Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-04
THE KNOXVILLE WHIG
Knoxville, Tenn, November 4, 1868.
NATIONAL MEN or AMERICA.
Personal "reminiscences OF Jackson,
Webster, Clay and Calhoun.


Personal "reminiscences OF Jackson,
Webster, Clay and Calhoun.
General james Shields bas iasoly been Iccta rin.
rr she wesl giving some interesting. "reminiscences
~ she groat men shove named. We make few
extracts:
ANDREW JACKSON.
In personal appearance be was tall, spare slender
sUd muscular. There was not an ounce of surplus
fesh IpUn bis whole body. He possessed more than
ordinary physical strength but it consisted moro In
activity and endurance and in prompt rcs5lute and
fearless energy than 10 what we arc accustomed 30
caIl brute strength II was not the strength Of The
giant but that Of q hgh-s0ulCd fearless hero, who
would confront legion Of giants il necessary % de-
ioud tho weak or to succor the oppressed lie bad
q lony commanding head and q highly intellectual
forehead. But the whole soul oi Andrew was vis
bic Va his dark gray eye ] never gaw such on cy,
in sny other human bead. Il was Kind and gentle
resooto aud intellectual Il was tender at times a.
the eve Of wonan-as piercing at times as the eye
ui an esgle-and there were times in Andrew Jack
sons lis when that darkgray eye as terrible az
the eve Of the reused lion No danger moral or
physical could make IL quail Then 10 was thor
1ughly honest eye. Il loved and respected truth
and Justice and hated and dcspisol fraud and false
hooi and every kind of dish0nCrablo action. An
drew jackson was burn hero, and every man who
approached him hsd 20 recognize him Is such, that
is as a man formed by nature 20 be tho leader OF
His feilowInen iu any great human emergency.
WEBSTER.
Daniel Webster was a man Of entirely different
iypo. Tie was not So tall as Andrew Jackson, but
slow and thoughtful rather than active rcsoIutc and
fearless Iu fact the whole man seemed % have
been cast in a solid, massive powerful mould Eve
ryihing about him, even 10 his manner OF walking
and talking indicated power, power that would
neither seek nor hun cycrtjOu but which, If once
raised into fall cEorlion. might become aIm0s. irrc-
.istibc. Bat how shall ] describe his head ]
have never seen such another head upon a human
body never expect % see such a another human
head again. In size weight, magnitude and cspsc-
ny t WAS absolute stupendOus, and, although finely
shaped, t would have appeared perfectly enormous
bad il not had a prop5rtionably powerful body ~
support o. But the column seemed 90 have been
made expressly 30 uphold the majestic capital His
forehead was IN harmony with the hcod-large
broad lofty and massive. The huge brain had eE-
pandcd and pressed 4 forward until il had over
absd0wei the other featuros OF his face. His eyes
were large. 6ark aBd 6eep-sot, and filed with q
strange, smOulderng, Intellectual light. There was
singular look in that dark deep eye. Il -ovss
scomed % look st your form features but At your
soul. You felt when it turned upon you that it Wa
taking the guage Of your mind, and weighing your
Intellectual value as q unit in the Of humanity
The other features Of bis face were well-f0rmed
regular and intellectual giving an air Of composur'
and refinement 70 his dark and digniicd cOunte
if,ic of Daniel Webster was not activity or energy
hul power physical and intellectual. His mora
attributes were not On q level with his other grga
qualities His great defect self indulgence, and
therefore it must be conceded that he had but httl
of tba MARTYR or true hero in his composition. Bu
In trnnsoendanL intellectual greatness, Daniel Web
sJer in my opinion has had but few equals, cithe
In aucicrt or modern timos
CLAY
Henry Clay was man Of an entirely different
tvpo Hc was o. thorough Western man tall aul
slender with frank careless, genial, fearless man.
ucr 10 had a large, manly head, and a LOFTY in
,aUe.lual forehead. lie bad fair hsir, fair c. m
TIrzion. and blue eyes His eye WIS bright frank
open. intellectual and iesrles- Il was an emf
ggutiy practical eye. II just saw the world il
was, and un4crtood IL perfectly and knew how "a
make ihe best af it on al occasions The other fea-
,a-as Of bis face were wanting In regularity, and
might he called remarkably plain, but the glow %.
generous feeling and intelligence thst overspread
l.s whole couuiensnce was unmistakable. And
when animated in debate, that frank, open, manly
CruutssSuCe underwent TRANSFORMATION that made
Is appGr positively handsome-and the ladies who
g4sll % Be- the best Of judges In such cases, es
.a1uei Heury Clay at all times the most csptivat
.rs man Of the age.
Be, The principle charm about Henry Clay wa
rIs Incompatible voice That maryel0cs voice wa,
ciPabIe Oi unlimited modulHt0u, and Of expressing
With tho highest possible perfection every passion
a-l emotion 0i tho human soul. When he rose IN
ls V.s-e iu the Senate - make one Of those inIml
table speeches which, for tbo time being sweep
eFgytlaE before them, IL was interesting - wit
ness t1e effect Of bis voice and manner upon the su
-l-1Je Before be had uttered q half dozen sen
.-gss sou would hear q rustliug OF silk dresses, q
. a breeze Of autumn wind Ea1iswcpt through th'
Galleries, from the c0mm0tion and excitement
among Che ladies. And as be proceeded with BIZ
discourse this excitement would in crease and con-
.7.ai1Ais ten 81 TIE hole sIiiCuce-Senate sua
av TIE effect flr the tine being was utterly ire
..s.sbe a-d therefore indescribab!s.
cALH0Uy.
John C. Calhoun differed widely in many repcs.
.rum hIs three great Contemporaries whom l laF'
slrsajy tried % describe. he was TALL spare az,
slender, graceful snd courtly. In health al
strength aa was delicate rather feeble Tor Dc va
1.-The. srye nervous and elastic, capable Ct wonder
.-. g1i.-a-ea and giiei with extraordinary persc
va-lrr. Ills head TOO, was different from the 0th
.-s It VAS not broad, Fat and massive like tb
ssT.- tire of head, but % was high stately, etc
-aa. ana classic, like the highest type % Romsl
bead Ia he age Of Augustus. His forehead tog
sac To- re-feei harmony with his head lassead 0
being broad and massive, ). was high sld square
cai reesi.u- like Clavs, nor p-0truding Ike Web
Fer l.t perfectly pcrpeulicllar, and AZ smooth
e1mpac, and solid o. ii Is had been scglpturol O.
pure marble. His dark blue eve was splendid. i
Eas clear Keen and penetrating, and intensely IN
lsIeI.ual There was o strange, mystical intensity
that dark blue eve. ] remember u never SCENE.
q look % goa, BAT through you and beyond yea au
~ distant space d ~ ing % penetrate the hid
sa- -qysteries % the future. In rcpcse j. sscnc
-r77rgb Z sal and ih0ughif1lr bl. whom animate
.- ssF.ts II beamed with such intellectual radIenc
md H---rc4 With such cnthUsiAsn that be bscsul
...--s-s.as f1r che moment with & look q usellaC
.sa -srr-stior The other features q bis face Wer
aIeg !-raa. -e-u lar, Intellectual and refined
There aaz not meal, soTclo, aeAs-Ai feature d