Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-03-15

DANlE,L. AYERSTER


bout to give you a brief ketch of Mr. Web
sier Obi. early history il is not necessary
, for me TO speak Win that. Al present, | have
nothing to do. II is nv desr 10 describ- hun
as he appears on The q nor OF the Senate.
am aware that II is alm1t needles. To
sketch his pea son, (lor among our citizens il
is well known hut a. The editor of the UIsIc.
sentinel has done 20, suppose I must foloW
! The example. Mr.. Webster then is rather
| hove the middIing height, strongly built, ani
slightly inclined 10 corpulency. His face IS Of
the most expressive cast, .allow aud without
| color, but finely formed. His forehead Is high,
but of irregular ,hape, and his hair coal black
and rather stiff and obstinate III is leanngs
II has. TO use the words Of the poot, An Asl
aiic eye" immensely black, mild in its genrra al
| expression, but with a capacity to embody eve.
~ species Of sensation and passion which lofty
aims and dignlfed ambition engendrr. His
mouth is one OF the finest ever saw. Ia the
movements OF his lips there IS neither prudish
compression nor nippnnt activity. His words
fall naturally, aud the expression Of ms face
betrays neither anxiety 10 be expressive
(Which generally defeats iis own oLjecD nor
the slightest degree of CaTplessnes5. Indeed,
when speaking, his features seem 10 be- the pas
siVr instruments OF MS thoughts, as he make
no apparent effort 10 throw the workings oil his
mlud into he counienance. lbs voice - deep,
yet mellow and plea ing only when raised
little bove its natural pitch, failing in its ordr-
narv rouudncss and volume But he seldom
exerts il beyond il power and is never gul
ty of the rcduttiO al dbsurddm Universally expo
rienced by those who tax Their vocal capacities
tao high. Ia his geSrlculations he 10 appropTl-
ate, but sparing and as there rs no oratnrIcal
flourish in his speaking, neither is there any
A.
gushing feature of his oratory is dIgnl6td so.
lrmnitv ; and in proportion as he seems impress
sed with the importance ofthe subject in which
he is engaged. is he nearer disposed to ssmpa
thise with the speaker. This circumstance ex-
Mains the secret OF the fixed attention with
which ne is always heard. and the peculiar
charm of his elouIence. The hearer is impress
ed with a high and lofty tPellng OF tho mnmen-
ious declarations, grhvely aud solennly made
bv the speaker while The purity OF ms language,
ani the clrarness with which his ideas are eK-
pressed confirm The hrs impression arising
from his manner. His delivery has always The
effrci to convince his hearers that he is IN ear
nest--lhat what he uttsr4 he really feels and
believes that the source Of hIs opinions are
neither party anmosliy, spleen, or prejudice
Hence his more vigorous ssllies pro iuce more
powerful effect. aud the conviction in his hear.
ers that they are not the ebullIions OF passion -
while the eq1able tenor of his oralory renders
those flights Of fancy, which occasionally EN-
belIish his speeches doubly pleasing. They
evidently come unbldden-lhey bear the stamp
of the spontaneous growth Of highly cultivated
mental soil, instead of the gaudy coIorlnS Of
exoiics
In argument few men can excel Mr.. Web.
ster He never loses sight of the deduction
which he intends 10 draw, or wanders ~ irreVa'
lent defamation into subjects foreign To the
matter in hand ifh" digress, II is 10 bring
outward aid To his reasoning, no TO confuse
or mysly With a self possession winch
have seldom seen equalled, he rises as coolly
in his own defence against misrepresentation,
or the bitter sarcasms of an Opponent, a TO
commence n debate on grave ana inircaie
subiec' His irony seemst 10 borrow force from
the cool and unimpassioned tone ~ when u Ii
expressed 4; and he hurls back the missile when
had fallen hurte.s at his feet, with an aim as
sure. and a hand as steady, as those OF the an
cirnt Parthnn. He is not much given to sar.
casm; hat in IFS use, he knows we'll the express.
sion of counienance which gives il point and
force. well remember an ms ance in which,
with but few words, he made Mr. Woodbury.
appear exceedingly ridiculous, by an alus'on
~ the pa -ade made nv the latter Of his Know.
ledge o. DIR. Price s DO * on annuIlies. The
sarcastic glance of his eve. as he referred 10
the " Senatorial DIR. Price" made his allusion
irresistible.
When Mr. Webster first took his seat in the
Senate, during the winter Of 1927, 3, there
seemed determination in numerous body OF
his political opponents. to leave no opportunity
unimproved of taking the New England lion
by the name. On the first day of his appear
ance, which was at late PERIOD (he having
been detained in New York by illness, and
severe domestic calamity,) an occasion offer
ed. As it were, upon the very threshold oil the
Senate, he was engaged in an arduous, and l
may say, on the part of his opponents. a v'ru.
lent debate. A bill had been introduced, |
think, by Mr. White, oil Tennessee, to regulate
supreme judicial process in the States admitted
! into the Union since 1879. II had been discus
sed and amended. and came up for third
readins- apparently by mere accident MIR