366 DANIEL WEBSTER 



he was one of the foremost in storming the Ger- 

 man intrenchments ; at West Point, on the night of 

 the dreadful day which saw Benedict Arnold's flight 

 to the Vulture, when doubt and misgiving were every- 

 where, he was placed in command of the guard at 

 headquarters, and Washington said to him, " Colonel 

 Webster, I believe I can trust you? In 1783 this 

 veteran of two wars became owner of the Elms Farm 

 in Salisbury, and lived there until his death, in 1806. 

 He served as representative and senator in the New 

 Hampshire legislature, and as judge in the Court of 

 Common Pleas. In 1 788 he was member of the state 

 convention which ratified the federal Constitution. 

 At the first meeting of that convention, which 

 adjourned without a vote, he was bound, like the 

 majority of the delegates, by instructions from his 

 townsmen, to oppose the adoption of the Constitution. 

 Before the second meeting he sought and obtained 

 permission to act according to his own judgment; 

 and when the vote was about to be taken he made 

 the following brief but conclusive speech : " Mr. 

 President, I have listened to the arguments for and 

 against the Constitution. I am convinced such a gov- 

 ernment as that Constitution will establish, if adopted 

 a government acting directly on the people of the 

 states is necessary for the common defence and the 

 common welfare. It is the only government which 

 will enable us to pay off the national debt the debt 

 which we owe for the Revolution, and which we are 

 bound in honour fully and fairly to discharge. Be- 

 sides, I have followed the lead of Washington through 

 seven years of war, and I have never been misled. 

 His name is subscribed to this Constitution. He 



