Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-12-31


very striking. Lord Brougham is thin,
and his high cheek-bones gives rugged
expression to his face. His head is tall,
and appears narrow, while his hair falls in
somewhat rough way about his forehead.
The ample and majestic forehead OF Mr..
Webster is we'll known to us, and the whole
face, when in repose, wore an aspect OF Sc
rene wisdom which we have never seen
equalled Some one said, In speaking OF
this peculiar expression Of his face-some
one in England, too-that ''no man was
ever half so wise as Webster looked"
His complexion was very dark; his hair
was black and his large lustrous eyes were
SO very dark as to appear black under the
shadow of his projecting brow. The face,
as a whole, was an unequalled one.- The
only defective feature was the mouth-it
wanted decision: It was gentle, and its
lines expressed anything but stern resolve.
No eountenance which we have ever seen
was so capable Of varied expression: we
have seen it pass from the blackness of the
Thunderstorm to the brightness Of spring
morning This was wonderfully striking
to one accustomed to study the lights and
shadows which the soul fings upon the hu-
man face. We remember on one occasion,
particularly, to have observed this, when
Mr.. Webster was engaged in the argument
of an important case before the Supreme
Court of the United States. AS he advan-
ced in his argument, and the great field
which he had to traverse began to display
it's ample extent before him, an occasional
smile fitted across his face, like a gleam of
sunlight upon clouded landscape; until the
whole countenance glowed with splendor
which his mind shed upon it, when it be-
came fully aroused. and kindled with its own
action; ~ 80. =: Z
No one of our great men, except Mr..
Pinckney, ever bestowed SO much attention
upon his person as Mr.. Webster His dress
was studied; ); and it might be observed that
it was. varied to suit the place in which he
was to appear He rarely wore black; but
44preferseA e;tl4er- or blue, with bright
buttons. His taste in this particular was
English; it is only in France and the United
States that the black coat darkens saloons,
and all places where dress-circles are seen.
During the protracted session of 1850, Mr..
Webster was seen in the Senate Chamber
dressed with extreme care, and wearing a
frock-coat of brown cloth, with guilt but
TONS, and white pantaloons. Before the
Supreme Court his dress would have been
much graver. =
Mr.. Webster was eminently social and
in conversation he was unrivalled. It is
commonly supposed that Mr.. Calhoun ex-
celled all the public men of this country in
conversation; but this is an error. 1t is
very well remarked by Governor Hammond,
of South Carolina, that Mr.. Calhoun never
eonversed. His style was that Of short
senatorial debates his thoughts were rapid
| ly and brilliantly uttered, but they were
not in the least degree expressed in the con-
versational form. Mr. Webster, on the
CONTRARY, was great talker: his conversa-
ton In no respect resembled his speaking
in the Senate. Itwas easy, and often play
full. At the table, especially, he was a de-
/ 1Tghtful companion. He was thoroughly
informed upon all the great topics of our
day; spoke with as much freedom of the
. affairs Of other countries as of those of our
own; and he was able to converse about the
public men of England, especially, quite as
well as he could speak of his associates in
the Senate. He was acquainted SO we'll with
literature, that he spoke without aHectation,
but with an indescribable charm, of great
writer's and their works, exhibiting a criti-
zeal taste Of the highest cultivation.
He loved the classics, and was yet de-
lighted with translations, which relieved
from the labor of studying the originals,
when he wished relaxation. Well do we
remember that we called on him in sultry
July, at an hour when it was to be expect
ed that he might not be quite disposed to
admit visitor but an important event hav-
ing occurred in the political world, we took
his house on our return from the capitol,
and sent in name which was always re-
ceived by him with kindness He came
down from the chamber where he had been
indulging in siesta, with volume of
Pope's 1lliad in his hand-a book from
which some Of his most feliciteus quotations
were made Some of these we should now
produce, but they will belong more appro-
priately to future paper, in which we shall
speak of Mr.. Webster as an orator. Even
in conversation, his fondness for the classic
was apparent.
We have remarked that Mr.. Webster
conversation was sometimes playful, and it
was so--indeed. was very often so; but his
speaking was very rarely SO. Seated at his
table, while Secretary Of State in Mr.. Fill
more's Cabinet, he was speaking Of Lord
Brougham, and gave us, with matchless f.
deity, an imitation of the noble Lords man
ner, and Of his eccentric fancy for resi-
ldence near the little town of Caen, in France.