Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-03-26
DANIEL WEBSTER.

A contributor to the London Sun in some
agreeable jottings under the head Of Soc
,caSiona1 SketcheS-here and there" has
'sharpened his memory with "reminiscences
of visit to America, and is depicting some
of our scholars and statesmen with no in
elegant pencil. No.2 of these sketches re-
fers to mass meeting held during the Pre-
sidential Election of 1914, the writer being
one of the observers, and DANIEL WEBSTER
himself the most Observed among them. In
portraying the personal appearance of the
great pacifcator, the sketcher remarks par
Iticularly upon his genealogical develop
Iments-''his head" he says with the most
expressive originality, "was what attracted
and rivetted atlention-and such a head as
Daniel Webster's, believe, was never be-
fore placed on mortal shoulders. 1t is Pc
culiarly large, and SO prominent about the
temples, that it seems as if an immense
quantity Of brain has been packed into the
Uranium whilst it was soft in those regions,
and had caused it to bulge outp'
Continuing the portrature the same wr-
ter observes-"but the most remarkable fea-
lures in Mr.. Webster's face are his eyes.
Carlisle q believe) said they were like blast
furnaces blown out, when in repose. They
are large, dark, and deeply-situated in cav
ernous openings, the roofs of which are
formed by the upper portions of the huge
orbits, the shaggy brows forming species
Of penthouse lids to them. Dark and sha
dowed as they are before he commences
speaking, they are objects Of attraction; but
when the blaze of his own eloquence kin
dies them, they glow like living Goals, and
are diaboZicazly beautituzm This last ex-
preston is certainly a peculiar one, but
those who have seen Mr.. Webster in the
height of stern debate will readily conceive
in what sense the writer intended it. In re-
lalion to the statesman's remarkable elo-
Iquence, the following correct description is
given with the addition Of two most anus
ing anecdotes:
He commences his speech in low, deep.
yet perfectly distinct tone, and silence in
stantly pervades the vast multitude. AS he
proceeds, the volume of his voice increases,
until, like a majestic stream, it flows on
ward in its deep channel with resistIess
power He does not deal largely in tropes
or metaphors and yet, occasionally, he de-
lights with the most poetical passages. His
style of oratory is not the ornate, but the
massive, and he is rather clear and forcible,
than horid or captivating.
Appealing to reason and good sense, ra-
Their than TO feeling and passion, he produc-
es almost marvellous effects. He softens
his audience by the beauty of his style and
= nj 1hor, ho bo
ponderous sledge-hammer Of his eloquence.
and mouIds them to his will. His eloquence,
contrasted with that of another distinguish
ed American orator, Mr.. Choate, is as the
simple grandeur Of a pyramid in opposition
to the elegance of a Corinthian temple
The effect Of his speech on the occasion to
which am especially referring cannot be
better described than by adopting the un-
consciously correct criticism of Yankee
from Connecticut, who stood near me, and
exclaimed at its conclusion, dwell, guess.
as every word in that ere speech weighed a
pound" Sidney Smith, when asked what
he thought OF Mr.. Webster, after hearing a
speech which the American made at an Ag-
ricultural dinner in Oxford, expressed the
same astonIshment in different manner
"What do think of him, STRIP said the
witty canon, F'why, he is steam-engine in
breaches SIR"
As of all other great men, many amusing
anecdotes are related of Mr.. Webster.
will only infct one upon the reader, who
will, think, agree with me that it is not a
bad one The distinguished man, just be-
fore Lafay ette's last visit to America, form
ed one in fishing-party in Massachusetts
Bay He had been selected TO deliver the
welcoming speech TO the Frenchman on his
approaching visit, and during his occupation
of hauling up Goldfish and tautog, he was
observed to be very distracted. 1t appear
ed afterwards that he must have been stud ~
ing that part of his speech in which he al
forwards addressed Lafayette, for gentle
man who was fishing next him observed
him pulling in his line, hand over hand,
with some difficulty, as if large fish was
hooked, yet without exhibiting any satlsfac-
ton on his face at having captured prize
A. length the fish was seen approaching the
surface and cleaning through the green wa
ters, like lively bladder of quicksilver ;
still Webster's face gave no smiling wei
come but just as the fish came TO the sur
face, he burst out with "Venerable man the
representative of two hemispheTes, welcome
to our Shores and down Topped the SIMON
ster cod," on the deck !-BoSton EUening
Transcript.