Francis B. Carpenter, Six Months at the White House

[37] about the penalty which attached to high positions in a democratic government — the tribute those filling them were compelled to pay to the public. “Great men,” said Mr. Lincoln, “have various estimates. When Daniel Webster made his tour through the West years ago, he visited Springfield among other places, where great preparations had been made to receive him. As the procession was going through the town, a barefooted little darkey boy pulled the sleeve of a man named T., and asked,--‘What the folks were all doing down the street?’ ‘Why, Jack,’ was the reply, ‘the biggest man in the world is coming.’ Now, there lived in Springfield a man by the name of G.,--a very corpulent man, Jack darted off down the street, but presently returned, with a very disappointed air. ‘Well, did you see him?’ inquired T. ‘Yees,’ returned Jack; ‘but laws — he ain't half as big as old G.’ ”

Shortly afterward, he spoke of Mr. Ewing, who was in both President Harrison's and President Taylor's cabinet. “Those men,” said he, “were, you know, when elected, both of advanced years, -sages. Ewing had received, in some way, the nickname of ‘Old Solitude.’ Soon after the formation of Taylor's cabinet, Webster and Ewing happened to meet at an evening party. As they approached each other, Webster, who was in fine spirits, uttered, in his deepest bass tones, the wellknown lines,--”