The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-07-15
Srlrtt Mistellaup.
How Webster's Great speech
was Reported.

Tho following account of the reporting
Of Webster $ celebrated Union speech is of
historical rs we'll as personal value:
The proceedings of the American Con-
grcss were very imperfcctly reported be-
fore the time of MIR. Joseph Gales, of the
| National MteNigeHcey. lie was the first who
made u report of the congressional debates
which appeared i'll the paper the next lay.
| This was considered a most astonishing
feat at the time. His son, Joseph Gales,
was also reporter. and one of the best, in
his day, that the country could boast. He
first became connected with the National
MtrNigcnccr, as reporter, i'll October. 1907;
he was then Just twenty-ouc years old. He
and the present Mr.. Seaton afterwards were
proprlctors OF the paper. They were both
the reporters aud editors of the hteHi9eR-
Cer--oue of thcm devoted himself to the
Scuatc, and the other to the House of Rep
resentativcs. Ass general thing, they pub
ishcd only running reports-on special oc-
Casions, however the speeches and proceed
| lngs were given entire The peculiar tai
ents of these gentlemen were duly appre-
/ ciatcd and they had seats of honor assigned
| them beside the presiding officers.
To these cntcrprsng and accomplished
reporters wo are indebted fol many of those
| splendid specimens of eloquence which
adorn the political literature of our cOun-
/ try. The speeches made by Webster and
I llayne, during their celebrated intellectual
combat in the United States Senate. were
preserved from oblivion by Mr. Gales.
whose notes. handsomely bound, and en-
richcd with Mr.. Webster's annotations, are
kept rs precious memcnto in tho family
| library. The following anecdoto may per-
/ haps be read with some interest in this con-
ncctiou: The day Mr.. Webster made his
| reply to the attack of Mr. Hayne, of South
Carolina, Joseph Gales met him as he was
! going to the Capitol, and inquired how long
he intended to speak. About half an hour
was the reply. Tho editors duties at that
time wcro pressing, but ho ventured to
to take SO much time from them. MIR.
Webster, however, directly after was
Joined by Judge Story, who said that he
thought the time had come for Mr. Web
ster to give the country his views on the
Constitution. To this proposition the Sem
ator assented. Mr.. Gales took up his pen
ell unaware of this new arrangement. and
alike unconscious of the lapse of time under
the enchantment of the orator he continued
to write until the close of the speech. But
when he came to look Mt the notes. the mag
Initudc of the task that it would be to write
liltlh Nul apIltdIcu 50 lOIIlluhblt, lual lie
shrunk from it as an impossibility. Soon
after Mr. Webster called ON Mr.. Gales, and
requested report of his speech. | have
the notes, said the reporter, but shall
never have time to write them out. This
led to some remonstrance and persuasion
but the ovcrworked editor stood firm. At
this junction Mrs. Gales came forward and
offered to undertake the task saying that
she could decipher her husbands short
hand, as she had occasionally done so.
She had heard the speech, and tho resist
less sweep of its argument, and the gor-
geous magniiicence of its imagery were yet
vivid III her mind. In the course of week
Mr.. Gales submitted to Mr.. Webster the
report of his speech in tho handwriting
of his wife. Scarcely a word needed TO bo
changed and soon Il set Of diamonds cost
ing thousand dollars, accompanied the
rich thanks of the eloquent statesman. Thus
was saved to literature the most memora-
bic Grafton of the American Senate.