The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1875-09-10

to the courtesy of the Souate that SHOULD
state 1t" As he uttered these words il
Il fine manly tone of voice, and with an ai
OF generous courtesy, tho senators raiseC
themselves up IN their seats with couute
nance and manner which seemed to SAY
! "WeII, he has hit us rather hard, but he i,
about to make amends handsomely" Mr.
Choate said, with striking elnphatis AN
tony was william; Autony was hvpocrite
| these honorable senator's are perfecy sin
| ccrG Had he swept the chambers witl
! thc Keen scimitar OF Saladin it would seen
| that heads could not have sunk more sud
! deuiy When the speech was concluded
Sonator Foster, Of Tennessee, and George
| W. Summers, of Virginia, both fine speak
erS and orators with whom happened tc
bo standing, began to express THEN
| admiration most warmly. "If that man,
said one Of them, ''only had the man
ner Of Clay, or Webster, or Calhoun, he
would universally be regarded as he great
est orator in the world" II differ with
| you, sHid ''it is his fine manuer that III o
great degree makes him so impressive, but
his ideas are not in themselves as large as
! those OF the men you mention aud are not
calculated TO make SO great an impression
They, bowover, reiterated their opinions
| with much emphasis. Some weeks later on
speaking to them again, found that the
effect had been greatly diminished.
MIR. wEBsTER'S GREATEST EFFORT.
regard Mr. Wcbsters greatest effort as
that delivered on the 9TH of March 1850
No mere report of it will give one au idea
OF its greatness without such n kuowlcdge
Of the circumstances under which il was
made, as perhaps none but those present
could realize lntense anxiety prevailed
in Washington in the minds of men of all
shades Of opinion. The shadows Of these
events which occurred dozen years later
ecmod to oppresS the minds OF all present
With this anxiety there was a hope that Mr.
Webster might solve the difficulty He
spoke to such an audience as had never been
previously assembled in the Senate Cham
Der. All fe.t the truthfulness of Senator
Walkers words when, in moving TO post
pone the subject on which he had the floor,
to take up that on which Mr. Webster was
, to speak, be said there was "but Que man in
America who could have drawn chat audi.
ence together, and he alone could satisfy it,"
It was not merely that all the sitting and
standing room in the chamber was filed
with u brilliant throng of ladies and gen lc.
%..sr hut the DISTINGUISHED shgracier Of tho
Persous assembled was p4osG rGtnak,.bic -.
being Fortunate enough to get seat on the
arm OF Mr.. C"' 'v'iu's eha-., t~na Gt-..- -. 4.
quite near VI. Webster, | had d fair view
of every countenancc turned towards the
orator. There appeared in every face anx-
iety aud Intense carnestuess. He had been
speaking nearly an hour OH the subject in
general terms before he indicated the posi-.
tion he meant 10 take. Every face retained
its intense anxiety of expression, until at
the close Of one Of his sentences, he said in
an emphatic manner, II will not vote for the
Wilmot proviso," There seemed at once "a
be a sense of reliafi j." tlo uoiience, accom-
pa"rcu ny slight ruGtling sound, caused
by the revelation He proceeded, and fully
met the public expectation and hope 1t
was purely intellectual impression made
on the minds of all present, and yet the ef.
iect was greater than any mere oratory alone
could have produced never Witnessed
such scene 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
then probably have had, with what result
cannot DOW be known, the collision which
occurred dozen years later.
Of those resembling Mr.. Webster in the
largcness and power OF their thoughts can
fe. [ once asked Col. VIM. G. Preston of
South Carolina, whom he regarded as the
greatest orator he had ever heard He in
stantly replied, "McDufEe" OF Col. Pres.
ton himself it is but just that should say,
after hearing him under favorable crcum.
stances have never doubted that he was
by far tie greatest orator that ever listen.
ed to. His thrilling voice, his whole action
suited to his impassioned elo1uence, 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 statue of Pompey, the
base of which was bathed with the blood OF
the great Dictator as he expired under the
thrusts Of senatorial daggers, / was instantly
reminded ofsonc of Preston's attitudes AS
often as afterwards looked on it the same
impression would strangely come over me -
After the torrent Of Preston's impassioped
eloqucnce was fairly under way he had a
complete control over his auditors. When
for example, warmed with the vehemenco
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 tendency to smile than when
Chatham for the third time pronounced the
word "sugar."
McDuffe, with the largeness Of thought
which caraotorized Webster, possessed the
earnestness of Choate, and vohemence and
force immcasurably superior. The array Of
his arguments was most powerful, and his de
i IL i.