Daniel Webster was a Whig from Massachusetts who held many political occupations throughout his career. He was senator of Massachusetts and was also Secretary of State twice. In his lifetime, he was known as a great speaker, and is most well known for his "Seventh of March" speech. JFK really highlights this in the beginning of the short story. In this story secession is becoming more and more of a reality, and Civil War is looming. Most people are for secession, so it looks as if it is coming soon. At the start, Henry Clay is meeting with Webster to discuss secession and how it could be stopped. They both want Union more than anything else. They meet to discuss the terms of the Compromise of 1850. Webster is against slavery indefinitely, and seeing as this compromise would expand the Fugitive Slave Law, logic would say that he would reject it. But he was a Unionist first and did not want to see the country split up. He accepted the compromise and was to give a speech on March seventh to congress as to why he though union was the right idea rather than secession. The speech shocked many Americans. Webster drew a huge crowd for the speech, and they all thought he would be talking about secession and its benefits. But he rather spoke about how union was the right step for America. He courageously stood up there and spoke for what was right for the country, not for his own popularity. In his speech he told his audience, "Necessity compels me to speak true rather than pleasing things... I should indeed like to please you; but i prefer to save you,what ever be your attitude toward me." This shows how bold and courageous his speech was, that he knew his decision would be unpopular and he went through with it because it was right for the nation. Webster's speech worked, as the US stayed united for ten more years before splitting in the early 1860's. He did lose many supporters as a consequence. He went form being loved in America to being despised by many. He was bashed by people such as Senator William H. Seward, who called him a "traitor to the cause of freedom." Ralph Waldo Emerson remarked that Webster's speech showed "profound selfishness." Even though he was hated afterward, Webster's speech definitely did well for the nation as a whole and may have prevented secession, even if only for a little while.