The "Great Orator," Daniel Webster (1782-1852) lent his eloquence to the cause of national unity during the tumultuous years leading to the Civil War. Perhaps his finest moment came during a debate with South Carolina Senator Robert Hayne in 1830. Webster defended "Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable!" Twenty years later, Webster sacrificed his Senate career and his presidential ambitions by endorsing the controversial Compromise of 1850 to save the Union.
Historical information provided by the Senate Historical Office.
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