Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-02-01
E.n q. Voc re.L osnm.reial.


/ Our Washington correspondent, few days since al
exhausted his vocabulary OF exac praise in attempt
ing an idea ct the eloquent the maenieeni
the souentraneing euogium pronounced by Mr. Marshall
OF hentneky, upon tho sometime idol Of his worship
Daniel Webster and have other papers the
extravaganza OF lsnjatoa bestowed lhs paItcaa
effort OF the eloquent kenckan The speech has been
ported in the lnolgencer and copy the portion tia
excited 30 much admiration
Sir spoke the other day Of the impression made upor
imagination by the great Senator from Massachusetts
when saw and heard him for the Est time put forth h
vast powers in debate The Democratic prints
call him the "godlike" IN derision To that day he
seemed almost divine. He looked the Olympan love In
Council Had celestial wisdom chosen mortal residence
on that majestic brow she might have fixed her throne
The massive grandeur phlosophc and rigorous
tour OF the head all giving inable indication OF the pos
session and intense exeron OF the
ing and investigation conastrd hsrmonzed with the
wild and dreamy light that strcamed from the large dark
unfathomabe flashing they rolled the soul ii
ldcalism and romance.
Never the appearance OF more in perfect keep.
ing with the character OF his intellect; head
and face truly the type OF the genius which
them. Never more varied, wonderful and vulgar
apprehension, Incompatible faculties conferred upon
man. Profoundly learned, he exhibited its results rather
than its processes. No clumsy, fatguing, pedantc array
OF the immense mas OF his knowcdge tedious details
OF the vast OF facts from which he had deduced his
principles, loaded your attention retarded his Argument
He had studied the history OF all nations and extracted the
universal truths impressed upon them all that he might ap
ply them the peculiar constitution and practical affairs
his
He had baihed the fountains and quaed from the gen.
inbued and rocking with the of philosophy while
he trampcd and rejccdd the uammcs Of the schoomansar
gou, sconing employ the instruments of his demon
Sation the formal caicgores of technical logic. Yet the
ccarnes, coseness simplicity and of his
mcnt OF general propositions, and the intense, rigorous
sParng severity with which he enforced and applied them.
neither chilled the glow curbed the grandeur Of his
style. Along the swelling volume of his speech rolled proud
philosophy, seated in the rumpha car clad the Gorgeous
vesments and breathing from part the ch perfumes
ct poetry itself And what, what his theme that day
The constitution, its popular origin, its paramount power,
its entire independence OF control interference the
universally OF its powers where they did exist and the u
risdicOn of the Supreme Court OF the Union OF all ques
lions which their existence involved. These nigh.
principles the very burden OF his discourse Hea
how his lip writhed and cued under the fierce aud
almost savage smile that quvered hckered, and played
around his mouth and his cheek, like lightning
DER cloud while he hurled back the hundeTs OF his in
vectivc poured mingled mirth and madness the
full torrent OF his derson and the peculiar doc
TIMES OF the South scattering sophs retorng sarcasms,
and hingng defiance the hunters OF the South and OF
the West who pressed and swaned around the hon they
had reused. And shall he, my MASTER come here
untcach me all, all
Here Mr.. Profit called the hour rule and Mr. Marshall
ceased 10 speak.
Now Mr. Marshall can be rlorously eloquent and we can
easily conserve that what he said Mr. Webster the
excited minds OF actual listeners aided by the
exciting OF voice. and and gesture seemed the
OF brlancy and power. But hen sit down
calmly read the speech and there nothing peert
lead astray the cricin faculty, perceive and
that what has passed for eoquence in truth bastard
progeny OF misdrecsd ambition and bad Look
read sgain. What straning for pomposiiy OF
language What desperate effort pile up the agony"
WhsA redundance OF epthets, and what
their application. And above all what preposterous exag
geratOnwhat bold contempt Of that chaste severity which
belongs to real eloqyence!
Does body really believe great Mr.. Webster in
debate that ne truly pictured IN all that aggomersun of
wild and dreamy light and flashing, rolling, dark uniathom
able eyes, bathing in fountains, rocking with essence
tranipng and scoring, swelling volumes, tTiumpha cars
rich perfumes and gorgeous vesments Does any body
really believe in that writing lip that savage quyerng
fickenng and playing smile-n all those thunders, sar
casuis, defances and torrents No such thing. Mr. Mar
shall himself had belief in them He only irving
hard make with what Of the sacred wr
would have denominsied 'great swelling words of
vanity"
European critics charge Americans with undue pre-
objection for bOmbsst and verbosy. How deny
the charge when such speech this OF Mr.. Marshals
Is cried up the perfection OF American eloquence