The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-10-26

uellVcrcu at w hccllnT. va, by the Kev.
George w. Webster Of that place This
accomplished clergyman is a native Of
Massachusetts, but we believe no rcla-
tive of his departed namesake. This
contrasted sketch of the two great char
aotcrs, will, we think, strike the reader
as equally just in the conception and
felictous in the expression. = Boston
Cduricr.
1t is doing no injustice to others, and
ample justice to Mr.. Clay, to say that
he was next to Mr.. Webster He is the
only man among his compeers with whom
we can compare Mr.. Webster. They
were the two greatest statesmen and or
ators of their time. And how docs Mr.
Webster compare with the next greatest
man of America, during the last hall
century, | wish to do justice to them
both. At least, am not conscious oi
any desire to cxalt one at the dcprccia.
tion of the other. Both were great
enough, and their spheres of greatness
will be better apprehended by Il legiti
mate comparison of them. These two
great men lived together and died to
gether. All that is mortal Of them
land it is not much is now no more
" How little is there of the great and
good which can die r.
On all ordinary occasions, Mr.. Clay
was the greater orator Of the two. lie
had more ready resources; was more
easily kindlcd aud called out had more
versatility was more engaging and in
fluential on the instant ; had the better
command of words, the more fluent clio
qucnce, and the more musical voice. Bat
when the great crisis had come whcr
tremendous issues pended when other.
were used up with excitement and over
come with the exigency of the moment
then Mr.. Webster's oratory rose above
that Of Mr.. Clay. Mr.. Clay was so ar
dent and ready. that he sometimes spoke
at random, wasted words and wcakcncf
his influence, but Mr.. Webster never
He was remarkable, on the other hand
for his GOODNESS and delibcratiou through
out the most stormy debates which h,
witnessed, aud in which he participated
Tie would sit aud sit, for days and days
as mute as stone. No most personal
and insulting allusion could provoke him
to his feet, no challenge tempt him t.
stir. lie sat and heard the wranglt
through and through. until the nation
was astonishcd at his patience, or vexed
with tardincss lie waits till he is need
cd till lie eau " see the end from the
beginning" and speak to some purpose
till others are exhausted baffled humb
led, and willing to be instructed till the
waves of strife run so high that no one
. sc can command his thoughts, or keeI
his temper. Then it was that he would
rise truly like god, serene and sclf.pos
sessed, and make one Of those mastery
statements of the question at issue which
brought light out Of drakncsss, and har-
mony from confusion, and 90 on with
one Of those thrilling appeals, and stu
pendous arguments, which, both triumph.
cd at the time, and will live as enduring
literary monuments
Here Mr.. Clay failed. His speeches
do not read so well, do not stand so
proudly on the literary page, are not so
compacted and solidifed with sterling
thought. chaste and classic ornament.
rhetorical accuracy, proportion and fin
ish, and logical precision, arrangement
and construction, as are Mr.. Wcbstcr's,
whose choice of words, rhetorical method
and geaera. style, have become the ac-
knowledged models of our language. He
has done more for the English tongue,
to bring out its power, fix its idioms,
and make it neat, precise and graceful
as well as stately, massive and sonorous,
than any other man, with perhaps the
exception of Burke, since the days of
Milton and Shakespeare. His orations
are to the prosaic, what their writings
are to the poetic capacities of the Ian
guage. They contain sentences, periods
and paragraphs, that are mrivalled in
the worlds literature In this respect.
Mr. Clay cannot even come into compar-
son.
Speaking generally OF the two men,
md allowing sufficient scope for rhetoric,
Mr.. Clay was the more active, and pre-
'ailed by what he did, Mr.. Webster the
more passive, and prevailed by what he
raS ; the former was more fruitful in
,xpedients the latter more rooted
nd grounded in principles; one had
he quicker insight, the other the larg-
It understanding, In his person and
manners, Mr.. Clay had courtly grace
nd urbanity, Mr.. Webster a stately dis
ance and dignity; one could more to
he better advantage, the other st0,ni
Tith the greatest effect one could con-
erse charmingly with everybody, al all
lines, and on all topics the other was
without words, knew the pow
r of judicions silence, and made his
ew words 60 great ways, one gained
he more warm and numerous friendships,
he other was held in the more universal
nd profound respect.
In their methods of influence, Mr..
lay was the more vehement, Mr.. Web
ier had tie greater momentum one
the other beseiged ; one cap
vatedr the other convicted one charm.
| the other awed, one Influenced more
4 the spot and at the moment, the 9TH
was felt more in the distance, through
longer time, and over . greater space
l the order of their influence and use
Ilncss as statesmen, and guardians of ,
eir country's walfare, Mr. W ebstor may |
I'VE said to have begun where Mr.. Clay
# off The latter ruled the floors of =
ongress almost entirely in fair weather,
I'd tho former sat BY, and gave a silent i
nsent but when the helm was wrested I
ON Mr., Clay's hands by too big surge I
! his strength, then Mr.. Webster took Q