Daniel Webster finally is in the White House.
Until Joe Biden put a bust of him in the Oval Office, Webster never inhabited the executive mansion, though he tried repeatedly between 1832 and 1852 to win the presidency. He was, to be sure, a constant presence there — as secretary of state to three presidents; as one of the towering congressional figures, along with Henry Clay and John Calhoun, of his time; as a principal in all the important issues of his era. The closest he came to living in the White House was his brick house, right across the street, on a site now occupied by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
kAm!C6D:56?ED >2<6 DE2E6>6?ED H:E9 E96:C @77:46 7FC?:D9:?8D[ 2?5 7@C q:56?[ (63DE6C :D ?@E 2 H9:DA6C 3FE 2 D9@FE] u@C 564256D[ E96 }6H t?8=2?5 =2H>2<6C H2D E96 DJ>3@= @7 E96 &?:@?[ 2?5 q:56? H2D BF:4< — @? 9:D 7:CDE 52J — E@ D6:K6 FA@? (63DE6C :? 9:D ?2E:@?2= F?:EJ 677@CE] pE @?6 E:>6[ 6G6CJ p>6C:42? D49@@=49:=5 <?6H (63DE6C C6DA@?565 E@ 2 DA6649 `h_ J62CD 28@ E9:D H66< 3J $6?] #@36CE w2J?6 @7 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 25G@42E:?8 DE2E6 ?F==:7:42E:@? 2?5 D=2G6CJ 3J 36==@H:?8[ Q{:36CEJ 2?5 &?:@?[ ?@H 2?5 7@C6G6C[ @?6 2?5 :?D6A2C23=6]Qk^Am
kAmqFE (63DE6CVD `gb_ DA6649[ @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 72>@FD 6G6C 56=:G6C65 :? E96 r2A:E@=[ :==F>:?2E6D 2? :>A@CE2?E ?F2?46 :? E96 4FCC6?E 5632E6 23@FE ?2E:@?2= F?:EJ :? 2 E:>6 2D 7C2F89E 2D E96 @?6 :? H9:49 q=24< s2?V= @A6C2E65]k^Am
kAmq:56? DFC6=J 49@D6 (63DE6C 7@C 9:D 92== @7 72>6 2D 2 DJ>3@= @7 F?:EJ] qFE (63DE6C H2D >@C6 2 DJ>3@= @7 E96 &?:@? E92? @7 F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89@FE 9:D =:76 — 62C=J 2D 2? @AA@?6?E @7 D=2G6CJ[ =2E6 2D E96 25G@42E6 @7 E96 r@>AC@>:D6 @7 `gd_ E92E 82G6 DF44@C E@ D=2G6 DE2E6D \\ (63DE6C H2D :?G@=G65 :? E96 >@DE 5:G:D:G6 5632E6D :? @FC 9:DE@CJ] w6 AC676CC65 F?:EJ[ 3FE 9:D 24E:@?D D@H65 5:G:D:@?[ :?7FC:2E:?8 E96 $@FE9 :? E96 `gb_D 2?5 `gc_D[ :?7=2>:?8 E96 }@CE9 :? E96 `gd_D]k^Am
kAm(63DE6CVD 8C62E6DE DA66496D H6C6 >62?E E@ 6?4@FC286 C6G6C6?46 7@C E96 &?:@? 2?5 4@F?E6C E9@D6 H9@ H@F=5 E9C62E6? :E[ 2? 24<?@H=658>6?E E92E ?2E:@?2= F?:EJ H2D 6=FD:G6] qJ `gd_ 9:D C96E@C:4 H2D :? D6CG:46 @7 4@>AC@>:D6 — 2E 2 E:>6[ >F49 =:<6 @FC @H?[ H96? 4@>AC@>:D6 H2D 4@?D:56C65 >@C2= DFCC6?56C]k^Am
kAmQtG6CJ@?6 E9:?<D 23@FE (63DE6C :? =:89E @7 9:D V&?:@?\7@C6G6CV @C2E:@?[ 3FE 96 H2D 2 A@=2C:K:?8 7:8FC6 — ?@E 2D 325 2D D@>6[ 3FE DE:== 2 5:G:D:G6 7:8FC6[Q D2:5 y2J $6IE@?[ 2 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:DD@FC: 9:DE@C:2?] Qu@C 9:> 2?5 E9@D6 @7 9:D 86?6C2E:@?[ 4@>AC@>:D6 ?@ =@?86C 925 E96 EC24E:@? :E @?46 5:5] xE D66>65 2?249C@?:DE:4]Qk^Am
kAmx? D9@CE[ :? H@C<:?8 7@C E96 &?:@?[ 96 5:5 ?@E D@H F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm$@@? 27E6C (63DE6C C6A=:65 E@ w2J?6[ #2=A9 (2=5@ t>6CD@? D2:5 E92E (63DE6C A@DD6DD65 2 Q>:?5 8C62E 6?@F89 E@ 42AEFC6 E96 >2;6DEJ @7 >@C2= ?2EFC6 2?5 E@ 2AA=J 9:>D6=7 :? 2== 9:D =6?8E9 2?5 3C625E9 E@ :E]Q p7E6C E96 r@>AC@>:D6 @7 `gd_[ H9:49 :?4=F565 E96 C6G:=65 uF8:E:G6 $=2G6 p4E[ t>6CD@? 56D4C:365 (63DE6C 2D Q2 >2? @7 E96 A2DE[ ?@E 2 >2? @7 72:E9 @C 9@A6[Q 4@?4=F5:?8[ Q2== E96 5C@AD @7 9:D 3=@@5 92G6 6J6D E92E =@@< 5@H?H2C5]Q w6 925[ :? E96 2DD6DD>6?E @7 xCG:?8 w] q2CE=6EE :? 9:D `hfg (63DE6C 3:@8C2A9J[ Q72==6? :CC6EC:6G23=J :? E96 6J6D @7 E96 }6H t?8=2?5 23@=:E:@?:DED]Qk^Am
kAm%9@D6 H6C6 E96 G6CJ A6@A=6 H9@ 925 AC2:D65 9:>[ 2?5 H9@D6 677@CED 96 DFAA@CE65] %@ q6?;2>:? $:==:>2?[ E96 8C62E *2=6 496>:DE 2?5 86@=@8:DE[ 96 DA@<6 @7 E96 52?86CD @7 4@>AC@>:D6 H:E9 E96 D=2G6\9@=5:?8 $@FE9[ HC:E:?8 @? y2?] ah[ `gbg[ E92E :E H2D 7FE:=6 E@ E2<6 DE6AD E92E H@F=5 92G6 E96 67764E @7 Q4@?4:=:2E:?8 E9@D6 H9@> H6 42? ?6G6C 4@?4:=:2E6]Q p J62C =2E6C[ @? u63] `c[ `gbh[ E96 8C62E |2DD249FD6EED A@=:E:42= 7:8FC6 t5H2C5 tG6C6EE — =2E6C <?@H? 2D E96 >2? H9@D6 =6?8E9J @C2E:@? AC646565 p3C292> {:?4@=?VD D9@CE C6>2C<D 2E v6EEJD3FC8 — HC@E6 (63DE6C 2D 2? 2?E:\D=2G6CJ 2==J[ FC8:?8 9:> E@ 4C:E:4:K6 r=2JVD 4@?4:=:2E@CJ D=2G6CJ C6>2C<D[ H2C?:?8[ QJ@FC D:=6?46 ,>:89E. 36 >:D4@?DECF65 :?E@ 2? 24BF:6D46?46 :? 9:D G:6HD]Qk^Am
kAmx?5665[ (63DE6C 925 DA@<6? @FE 282:?DE r=2J W2?5 r2=9@F?X D9@CE=J 27E6C 2 AC@\D=2G6CJ >@3 >FC56C65 E96 23@=:E:@?:DE 65:E@C t=:;29 !2C:D9 {@G6;@J 2?5 56DEC@J65 9:D AC6DD6D :? `gbf[ 244FD:?8 E96 EH@ @7 2EE6>AE:?8 QE@ >2<6 2 ?6H 4@?DE:EFE:@?]Qk^Am
kAmqFE >@DE=J (63DE6C 42C65 23@FE E96 &?:@?[ 2?5 2D D64E:@?2= E6?D:@?D 7=2C65 :? `gd_ 96 H2D @?6 @7 E96 AC:?4:A2= 2C49:E64ED @7 E96 4@>AC@>:D6 E92E[ =:<6 D@ >2?J DF49 677@CED[ D2E:D7:65 ?@ @?6[ E9@F89 :E 5:5 AFE @77 E96 r:G:= (2C 7@C 2 564256] u@C >2?J 564256D — E9C@F89 E96 D49@@= J62CD @7 >2?J =:G:?8 p>6C:42?D — (63DE6C C6>2:?65 2 96C@:4 7:8FC6]k^Am
kAmqFE (63DE6C AC@G:56D 2 42D6 DEF5J 7@C >J 36=:67[ @7E6? 2C8F65 :? E96D6 A286D[ E92E E96 A2DE :D 2=H2JD 492?8:?8]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 2 9:896C D6?D:E:G:EJ E@ E96 9F>2? AC:46 @7 E96 &?:@? E92? (63DE6C 5:5[Q D2:5 |:4926= q:C<?6C[ 2 v6EEJD3FC8 r@==686 9:DE@C:2? H9@ 2D 2 J@F?8 >2? H2D @?6 @7 E96 65:E@CD @7 E96 (63DE6C !2A6CD] Qp 86?6C2E:@? 28@[ E96 `gd_ r@>AC@>:D6 H2D C682C565 2D ?646DD2CJ E@ D2G6 E96 &?:@? 2?5 3FJ 2 564256VD E:>6 D@ E96 }@CE9 4@F=5 6IA2?5 :ED :?5FDEC:2= 32D6 2?5 36 :? 2 A@D:E:@? E@ AC6G2:= H96? E96 CFAEFC6 5:5 4@>6] %@52J E96 BF6DE:@? :D H9J 2 AC@?@F?465 2?E:\D=2G6CJ >2? =:<6 (63DE6C H@F=5 2446AE D@>6E9:?8 2D @776?D:G6 2D E96 uF8:E:G6 $=2G6 p4E] (6 2C6 =6DD 6>A2E96E:4 E@ (63DE6C E@52J E92? H6 H6C6 :? E96 A2DE]Qk^Am
kAm%@52J H6 D66 E96 =:>:ED @7 (63DE6C 2?5[ E9C@F89 9:D =:76[ E96 =:>:ED @7 E2=<:?8 23@FE F?:EJ[ 2 A@=:E:42= DE2E6 E92E 42??@E 36 42;@=65[ @C 2C8F65[ :?E@ 36:?8] xE 8C@HD @C82?:42==J[ ?@E >6C6=J 7C@> @C2E:@?]k^Am
kAmq:56? :D 8:G:?8 :E 2 ECJ[ ;FDE 2D (63DE6C 5:5 :? `gd_[ H96? 2 s6>@4C2E:4 24BF2:?E2?46 FC865 E96 (9:8 D6?2E@C 7C@> |2DD249FD6EED E@ C64@?4:=6 }@CE9 2?5 $@FE9i Qs@ :E[ |C] (63DE6Cj 2D J@F 42? 5@ :E[ =:<6 2 3@=5 2?5 8:7E65 $E2E6D>2? 2?5 !2EC:@E]Qk^Am
kAmw6 EC:65] x? E96 >@DE 72>@FD C:77 7C@> 9:D $6G6?E9 @7 |2C49 DA6649[ 2 E9C66\9@FC @C2E:@? 7C@> 2 eg\J62C\@=5 >2? H62<6?65 3J A@=:E:42= DEC:76 2?5 DECF88=6[ 96 D2:5i Qx H:D9 E@ DA62< E@52J[ ?@E 2D 2 |2DD249FD6EED >2?[ ?@C 2D 2 }@CE96C? >2?[ 3FE 2D 2? p>6C:42?[ 2?5 2 >6>36C @7 E96 $6?2E6 @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] ]]] x DA62< 7@C E96 AC6D6CG2E:@? @7 E96 &?:@?] w62C >6 7@C >J 42FD6]Qk^Am
kAm$@ H96? q:56? =@@<D 24C@DD E92E 8C62E @2< 56D< :? E96 ~G2= ~77:46 2?5 D66D E92E (63DE6C 3FDE[ 96 D9@F=5 D66 42FE:@? H96C6 96 >:89E D66< :?DA:C2E:@?] tG6? p>6C:42VD 8C62E6DE @C2E@C 4@F=5?VE E2=< E96 4@F?ECJ :?E@ F?:EJ]k^Am
kAmk6>ms2G:5 |] $9C:3>2? :D E96 7@C>6C 6I64FE:G6 65:E@C @7 E96 !:EED3FC89 !@DE\v2K6EE6] w6 42? 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i5D9C:3>2?oA@DE\82K6EE6]4@>Qm5D9C:3>2?oA@DE\82K6EE6]4@>k^2m[ @C 7@==@H 9:> @? %H:EE6C 2E $9C:3>2?!v] %96 !F=:EK6C !C:K6\H:??:?8 ;@FC?2=:DE 92D 2 G242E:@? 9@>6 :? z62CD2C86]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.