRIETTE STORY PAIGE, 1839. Moderate age toning. Minor wear to wrappers, the front wrapper neatly detached. Vertical crease down center. Very Good.

First Edition. THE WORKS OF DANIEL WEBSTER, Little, Brown, 1851, first edition, volume one only of six, wear to the fore edge corner tips, chipping to the head of the spine missing the top 1/4 inch, glossy stain to 1/3 of the front cover, else a good copy with near fine contents. Signed by the author on the Subscribers page. Perhaps a good candidate for those having only volumes 2 through 6 which need rebinding.

Written following the premature end of his political career in 1852. See Senior's entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. On bifolium. Addressed to 'N. W. Senior Esqe.' and signed 'Robt. C. Winthrop.' In good condition, lightly aged, and folded for postage. Begins: 'My Dear Sir, / You may, perhaps, remember that I owed the pleasure of your acquaintance in 1847, to a letter of introduction from our late distinguished Statesman, Mr. Webster. [i.e. the celebrated Daniel Webster (1782-1852)] - Were Mr. W. still among the living, there is no one whom he would sooner commend to your most favorable regard than the gentleman whom I now pray leave to present to you.' He continues: 'Charles P. Curtis Esqe. is one of the most distinguished members of our Bar, - a lawyer of long standing & large practice, who breaks away from his profession at engagements for a few months, to pay a first visit to the land, from which all our Laws, & many of our liberties, come. / No one is better acquainted than Mr. Curtis with our legal & judicial system, or with our Institutions generally; - & I may add that no one is better entitled, from his social as well as professional position, to the highest consideration at home or abroad.' He ends 'With cordial remembrances of your kindness to me in London.' See Image of Pp.2/3.

First Edition. WEBSTER, Daniel. The Works. WITH: The Private Correspondence. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown; Little, Brown and Co., 1851, 1857. Eight volumes. Octavo, contemporary three-quarter brown calf, raised bands, elaborately gilt-decorated spines, green and blue morocco spine labels, marbled boards, endpapers and edges. $2200.First collected edition, subscriber's copy, of the towering statesman's speeches, legal arguments, papers and correspondence, signed by Webster on the subscription page, together with the first collected edition of his private correspondence, handsomely bound.One of the most important statesmen in American history and "unquestionably the greatest of American orators" (Cambridge Biographical Dictionary), Webster served as congressman, senator, secretary of state and presidential nominee. His arguments before the Supreme Court in such cases as McCulloch v. Maryland, Gibbons v. Ogden, Dartmouth College v. Woodward shaped fundamental principles of American constitutional law. "Webster's remarkable political, diplomatic and legal careers were aided by his intellectual brilliance and personal magnetism. He contributed significantly to the concept of American nationality, to the idea of a perpetual Union, to perspectives on economic growth, to a modern legal system and to the rising importance of the United States in foreign relations" (ANB). This set of Webster's works includes his congressional speeches and public addresses, legal arguments, diplomatic and official papers and miscellaneous letters, as well as a biographical memoir by Edward Everett. Works with two engravings in Volume I; Correspondence with engraved frontispiece in both volumes. Moser 90, 101. Interior fine, with only light marginal dampstaining to first few leaves of Volume I, mild foxing to plates in the Correspondence; handsome binding with light wear to extremities, mild fading to spine labels. A near-fine signed copy. Signed.

A fascinating letter and assessment of the great issue of the dayUnder a system of specie payments, it is required by law or custom that money in the form of bank notes or government paper money issues, be redeemed at par and upon request of the issuing bank or the Treasury in metallic coin. And that meant gold or silver. The temporary suspension of specie payments was a general feature of 19th century specie standards. Banks would unilaterally refuse to redeem their outstanding notes in specie at the legal par, creating a dual monetary system-currency and deposits not interchangeable at a fixed rate. The years 1830?1837 saw solid economic development as well as feverish speculation in land in the U.S. This eventually led to the panic of 1837 and a nationwide suspension of specie payments.In 1837, President Van Buren?s primary concern was for the safety of government funds entrusted to state banks. When Congress reconvened, he was worried that opponents would demand new safeguards and, if none were forthcoming, would undoubtedly move to dismantle the deposit system, leaving the door open for recharter of a national bank. Van Buren and Democrats opposed a national bank and Whigs like Daniel Webster favored it. Van Buren advocated a separation of government funds from state banks and control of these monies by designated federal agents. The government would collect, store, and disburse public revenue through Treasury agents and postal employees and not be open to the charge that these funds were the basis for unchecked speculation. Even though requiring a minimum of enabling legislation, an independent treasury, or subtreasury, as it would be known, carried an implicit criticism of state banks. According to one proponent, these institutions would henceforth be "left to their fate." Democrats, on October 3, 1837, secured Senate approval for creation of an independent treasury by the narrow margin of twenty-five to twenty-three. By opposing an independent treasury as a radical experiment, conservatives claimed to be the true champions of states' rights and limited government. Their obstructionist strategy proved successful. On October 14, 1837, by a vote of 120 to 107, the House postponed consideration of the independent treasury.A new subtreasury system was proposed in 1838. Not until early February did the Senate begin debate on it, only to be interrupted by an oratorical fight between John C. Calhoun and his arch-rival, Henry Clay. Finally, on March 26, 1838, the Senate approved the independent-treasury bill by twenty-seven to twenty-five. But In May 1838, New York banks resumed specie payments, a lead followed by others, thereby increasing anti-subtreasury momentum. Whigs promised to restore financial order and were successful with the electorate. The House failed to pass the bill, and it was not until 1840 that it became law. It lasted just one year before the Whigs repealed it.Here is Daniel Webster?s take on the status of the bill and resumption of specie payments in the midst of the controversy. Autograph letter signed, New York, April 9, 1838, to Mr. Marett, likely Philip Marett, the Boston banker, marked ?Private? The Hamer mentioned was Thomas Hamer of Ohio, the man who nominated Ulysses S. Grant to be a cadet at West Point. ?I have expressed the opinion, which you have heard ascribed to me, respecting the consequences of passing the Sub-Treasury Bill. But the bill will not pass, in any form. I regard that as being now certain. Mr. Hamer?s demonstration is conclusive upon that. He is the first man of his party in the House of Representatives. I have known for some time that he has been disgusted, & I have expected an outbreak.?You will see that Pa. & all South against resumption at present. I see too that Boston is similar & suppose that the rest of New England is not unanimous for it. Under these circumstances it would be wise to pledge Massachusetts to resume in May at all events, I very much doubt. I suppose N.Y. will resume. Why not leave to New England to follow, if she finds she can, or as soon as she can.?My impression is that the industry of Massachusetts cannot bear any further curtailment of the currency. I certainly therefore should not be in favor of resumption if the consequence would be to press the mercantile interest still harder. Even a short time may enlighten us on the question. There is some evidence that Georgia is relenting in its hostility. Mr. Hamer?s motion is one proof. Another is that the Collector here, it is now said, receives payment of bonds by checks on the banks.?On the whole, since there cannot be unanimity, and as every week may change appearances, I incline to think the course for Massachusetts is to show her favorable to resumption at the earliest safe moment, but not to bind herself to resume in May. You may show this to Mr. Hubbard but I should not wish its existence to be known to anybody else.?An interesting assessment of the status of what was the great political issue of the day.

DANIEL WEBSTER (1782-1852). Webster, a Massachusetts and New Hampshire Congressman, served as Secretary of State in the Harrison/Tyler and Fillmore administrations. He unsuccessfully ran for President in 1836 and became the premier Senator and orator of his day. SB. 88pg. 1847. Philadelphia. A printed speech signed For Mr. Callamare From D.W. on the top margin. The speech is entitled Dinner To The Hon. Daniel WebsterBy The Merchants, and Other Citizens of Philadelphia, December 6, 1846. The speech is in fine condition and has been rebound into a more modern binding; there is a Dartmouth College label on the inside of the front cover.

One-third of the "Great Triumvirate" that included Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, this powerhouse conservative Democratic statesman served New Hampshire in Congress (1813-17, 1823-27), Massachusetts in the Senate (1827-41, 1845-50), and Presidents Harrison, Tyler and Fillmore as Secretary of State (1841-43, 1850-52). Bold "Danl Webster / U.S. Senate" in brown ink on a buff 4½" X 2½" envelope bearing light circular "Free / Washington DC / May 21 [year illegible]" postal cancellation. Addressed in his hand at center to "John P. Crosby Esqr / N. York." Near fine. A handsome example, accompanied by a superb 6" X 9" steel-engraved head-and-shoulders portrait of Webster from 1833. Near fine. Very good. Faintly age toned. A bold and appealing image of the stern-visaged statesman.

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. Daniel Webster (1782-1852) was an American politician and orator. He was a member of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for multiple terms, and was Secretary of State for Presidents Fillmore, W.H. Harrison, and Tyler. This free-franked envelope is addressed to Jacob Chamberlin, Esq. of New York. It has a black, circular cancellation from Washington, dated October 31, and Webster's signature appears on the upper right. 2 3/4" x 4 3/4", with a clear, intact red wax seal on the verso. Brown stain in the upper left corner, very small paper loss in the upper right corner. Remnant of tape on the flap, small amount of paper loss where the envelope ripped as the seal was lifted. Generally very good. Signed by Author(s).

framed. Condition: very good. Hand-written letter from American statesman Daniel Webster. Framed with etched image. Please inquire for more information. Daniel Webster was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the 14th and 19th U.S. secretary of state under presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore. Webster was one of the most prominent American lawyers of the 19th century, arguing over 200 cases before the United States Supreme Court in his career. During his life, Webster had been a member of the Federalist Party, the National Republican Party, and the Whig Party. He was among the three members of the Great Triumvirate along with Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun.

framed. Condition: near fine. Autographed Signed Note from Daniel Webster. Framed with portrait etching of the American lawyer and statesman. Please inquire for more information. Daniel Webster was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the 14th and 19th U.S. secretary of state under presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore. Webster was one of the most prominent American lawyers of the 19th century, arguing over 200 cases before the United States Supreme Court in his career. During his life, Webster had been a member of the Federalist Party, the National Republican Party, and the Whig Party. He was among the three members of the Great Triumvirate along with Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun.

The Jacksonian era was one of adversity for Harrison, the military hero who had been a supporter of Henry Clay and former President John Quincy Adams, and opposed President Andrew Jackson. Having aspirations for the presidency, he promoted his candidacy by touring the country during 1835-6. This was the first time a person had campaigned for president himself, rather than through his friends. Anniversary celebrations of the battles of Tippecanoe and the Thames glorified his military career, friendly editors publicized his political availability, and local Whig conventions in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, and Indiana pledged their support.The Whig Party was formed in 1833 in opposition to the policies of President Jackson and the Democratic Party, and was composed of supporters of Clay, Adams, Webster, and others who favored favored a strong national government and a program of modernization and economic protectionism. It absorbed the old National Republican Party and even brought in some anti-Jackson southerners like John Tyler. In 1836, the Whigs had not yet coalesced as a party and could not agree on a standard bearer. So Whig state conventions nominated a number of persons for president. These included Daniel Webster, Sen. Hugh L. White, and Harrison. President Jackson's hand-picked successor, Martin van Buren, won the election, with the disorganized Whig candidates splitting the anti-Democratic vote. Of these, Harrison performed the best, picking up 73 electoral votes.The Whigs were determined not to repeat their mistake of 1836, and for the 1840 election planned a national convention in December 1839 to select a single nominee, As 1839 dawned, Harrison was again in campaign mode, lining up support and maneuvering to be that nominee. This time his main opponent would be Henry Clay, the foremost Whig in the nation. One of Harrison?s allies was prominent Pennsylvania Whig Charles Macalester, a partner in the banking firm of Gaw, Macalester and Company, director of the Second Bank of the United States, and an active philanthropist who donated the land in Minneapolis on which Macalester College is situated.At the national Whig convention in Harrisburg on December 4, the delegates rejected their acknowledged leaders, Webster and Henry Clay, and nominated Harrison. In Harrison the Whigs believed they had found a new Jackson attractive as a war hero and a frontiersman. No platform was adopted, and advisers told Harrison to keep his lips "hermetically sealed" on the issues of slavery, the tariff, and the U. S. Bank. To gain support in the South, the Whigs nominated John Tyler, a former senator from Virginia, for the vice presidency. Northern and Southern Whigs were urged to rally behind "Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too." This was the famous Log Cabin Campaign, the first modern presidential campaign, and it brought victory to the Whigs.Strong campaigning by the Whigs led to an overwhelming victory for Harrison. With the highest voter turnout to date, Harrison won 234 electoral votes to Van Buren?s 60. He was the oldest man, at age 67, ever elected president up to that time. Harrison allowed Secretary of State-designate Daniel Webster to edit his inauguration speech, but he nevertheless spoke for an hour and 45 minutes, setting a record that still stands. As the public was not excluded from the White House, there was no relief from the swarms of office seekers even after March 4, and relations with Clay broke down to such an extent President Harrison banned him from the White House. Clay left town, never to see the President again. Harrison delivered his inaugural address, which lasted nearly two hours, in a cold drizzle, wearing no gloves or overcoat. He contracted a cold that later developed into pneumonia, and, after one month?s service, on April 4, 1841, he became the first president to die in office. Thus were the Whig hopes dashed.Being ill for weeks after the inauguration, and then dying.

"There have been those who desire to uphold all sorts of local ideas, prejudices, and animosities, by the general strength of the Whig cause. If we cannot free ourselves from these counsels, the Whig Party must inevitably cease to be the great, strong, and conservative party of the country."The new Federal territories obtained from Mexico in 1848, and whether they were to permit slavery, brought the nation again to a crisis. The subject had immediacy because with the huge number of people (the 49ers) who were flooding into California seeking gold, that territory was already seeking statehood. Feeling that slavery was inappropriate for the western territories, the President, southerner Zachary Taylor, supported organizing all the former Mexican lands into the territories of California and New Mexico and bringing them into the Union immediately as free states. Some southerners felt betrayed and threatened to secede, while men in Congress worked on a series of compromise measures, trying to find an amicable settlement. In January 1850, Henry Clay introduced the Compromise of 1850. This consisted of a number of provisions, the chief two providing for California to be admitted as a free state and another making it a crime for northerners to help fugitive slaves who were trying to escape slavery. In the North, few could stomach this stricter fugitive slave act. It would become?until prohibition?the most flagrantly disobeyed legislation ever passed by Congress.Webster, who had served in the Senate for decades and knew southerners well, believed that a compromise was necessary to preserve the Union. He addressed the Senate on March 7, 1850, urging support for the package of bills. "Mr. President," he said, "I wish to speak today, not as a Massachusetts man, nor as a Northern man, but an American and a Member of the Senate of the United States?I speak today for the preservation of the Union. Hear me for my cause." In pleading the Union's cause, Webster said the Senate's main concern was neither to promote slavery nor to abolish it, but to preserve the United States of America. This speech met with general disfavor throughout the North and destroyed both his popularity and his dream of becoming president. Carl Schurz describes the antislavery men as contemplating ?the fall of an archangel.? Webster was called ?a recreant son of Massachusetts,? ?a fallen star,? and ?a bankrupt politician gambling for the presidency.? Others worried about the impact of the speech and Webster?s stance on the Whig Party.John K. Porter, a New York attorney involved in Whig politics, was just such a person. The eloquent Porter had delivered a speech at the Whigs? National Convention in Baltimore of 1844. Amidst a legal career spanning close to half a century, he served as judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. Porter is best remembered as one of the prosecutors of Charles J. Guiteau, the man who assassinated President James Garfield in 1881, and as one of the defense team of Henry Ward Beecher during his scandalous trial.Autograph Letter Signed in the wake of his speech, 2 pages, Washington, May 14, 1850, to Porter, promoting nationalism over sectionalism, and implying that activists of both north and south, trying to pull the Whig Party in one direction or the other, risked destroying it altogether. ?I concur with you most heartily, in all you say, of the interest & the duty of the Whig Party at the present. We have been in great danger of dissolving into various isms, or peculiarities, not essentially part of any sound Whig creed. There have been those who desire to uphold all sorts of local ideas, prejudices, and animosities, by the general strength of the Whig cause. If we cannot free ourselves from these counsels, the Whig Party must inevitably cease to be the great, strong, and conservative party of the country.? John F. Kennedy believed Webster?s disregard of personal consequences for the good of the country to be a profile in courage. Perhaps so, but his position and those of the other pro-Compromise Whigs caused most of their northern adherents to flee the party (which would soon cease to exist) and form a new one? - the Republicans.

But Sen. Daniel Webster, a Friend of the Bank, Advises the Bank There Was No Easy Way to Avoid a Senate Request for Its Books and Records??He has a right to summon you,? writes Webster, ?and perhaps also would have a right to what are called a ducus tecum - that is an order to bring in the books, if he should show the necessity? for the parties of proving what they contain??John Tyler was a foe of the Bank of the United States, and as president would veto two bills to reestablish the Bank. From 1827-1836, he was a U.S. Senator. He was an ally of President Andrew Jackson, who in 1832 would veto a bill to recharter the Bank.In 1831, Samuel Frothingham was the Cashier of the Bank of the United States. Tyler looked to cause as much trouble for the Bank as he could, and asked Frothingham for Bank records, likely a fishing expedition to find records that might indicate some impropriety or carelessness on the part of the Bank. Frothingham asked Sen. Daniel Webster, a friend to the Bank, if he needed to comply with Tyler?s request. Webster gave Frothingham advice indicating the futility of refusing Tyler?s request.Autograph letter signed, Washington, January 20, 1831, a year after his famous debate against Robert Hayne, to Samuel Frothingham, Cashier of the Bank of the United States. ?I have received your letter of the 14th. You are not obliged to attend to Mr. Tyler?s request, yet such things are common & usually done, when there exists no particular objection. He has a right to summon you; and perhaps also would have a right to what are called a ducus tecum - that is an order to bring in the books, if he should show the necessity? for the parties of proving what they contain. To prevent this trouble, it is usual, on motion, to prepare the papers. If it requires clerical labor, the party must pay for it.?The Bank controversy was a major event in Antebellum America. The Bank lost its charter the next year, and the attention of the country turned to Manifest Destiny and the crises that preceded the Civil War.