Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-08-28
HAYNE AND WEBS TER.


lniscences, now being published In the Washing
ton Chronicle, to ex-senator Hayne Of South
Carolina, giving an account Of the way in
which, as described by himself, he overcame the
habit OF stammering In youth, and adding
graceful tiibute his old antagonist Daniel Web
sler. Mr.. Foote writes:
"Ger. Hayne was of medium stature, well |
shaped and of a singularly animated and mer-
curial aspect. His eyes were very bright and |
dazzling and Of light hazel color. His counte- |
nance wore a very mild and benignaut express |
sion. His face was cleanly shaven, and he was
elegantly but unostentatiously attireI. His
ms nners were marked with graceful and win
ming afiability which have never seen sur
passed. / asked him how he had been able to
acquire such wondrous facility OF expression,
aud such remarkable capacity for keeping alive
the interest OF his audience He answered my
queries without any false modesty, and withou.
particle Of vulgar egotism very beafly III THESE
words: You give me credit for much iaciilly
OF expression, and for having successfully cult
waited TO some extent the graees Of rhetorical dis
play. shall surprise you, do not doubt, when
tell you that at the age of sixteen was an
awkward. sainmeriuc boy. | desi, ell to become
a Lawyer. aud was even then assidttously prepat-
ing myself forihe legal profession. youth
more ambitious Of oratorical distinction than
was am sure never lived. But my relatives and
| friends all Joined in urging the to givt up the
| vote myself to some other calling better adapted
| 10 the sleuderness of my faculties. They told
| lnc that It was absurd and ridiculous in one who
| suffered so abominably to Think Of becoming
| even tolerable pieader OF causes. This morti-
| tied me much, but l did not desist from the
struggle In which bad 50 zsalously enlisted
| thought much Of the difficulties Of Il similar
kind which Demosthenes WAS reported 10 have
encountered, and of the successful efforts made
By him TO overcome them. l diligently udied
the tones of my own voice. l essayed TO ind
out all tie mysteries which belonged to our com
pick vocal organs. labored from hour 10 hour,
and from minute to minute, 10 ascertain The
precise nature of those particular impedim"nts
TO clear and easy articulation under which
was suffering. pondered this subject by day
| and 1t was with me the subjtc. of many pes 8
Ing dr.an. At length the light broke IL
+ upon me. | found that | had never before
learned to talk that had been suffered all m,
, lie to jIbber confused and unintegible sounds
learned at last that to speak, In the true sens
. 0f the word, was TO ulticulate distinct vocables
, that the ardor OF my temperament, as well a
| my ambition, TO communicate ideas to tn
minds of others, that had heretofore nndul
: hurried my syllables upon each Other or rathe
tried TO do so, so that the vocal sounds becam
inextricaby interminged and hopelessy indis
. tinct, and that every fresh effort had involve
me In greater and greater embirrassments.
came at last to the conclusion that the first ste
l had to take In order to acquire thi complet
control Of my voice was to put my own feeling
: under the strctest discipline, and to habitua,
myself to sober thought, and TO learn the ind
| pensable art Ct keeping the feIyent sensbiiti,
|, with which was endowed under thorough con
h mand, and that after had done these things
q an etiectual manner it would then be ndislen
l. able that should strive to enunciate each sy
II liable that | had to utter clearly and emphati lea
l. ~ before attempting to emit succeeding on
and 50 on until the whole sentence, wheth
10 long or Short should have passed forth from II
If lips. BY pun suing this course iigidly for co
m siderable period Of tne hoped that at last
r. might accomplish the great object that w
a. seeking to attain, and that should Lecome alb
to speak tuenlly, without pain either
-, myself or to others. | practised constantly Il
Z on these ideas. and If l now speak with ease,
- you ein to think, am indebted for my pow
n in '!is r. s. Iect 10 lie labors which | have
"a srli ned. This is so certainly the case that |
o sure YOU were even now Ia attempt 10 eNlhc
~ riys'f in tie rapid manner which has becol
,s so cOlnmou Of late among young men of tie
90 ! Temperament aud Of ulcasleled moral orga
ho ism, should inevitably stutter just as dissu
nv ingly as did foity years ago.
10 After this interesting rectal lad closed vC
N, tured to refert to the great oratorical contest
III twezihimseif and Mr.. Webster, In the Natiol
Senate, NOW nearly half century ago, and as
,,y ell hin what he thought Of Mr.. WebstC
~, power as a speaker. He at once nswered, Il
III. he supposed him, upon tie whole. to be
an most consummate orator of either ancient
oct modern times that his ability as a reasoner,
was confident, had never been exceeded /
Ii. his imagination was AS fertile and vigorous
,na that of Milton or Homer that his hunor
;ny both exquisite and abundant; that his knt
~ ledge was unlimited that he had the most h
'ar. py command Of his temper at all times aDd /
Tn- on certain great occasions he had excelled
III, the speakers that had ever lived, not except
,ha either Demosthenes or Cicero. | then as
ny him what he thought Of Webster's mann
' nn He replied that it was alwals grand aud impr
IN, i've, that he had never heard him utter Il W
ina. in careless Or vulgar style that he seel
I'll never to forget his own dignity, or to be unn
ful of the character and feelings of Others,
,rod thst when thoroughly excited the sublime g
ave deur Of his thoughts aud language derived .
,nrv additional potency from his noble and
vat.- moving enumeration, and his few bat imi
, his sive gestures. l tlien sand to him: nat,
uelv Hayne, every one in the South admired
anc. speeches on the occasion 10 which you
mai heen referring more than they did those Of
con. Webster, and it Is said Gen. jackson wa
nn,u much delighted with the tirss Of
cen speeches in TIE Senate that he had it pri
roe, OH sa.n for distribution among his fri
~ at distance. Was this SOP To "
after he replied Il believe this to have be N t
tier the people Of the South generally approve,
r the | speech, because they believed that had
Teia. defending in 1t their own local interests
|, lie honor. Gen. jackson admired H. becatls
lie thought that | had successfully yindcatcl
incl behoeiatic cause 10 'he support VI VINO
own life had been devoted. But you know
in a few months thereafter, when our null
one ton experiment had developed It's gigantic
eaiS portions, and after the memorable cuntcS
,eiilH occurred in the Senate bet ween Mr. Cal
~ ~ ~ and my ancient antagonist, Mr.. Webster
u ue Jackson became so great ali admirer the
aovy, ator from Massachusetts that lie thought Sc
!, NE ly Of making HIM Chief Justice Of the SUI
a ~ Court of the United States upon the dece
to ~. the venerable Marshall. Be assured, 81
10y continued, Il never for one moment
my thought Of comparing that sneech of mine
=, nal I.a, Ill direct a:salmcnt Of Mr. Webster an
= ans, Federal Party Of old, and to the defer
",.u which had thought proper to challenge
s''ei his great and unequaled speech in reply
to; though 1t Is certain that for day or
!" ex- seemed by many that had come off vic
Gu The contest"
ing "
sup r