The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-08-19

STtaGCSU VI dVOl LII pllS HSAAN.
With you," I said, cit is his fine manner
that in a great degree makes him SO I'M
pressive, but his ideas are not in them
selves 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 en-
phasis. Some weeks later on speaking
to them again, 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 9TH of March,
1850. No mere report of it will give
one an idea of its greatness without such
a knowledge of the circumstances under
which it was made, as perhaps none but
those present could realize. Intense
anxiety prevailed in Washington in the
minds of men of all shades Of opinion.
The shadows of those events which oc-
Cured a dozen years later seemed to op-
press the minds of all present: With
this anxiety there was hope that Mr.
Webster might solve the difficulty. lie
spoke to such an audience as had never
been previously assembled in the Senate
Chamber. All felt the truthfulness OF
Senator Walkers words when,. in moving
to postpone the subject on which ne had
the floor, to take up that on which Mr.
Webster was, to speak, he said there was
'sbut 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 filled with a brilliant
throng of ladies and gentlemen, but the
distinguished character of the persons as
sembled was most remarkable. Being
fortunate enough to get a seat on the
arm of Mr.. Corwin's chair, and thus
being quite near Mr. Webster, 1 had a
fair view of every countenance turned to-
ward 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 a sense of relief in the audience,
accompanied by a slight rustling 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 effect was greater
than any mere oratory alone could have
produced. never witnessed such a
scene of relief in the public mind. He
had drawn from the dark cloud the light
ming which seemed ready to burst on the
country. But for this effort we should
then probably have had, with what result
cannot now be known, the collision which
occurred dozen years later.
Of those resembling Mr.. Webster in
the largeness and power of their thoughts,
I can recall no one so remarkable as Geo.
McDrfie. I once asked Col. VIM. O..
Preston, of South Carolina, whom he re-
garded as the greatest orator he had ever
heard. He instantly replied, "McDuftle." :"
Of Col. Preston himself it is but just that
I should say, after hearing him under
favorable circumstances, l have never
doubted that he was by far the greatest
orator that 1 ever listened to. His thrill
ing voice, his whole action suited to his
impassioned eloquence, his bright and
noble sentiments, his wonderful and i'm
posing attitudes, placed him far in ad-
vance 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, l
was Instantly reminded of some of Pres
toms attitudes. As often as 1 afterward
looked on it the same impression would
STRANGELY come over me. After the tor
rent Of Preston's impassioned eloquence
was fairly under way he had complete
control over his auditors. When, for ex-
ample, warmed with the vehemence of
his action, as graceful as it was impetu-
ous he would sometimes as it were un-
consciously take off his wig with his left
hand and place it beside him, 80 as to
expose his head, which was entirely bald,
there was in the audience no more of a
tendency to smile than when Chatham
for the third time pronounced the word
"sugar." ,,,. >,
McDuffie, with thelargeness ofthought
which characterized Webster, possessed
the earnestness of Choate, and vehe-
mence and force immeasurably superior
The array of his arguments was most
powerful, and his denunciatlon OF wrong
absolutely terrific. He had not the poe,
try of Choate and lacked the polish OF
Webster. but his massive thoughts,
thrown out with tremendous energy,
seemed to fall among his auditors like
thunderbolts. His whole manner was
that of man calling into action every
faculty he possessessed, not to save his
own life, for brave man could not plead
earnestly for himself alone, but as one
who was making dying struggle for the
life of his country, or for truth itself. 1t
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 1892. McDuffie's
speech against the removal OF the dc,
nosits, delivered in 1884, bears marks of
higher degree of finish and greater polish
in its language than most OF his efforts
show. It's, however, less forcible and
vehement than some others.
MIR. CLAY's ORATORY.
Entirely different from any one of those
speakers was Henry Clay. When IN the
meridian of his powers his voice was per-
haps unequalled. Both in the richness