The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-09-03
MORNING., SEPTEMBER 8, 1869.
-tomahawking" "Ah, d-n him." said
Mr.. Clay. "he writes letters"
DANIEL WEBSTER.

"tOAheAsV AhA6 &"s - ----' -
Mr.. Clay. "he writes letters"
DANIEL WEBSTER.
Mr.. Webster's speech In reply to Hayn'
exhibis the mental photograph Of tn,
man most perfectly. It was delivcret
just before I knew him, but after became
familiar with his manner. could sec him
In every part Of It rs perfectly as II I had
been actually present. I thought and
still think, 1t tho brightest effort Of par.
liamentary or forensic eloquence found In
our literature-superior to Demosthenes
plea for tho crown. Cicero against Veres,
or Fox on the Westminster election. He
was familiar with the British classics from,
Spenser to Sheridan inclusive, and with
the Latin Of the Augustine age; but he
knew little of Latin prosody. I sat Inn
mcdiately behind him In the Senate. One
day Mr.. Forsythe was declaiming on that
never-ending theme, the tariff. when Mr..
Webster wrote on piece Of paper. and
handed back to mo Latin line, saying
81 havca mind to quote this on Forsythe." !"
It struck me rs wrong; but knowing less,
perhaps, Of prosody than himself, could
not tell why. replied: ut Is nearly
Virgil, but I think not quite.' He said;
1--WE viii soon see," and beckoned to him
Mr.. Everett, who was leaning against n
column near the presidents seat. Mr..
Webster handed to him the paper and said /:
"Is this Virgil ?" He took up n pen,
struck out q word Of ono syllable, inter-
lined the same word in another place, and
handed It back saying: "Now Il Is" The
line was from tho fourth book Of the
Encid:-
"Ex oriam aliquls nostris, OK ossibus ultor."
ITc had misplaced the Eek"
Ono Of his quotations thought unsur-
passed for force and brcvity. He was dis
cussing Gen. Jackson's proposition to rc-
ject all bank repositories and take charge
of the public funds himself. II wns tho
age of hanks, though banks sometimes
broke. 1t was tho age Of steamboats,.
though steamboats, sometimes blew up.
But what community or people would go
back to private depository-who that go
upon seas and rivers would reject the
and adopt the old scow' This
was the general course Of thought. I can
not recall his language. lie then referred.
rs the representative boat and boatman,
we were about to initiate, to the ancient
ferryman Charon and his outfit, "Ipse
ratem conto subigit." 1t did not, however,
make an impression according to It's
merit.
was In New York city with him. !
do not remember the year, but II was
while hc was u widower. On one Of our
rides he told u pleasant story Of gentle
man N little past tho middle term Of life
who asked In marriage blooming girl
just touching womanhood. The point of
the story was answered by the father re-
fusing the request. l had heard Il told Of
Webster himself, and replied In part OF
u line of Horace which chanced to re-
"Dc to fi,bula narratr." He
made tho line complete by adding the first
words in tone of Interrogation, "Mutato
"No." said, "with your own
proper namc." Ilo received Il very pleas
antly, and I thought the personal npplica-
ton the true one.
We dincd with Chancellor Kent and his
fine Yankee wife, fit representative OF
the Roman matron. II that were indeed
praise beyond what she In fact was. I
think Il was in the fifticth year Of their
marriage. Chancellor Jones and Judge
Kent the younger made up the party. The
The winter previous, in discussing post
Office hands, I referred to what occurred in
u former session, not n member but ~
lookcr-on here in vicnna!" Tho quota
ton was hackncyod passed all cess, but
always quoted wrong"-Yenice. Young
Kent said It had been good deal discussed
in their social circles he was confident 1
had 1t right but could not find It. Mr..
Webster instantly replied, "Mcasurc for
Measure, in tho fifth act" and gave n fcw
lines of the context. The old chancellor
sprang to his feet and ran across the room
like pleased boy, delighted with Web.
ster's readiness. The play is seldom or
never represented on the stage, and there
fore little known In fashionable circles.
The last time met him. before some
difference ms to national policy cast shade
of unkindncss between us, was In the su-
prcmc court. Twas there attending to
my cases, he was In the Senate, but walt
ing the coming Of some very important
case. met him every morning about II
o'clock for nearly month. The Senate
sat ut 12 o'clock, and we walked behind
the Judges seats, and were social. One
day was detained at homo. Nextmorn-
ing we met nt the usual hour, and rs we
shook hands he said Zone morn miss
cd him." This was kindly and Handsome;
and when read that ON his death.bed ho
asked for "Grey's Elcgy" the scene flash
cd upon my memory with force that nj
most unnamed me. How oflcn morning.
noon and evening, havo since missed
him
GEN. TAYLOR.
Justice TO the memory Of Gen. Taylor
requires that I mention one act OF his
which belongs to history, but which Is
buried so deep under the rubbish Of dc
par,mcntal reports that It will probably
never see the light. The last night OF tho
of Mr. Polk hc issued an or