Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-11-29
Daniel Wehster'S Correspondence.

A few of the letters have been furnished t
the Press in advance of the book These
possesses peculiar interest to Virginians.
In 1924 Mr.. Webster visited Thomas
Jefferson at his home in Virginia. H(
wrote at the time a description of the ex-
President, and kept an account of his con.
versation, of which we give the following
specimens.
THOMAS JEFFERSON INSCRIBED BY WEBSTER.
hfr. Jefferson is now between eighty-onc
and eighty-two, about six feet nigh, Of an
ample, long frame, rather thin and spare =
His head which is not peculiar in its shape,
is set rather forward on his shoulders; and
his neck being long, there is, when he is
walking or conversing, an habitual protrn-
sion of it. 1t is still we'll covered with
hair, which having been once red, and
now turning gray, is of an indistinct sandy
color
ilss eyes are small, very light, and nov
neither brilliant nor striking. His chin is
rather long, but not pointed. His nose small
! regular in its outline and the nostrils lit
/ tie elevated His mouth is well formed,
and still filled with teeth, it is strongly COM
pressed, bearing the expression of content
ment and benevalence His complexion,
formerly light and freckled, now bears the
marks of age and cutaneous affection His
limbs are uncommonly long; his hands and
feet very large, and his wrists Of an extra
ordinary size. His walk is not precise and
military but easy and swinging. He stoops
ural formation When sitting he appears
short partly from rather lounging habit of
sitting and partly from the disproportionate
length of his limbs
His dress, when sitting in the house, is a
gray surtout coat, kerseymere stuff waistcoat,
with an under one faced with some dngy
red Hispantaloons are very long and loose,
and of the same color of his coat His stock
ings are wooden, either white or gray; and
his shoes of the kind that bear his namc-
His whole dress is very much neglected, but
not sloyenly. He wears common round
hat His dress when on horseback, is n
gray straight bodied Goa. and a spencer of
the same material, both ftstend with large
pearl buttons. When we first saw him, he
was riding and in addition to the above ar
ticles of apparel, wore round his throat
knit white WOODEN tippet in the place Of
eravat, and black velvet gaiters under his
pantaloors His general appearance indi-
Gates an extradinary degree of health, vi
vacity and spirit. His sight is still good,
| for he needs glasses only in the evening
! His hna,uo ie oranoral l,r ooaJ hut ,,,,u,
Der of voices III animated conversation con-
fuse it.
SIR. Jefferson rises in the morning as
soon as he can see the hands of his clock,
which Is directly opposite his bed, and ex
amines his thermometer Immediately, as he
keeps regular meteorological diary. He
employs himself chiefly in writing till break
fast, which is at nine From that time till
dinner he is in his library, excepting that in
fair weather he rides on horseback from sew
en- to fourteen miles. Dimes at four, returns
to the drawing room at six, when coffee is
brought in, and passes the evening till nine
in conversation. His habit of retiring at that
hour is so strong, that it has become essen
tial to his health and comfort His diet is
simple, baS be- seems restrained only by
his taste. His breakfast is tea and coffee,
bread always fresh from the oven, of which
he does not seem afraid, with sometimes
slight accompaniment of cold meat He en-
joys his dinner well, taking with his meat a
large proportion Of vegetables. He has
strong preference for the wines of the Cont
nent of which he has many sorts ofexcellent
quality, having been more than commonly
successful in his mode of preserving them
Among others we found the following, which
are very rare in this country, and apparent
iy not at all injured by transportation =
L. Ednan, Muscat Samian, and Banehette
de Limoux Dinner is served in half Yir-
gilman and half French style, in good taste
and abundance. No wine is put on the Ia
bic till the cloth is removed.
In conversation, Mr.. Jefferson is easy and
natural and apparently not ambitious; it is
not loud, as challenging geaeral attention,
but usually addressed to the person next
him. The topics, when not selected to suit
the character and feelings of his auditors,
are those subjects with which his mind seems
particularly occupied; and these, at present,
may be said to be science and letters, and es-
pecially the University Of Virginia, which
is coming into existence almost entirely from
his exertions, and will rise, it is to be hoped
to usefulness and credit under his continued
care When we were with him, his favorite
subjects we're Greek and Anglo-Saxon, his
torical recollections Of tie times and events
of the Revolution. and of his residence IN
France from 1854 to 1889,
Mr. JErFERsoN's ACCOUNT OF PATRICK IIHN-
| RY.
Patrick Henry was originally bar-kcep-
er, lie married very young, and going into
some business, on his own account, was a
bankrupt before the year vas out when |
was about the age of Is, left the school
here, to go to the college at Williamsburg. |
stopped few days at friends in the csun-
ty of Louisa. There first saw and became
acquainted with Patrick Henry Having
spent the Christmas holidays there, pro-
eeeded to Williamsburg Some question
arose about my admission, as my preparatq-
~ studies were pursued at the school con-
nected with that institution This delayed
my admission about fortnight, at which
time Henry appeared in Williamsburg,
and applied for license to practice law, hay
ing commenced the study Of it at or subso
quently to the time of my meeting him in
n