The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-05-27

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prehensveness in his own. What Burke said
Of asupposed successful imtator of Johnson, at q
time when every writer almost affected tho John
sonion dialect, could not apply to Mr.. Webster
Z" He had all Of the nodosites Of the oak, without
its strength. all of the contortons Of the sybil
without her inspiration
His admiration Of the Hebrew prophets and
poets were profound and almost every address
Of his contains Hebraisms. The expression EN-.
ployod by him on one occasion, and by nne-tenths
OF the community supposed TO be original, to
come home to mems business and bosoms" is by
greater master of the English language than
even he, Bacon. His quotations from Shakespeare
and Mto are always felicitous; and herein as
much tact is required as in the enunciasion OF On
original thought In the gorgeous description of
the ensign Of the republic which forms the peoria
tion of his speech to Hayne, he had in his minds
eye Millions description of the unrurliug of the
imperial banner when tho arch feud had mar
shaled his legions TO war on Heaven. The germ
of one of his finest thoughts is to be found
in Burke and yet Mr. Webster was by no means
a servile imitator. He had the faculty of taking
h old, defaced coin, and stamping it with a new
image and superscription, without debasing its
value, or imparing its currency. There is gen-
eral stock Of ideas IN the conmunity,-an inherit
ance from our predecessors The actual addition
to this stock by n single generation is nconceiv-
l
+ notifications and re-appearing under new forms
I Tuke for example, the fine couplet which Byron
applied to Kirk White, where he ia compared TO
struck eagle brought from his erial flight to the
ground, who
"Viewed his wn feather on the fatal dart,
Aud wing d the SHAFT that quivers in his heart"
This simile was first used by the Earl Of Chat
ham, and afterwards happily applied by Junius to
public credit and yet no critic would condemn
Byron AS q plagiarist for having improved on the
original.
Mr. Webster's classical illusions which were in-
frequent, were always in correct taste In fact, n
+ man of such chastened fancy and such varied in-
formation revolted at mere sophomurica parade
The Virginiau statesmen, in their speeches aud
writings are profuse in their classical ullusions,-
such as have been gathered from careful peru
sal--in translation--of Cornelius Nepos and Pu-
; tarch The files OF the Richmond Enquirer for
merly abounded in long winded dissertations by
AgrcolH and Agrippa, Bamilts and Ciucnnatus,
Publius and Pubcola General Harrison had this
afiectation in an eminent degree aud his inaugu-
raj, as originally drafted contained the names of
, whole regiment OF Roman eonsuls. On the
, morning of the Inauguration, friend met Mr.
Webster near the White House. who appeared
greatly agita,cl What is the matter Mr..
Webster p inquired his friend, anxiously.-
Matter enough" replied Mr.. Webster, al have
committed murder murder sir, with malice aIore-
81 luOuSu Oh, 4 kHOD HOL HOU many uTeGkS ana
Romans
Notwithstanding this purgation there is still
in tho address plentiful supply of ancients, and
, we are constantly reminded in reading it, Of I" the
= remark of Roman consul, in the early days of the
republic"
Mr.. Webster, in private conversation, appeared
to as great advantage, as at the forum, or in the
Senate. He was an admirable taker, and like
Macaulay, when once his mud grasped theme,
| ia WI IN IN hrnn M in torr IN
ti0ns He sffluent in Bnecdote and personal
"reminiscences, which he clothed in natural aud
: expressive language. He had certain set themes
on which he would dilate by the half hour. His
table talk, if phonographicaly reported. would
: have formed one OF the most delightful books in
: the language. | recollect one evening at his
I house, the conversation turned on wine He pro.
ceeded to state, with marked precision, the condi-
tions of climate necessary to produce and mature
the grape that it required purity of sky which
was to be attained only in districts remote from
: the sea and that the grapes which yielded the
: richest and most luscious wines grew south
side exposure. He then adverted to the condition
: Of temperature which were requisite, showing
that an equabe climate was unfayorable, that
: the thermometer should indicate between the
= summer and winter temperature, as shown by
! Humboldt, range Of Gle down to 33o. He
next spoke of the conditions Of SOILS stating that
the volcanic slopes, in whose soil potash was q
conspicuous element, were appropriate h bitats
of the vine He then passed to the geographical
boundaries OF the wine districts, showing grada-
u tion from the rich saccharDe wines Of Burgundy
and Bordeaux to the sub acid wines Of the upper
: Rhine and Maine. This dissertation embodied
: more sound philosophy than three -fourths Of the
papers thatare annually submitted at our scientif-
d ic associations. The Cincinnati wines were then
: discussed. Mr.. Webster did not believe that we
should succeed in producing rich delicate wines in
: this country, that the requisite conditions of eli
mate did not obtain but that we should proba-
! bly, succeed in producing the inferior sub-acid
wines in considerable quantities. There was my
L friend." said he, Z" Mr. Justice Story-a man
u brought up on good old Medeira" (as though a
: mans character depended upon whether he i'm
bibed generous wine, or fiery corn, n,juice, and
. an not certain but that there is great deal in
it) "My friend, Mr.. Justice Story, was dining
one day with the president, Mr.. Madison, who had
> received q bottle Of native wine from the Swsss
u settlement of Vevay, branded none such In the
: course of the dinner, the President, after mar.
rating the circumstance, ordered it TO be broach-
ed, and turning TO the Judge asked him TO fill
his glaass. None SUCH thank you,' replied the
Judge"
The character of the Book of Job was another
OF his set themes He treated it as the grea est
of epic poems THAT while in unity Of action and
in the subordnaton OF incidents, all tending to
tue progressive development OF fixed plan, it
was equal to the Had, or The Eled in grandeur
= of imagery in strength of deneation and in sub.
Unity of thought. it passed all uninspircd pro-
t ducuons In support OF these views he would
g quote and comment on various passages He as
] serted, too, that there Was a natural rhythm
: which had not been wholly destroyed in the trans,
r lation.
The prayer of Habakuk was also the subject
, his admiration, and he had read il so often that
he could repeat it by heart. No one can donbt
but that he was thoroughly imbued with the Holy
Scriptures, and neither in his speeches nor in his
conversation was there ever all irreyerent alluson
! to them.
1t was the delight of Mr. Webster TO escape
from tho cara- of nnho IEa ra,;ro h;.