Reviews for Daniel Webster, "the completest man"

The average rating for Daniel Webster, "the completest man" based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-08-10 00:00:00 Robert Garofalo Writing in the 1950’s, Prof. Current wrote that generations of children since 1900 grown less and less familiar with the great orator Daniel Webster though many did know of a fictional character of the same name thanks to Stephen Vincent Benet, and that seems to have remained the same since this biography was first published. In seeking to introduce subsequent generations to Daniel Webster, Prof. Current follows Webster’s political evolution from his childhood in New Hampshire to his death in Massachusetts. He grew up a staunch Federalist and was elected to represent New Hampshire as Federalist in the 13th and 14th Congresses and later in Massachusetts. In his early Federalist years, Webster opposed protectionism and took a position that is usually described (inaccurately) as laissez-faire. However, as he rose to become a Senator and hold positions in 2 administrations (Tyler & Fillmore), his views on the tariffs and other policies changed with the views of his constituents and the development of the nation. His evolution might be seen as the product of corruption, as Webster was personally financed by several wealthy individuals in Boston and New York, as well as representing various corporate interests and the Bank of the United States as their attorney, but his underlying philosophy, which Prof. Current describes as a conservative philosophy - in contrast to the radical philosophy of the Jacksonians or the reactionary philosophy of the Calhounites - did not change. At its heart, this philosophy consisted of a belief that those who run society’s affairs (the sovereign voter) must have a stake in society (for Webster that stake meant property, which he thought should be distributed as widely as possible). Throughout his career, Webster represented the interests of the manufacturing and business classes, and his conservatism, which advocated government assistance for businesses, such as protective tariffs and internal improvements, saw business/manufacturing as a general interest which, if benefited, would benefit all. This conservatism still exists in the United States, but as Prof. Current says, “He was the forgotten man of American conservatism,” despite all he had to teach conservatives of the mid-20th Century, and now the 21st.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-08-29 00:00:00 Brian Schofield While this series of studies of famous Americans are somewhat superficial since they are each only some 200 pages long, this one was one of the least of the bunch. It does provide an overview of the life and thoughts of Webster (even if the thoughts tended to change as his financial supporters changed).