Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-02-01
-,g From he National Magazine. ,ssa
4 SKETCH---HAYNEc AND WEB

"a % INIs y IN "a "a y AttS AM W ED Il
Is..b yn,as odj II STER.. sfa efu .leaneI
Our Objects to give sketch Of Congress
as it .is--iis members and their manners;
but we must be pardoned il we.,raveia little
out of the record to point Of time removed
some years back We refer to the cTeatI
South Carolina debate which took place in
the Senate Chamber Upon the Tariff qucs-
ton OF 1888 We were in the gallery.
The notification fever had risen almost fren.
~ high. Members Of all parties had deser-
ted the lower House TO witness the splinter
ing of lances between Robert Y. Hayne. of
South Carolina, and Daniel Webster. When
| we entered the Hall, General Hayne was
speaking I; he was man of general youth
| fu appearance, with his shirt collar turned
over his cravat,a and his hair smoothly brush
ed across his forehead.-He was OF The mid.
die stature and well made. He was spea-
king enefgetically- eyes were peculiar
! ly brilliant, and his face was extremely pale !;
be moved up and down the aisles formed
between the desks with rapid and agitated
step I; his gestures were vehement, and he
appearedto be under high state of excite
ment. We were peculiarly struck with
his whole appearance. aud the tone, of
feeling evident in the Chamber. Mr., Cal
houn, then Vice President. was in the chair,
with his large, steady, and yigilant eyes
Witnessing the first great batteofhis doctrine,
be seemed the very spirit OF embodied inter
est-not a word, not gesture Of General
Hayre escaped his lion look. The Senate
was deeply interested, as a matter of course
| The language Of General Hayne was rich
and vigorous and his powerful sketch Of
III e effect of the Impost Law on the South
the descriptions he gave OF her people--his
own bold and hazardous elocution and i'm
/ petuous bearing. were evidently making
strong impression on the body. From lime
to time attention would be direcied from him
to the gentleman who was expected to answer
him. and whom General Hayne attacked
under cover OF terrible and CALLING fire.
1 Cold. serene. dark, and melancholy,
that man. thus assailed. sat apart. bleak and
| frowning as mountain rock; he evidently
felt gigantic influences that were at work
around him. but his profound mind was
Strengthening iiselffor the contest. And how
deeply solemn was that hour, that moment
how grand that scene, and what were the
medi,ntions and spirii-rallyings ofthat dark
MANI His counenance wavered not DUR
| ing the whole OF that tremendous speech :;
assault after assault, was made upon him,
but yet he neither turned TO the right nor
LEFT, but calmly and galianily, like soldier
waiting his signal, he 'bided his hour That
.ltime of retaliation came swift as the thoughts
OF vengeance to Daniel Webster. Who will
forget the exordum of that remarkable eff
fort-the lashing sarcasm-the wilheripg
tones Of that voice, and the temper Of his
language General Hayne 1--WE remember
distinctly changed color. and appeared
much disconnected but who that heared
him will permit the peroration to be forgot
ten---lhose closing passages of grandeur,
that majestic alusion to the flag Of freedom
and his country ? Looking. with his dark
and lustrous eye, through the glass dome
Of the Chamber. over which he could see
that banner flowing. he delivered an apos-
trophe which has never been surpassed and
seldom equalled. 1t composed figure of
most thrilling INTEREST," burst of solemn
and pathetic feeling and. coming from
such source, IA man generally esteemed
phlegmalic,) it was electric. 1t was like the
beam of sunset, or the CLEAN of summer
lightning, rndiating the brow ofthe cliff 10
whic we have above alluded.
] But those scenes are past and the coun-
try has the benefit of those speeches; but
the memory of them. and The incidents that
attended them, are forcibly impressed upon
our mind 'A .e 1-3