The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-27

that heads could not have sunk NOR
suddenly. When the speech was con
cluded, Senator Foster, of Tennessee
and G. W. Summers, of Virginia, boil
fine speakers and orators, with whom
happened to be standing began tt
express their admiration most warmly
eff that man." said one of them, "only
had the manner of Clay, or Webster
or Calhoun, he would universally be
regarded as the greatest orator in the
world" 'I differ with you," I said
SIT is his fine manner that in a great
degree makes him so impressive, but
his ideas are not in themselves as large
as those of the men you mention, and
are not calculated to make SO great an
impression. They, however, reiterated
their opinions with much emphasis.
Some weeks later, on speaking to them
again, I found that the effect had been
greatly diminished.
Mr.. wEBsTER's GREATEST EFFORT.
I regard Mr.. Webster's greatest effort
as that delivered on the 7th of March,
1850. No mere report of it will give
one an idea of its greatness without
such knowledge of the circumstances
under which it was made as, perhaps,
none but those then present could real
ize. Intense anxiety prevailed in Wash
ington in the minds of men of all shades
of opinion. The shadows of those
events which occurred a dozen years
later seemed to Cypress the minds of all
present. With this anxiety there was
hope that Mr.. Webster might solve the
difficulty. He spoke to such an audi
ence as had never been previously as
sembled in the senate chamber. Ali
felt the truthfulness of Senator Walkers
words when in moving to postpone the
subject on which he had the floor, to
take up that on which Mr.. Webster was
to speak, he said there was "but one
man in America who could have drawn
that audience together, and he alone
could satisfy it." It was not merely
that all the sitting and standing room in
the chamber was filed with brilliant
throng of ladies and gentlemen, but the
distinguished character of the persons
assembled was most remarkable. Being
fortunate enough to get seat on the
arm of Mr.. Corwin's chair, and thus
being quite near Mr.. Webster, had
fair view of every countenance turned
toward the orator. There appeared in
every face anxiety and intense earnest
ness. He had been speaking for nearly
an hour on the subject in general terms
before he indicated the position he
meant to take. Every face retained its
intense anxiety of expression, until at
the close of one of his sentences, he
said, in an emphatic manner, 81 will
not vote for the Wilmot proviso."
There seemed at once to be O sense of
relief in the audience, accompanied by
a slight rustling sound, caused by the
relaxation. He proceeded, and fully
met the public expectation and hope.
It was a purely intellectual impression
made on the minds of all present, and
yet the effect was greater than any mere
oratory alone could have produced. 1
never witnessed such sense of relief
in the public mind. He had drawn
from the dark cloud the lightning which
seemed ready to burst on the country.
But for this effort we should probably
have had, with what result can not now
be known, the collision which occurred
dozen years later.
OF those resembling Mr.. Webster in
the largeness and power of their
thoughts, l can recall no one so remark
able as George McDuffie. once asked
Col. VIM. Q. Preston, of South Carolina,
whom he regarded as the greatest orator
he had ever heard. He instantly re-
piled, "McDufie." Of Col. Preston
himself it is but just that should say,
that after hearing him under favorable
circumstances, had never doubtei that
he was by far the greatest orator that l
had ever listened to. His thrilling
voice, his whole voice suited to his i'm
passioned elOquence, his bright and
noble sentiments. his wonderful and
imposing attitudes, placed him far in
advance of any orator that ever knew.
When for the first time in Rome, my
eyes fell on that colossal statute of
Pompey, the base of which was bathed
with the blood of the great dictator as
he expired under the thrusts of senate
rial daggers, was instantly reminded
of some of Preston's attitudes. AS
often as I afterward looked on it the
same impression would strangely come
over me. After the torrent of Preston's
impassioned eloquence was fairly under
way he had complete control over his
auditors. When, for exmple, warmed
with the vehemence of his action, as
graceful as it was impetuous, he would
sometimes, as it were, unconsciously
take off his wig with his left hand and
place it beside him, so as to expose his
head, which was entirely bald, there
was in the audience no more of ten
dency to smile than when Chatham for
the third time pronounced the word
cougar"
McDufie, with the largeness of
thought which characterized Webster,
possessed the earnestness of Choate,
and vehemence and force immeasur-
ably superior. The array of his argu-
ments was most powerful, and his de-
nunciation of wrong absolutely terrific.
He had not the poetry of Choate, and
lacked the polish of Webster, but his
massive thoughts, thrown out with tre-
mendous energy, seemed to fall among
his auditors like thunderbolts. His
whole manner was that of a man calling
into action every faculty he possessed,
not to save his own life, for a brave
man could not plead earnestly for him
self alone, but as one who was making
dying struggle for the life of his
country, or for truth itself. It would
be interesting for one to compare Mr..
Webster's speech, delivered in the
house of representatives in 1924, against
the tariff, with one of McDuffie's on the
same subject made in 1882. McDufie's
speech against the removal of the de-
posits, made in 1884, bears marks of
higher degree of finish and greater
polish in its language than most of his
II L - e.