Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-06-17
pplititaI "Reminiscences
DANIEL WEBSTER.

From the Springfield tMass) Republican.
The first time | saw MIR. Webster was
at the Worcester convention in 1882. He
was then in the vigor of manhood, and in
the pie ,titude of his inte electual powers
His pre-eminence az an orator had been
fully established By his Bunker Hill Ad-
dress, his Eulogy on Adams and Jefferson,
and his Reply to Hayne. He was the pride
of Massachusetts,. The desire to see him
and hear him was most intense. At that
time he presented the finest physique,
think, ever saw. He was not above the
ordinary hight, but sdmirab ly proPortiored;
he was erect in his carriage, and walked
with an elastic tread. But the head, that
dome of thought--the face, that index of
the soul. Few, who have had an opportu-
nifty of studying his noble features, will for
get them; head of great volume, surpass-
ed in modern times only by those of Napo-
leon and CuVier, and covered with raven
black hair; an ample, over-banging brow,
amounting almost 10 deformity; black.
shaggy eyebrcws; deep-set eyes, which, in
excitement, glowed like Goals of fire; y
well-formed nose; stern lip; dark,
thoughtful countenance; and voice which
in its deeper tones rivaled the peal of an
organ in volume and melody. Such was
Daniel Webster at fifty. He might nave
served as model for an antique Jove.
: / last saw him when he had attained the
ordinary limit assigned by the Psalmist to
human life. He was on his way to Marsh
feld-to die. twenty years of toll and
care had wrought fearful changes on that
form. The traces of anxious though, of
strong passions, of disappointed ambition.
of blighted aspirations, and of public conf
dence impaired, were legiby written on
that face. The elasticity of step was gone,
that erect form was bowed, and his drapery
hung loosely upon him. His locks were
thin and 5leacneG, his eye had lost its fire,
or flashed out at rare intervals like an ex-
piring taper from its socket, his dark coun-
tensnce was furrowed deeper with the lines
of care, and his voice was like the moan oi
the surge long after the storm has passed
The portraits and daguereoiypes, taken
during the latter years of his life, are moi
PiOFSi ChC9 " ~ uucmlL lludUt u
posterity. The Webster on the canvas
even of Healey, is spiritless and tame, a:
compared with the great original in the
prime OF manhood. The bust of Power.
gives us fixed proportions; but there is {
wide difference between lhs chiseled mar
Bile and the living. breathing, animated
form; as wide as between life and death.
His Worcester speech was an admirable
review of the administration of Gen. Jack
son. The conclusion was exceedingly
graphic, wherein he said:
"Let the star of Massachusetts be tn,
last which shall be seen to fall from heaven
and 10 plunge into the utter darkness o
disunion. Let her shrink back, let he
hold others back, from this gulf, full a
once of fire and of blackness; yes, sir, a
far as human foresight can scan, or human
Imagination fathom, full of the fire and tn
blood of civil war, and OF the thick dark
ness of general political disgrace, ignominy
and ruin"
Tbs scene was brought so vividly befer
the audience that they seemed to be gain,
On picture, like Martins Destruction o
Babylon, where the black sky is illumine