Copyright keenesentinel
New Hampshire native Daniel Webster was well known to the residents of Cheshire County during the first half of the 19th century. He had argued cases in the court at Keene as a young lawyer. By the time of the presidential election of 1840, however, he had become a national political figure who had served several terms in the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. He was also recognized as one of the greatest public speakers in the nation. The people of the region were thrilled to hear that he would stop in Keene on July 9 during his campaign tour in support of the Whig presidential candidate, William Henry Harrison. On the morning of the speech, large crowds began to converge on Keene. Gen. James Wilson, who arranged the visit, stated that he believed that the people would come to hear Mr. Webster whether there was haying to be done or not. The haying was indeed completed in the countryside; farmers and their families came into town. They were joined by businessmen, laborers, housewives and children from Keene. A huge platform had been built for the speakers near the Keene Academy building on Winter Street. Wilson arrived in Keene at about noon and dined with Gen. Wilson at his home on Main Street. At 2:30 the men made their way to Winter Street, accompanied by two militia units and two marching bands. Six hundred chairs had been arranged near the platform. The seats filled quickly as the audience grew to approximately 4,000 people. Webster took the stand at 2:30 in the afternoon. The great orator spoke for two hours about politics and about presidential candidate William Henry Harrison. The huge audience was silent throughout the speech so that every word could be heard. He concluded his oration with a thrilling tale about the Revolutionary War and the principles for which it was fought. He then presented to the crowd 90-year-old Revolutionary veteran Abijah Whitcomb of Swanzey as an example of how our independence was achieved. At one point during his address, a support beam gave way, and the platform settled several inches. Webster proclaimed that, “if the Whig platform goes down, I go with it,” and continued his speech. By the time he finished, the sun was low in the western sky. Webster then went to the Cheshire House hotel, where he was introduced to many local citizens. That evening he was honored at a reception at Gen. Wilson’s mansion. Four months later William Henry Harrison was indeed elected President, but many who had been present on Winter Street that day felt that it should be Daniel Webster himself who should be next President of the United States.
