The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-09-13
How Webster's Famous PerOratiOn in
the Hayne Speech was Delivered.
New York Times.I


1t is impossible for any one to have his
ideas so well in hand that on the spur
of the moment he can talk or write as
well as he could if he had given thesub-
ject thoughtful consideration. Even
when this has been done, and the speaker
in his notes has clearly mapped out the
line of his discourse, it usually hap
pens that in force and beauty of express
sion he falls far short of what he had
hoped to do. One of he most remark
able illustrations of this difference be-
tween intention and execution is found
in the celebrated reply of Daniel Web
ster to the speech of Mr.. Hayne. The
peroration, which begins with the words,
"When my eyes shall be turned for the
last time to behold the sun in heaven,
may not see him shining on the bro
ken," ETC., is too we'll known to need
further quotation. Most of us have in
school-boy days declaimed it over and
over again, and, no doubt, innocently
wondered how the grand and full,
rounded periods sounded when they were
first uttered. Unfortunately, as it now
! turns out, these were never spoken, but,
! like congressional speeches of the present
day, were what Mr.. Webster intended to
say. The speech, as delivered was taken
down inshort-hand by Mr.. Joseph Gales,
the editor of The National Iatelligencer,
and it was from his notes that Mr.. Web
ster subsequently wrote out and gave to
the world what has since been known
as the reply to Mr.. Hayne. These notes
have lately obtained semi-publicity
and it is curious to contrast the clumsy
and involved mode of expression il
which this concluding section was de
livered with the smooth, flowing dictior
of the popular version. AS spoken, thi:
was as follows:
"When my eyes shall be turned fol
the last time on the meridian sun,
hope / may see him shining bright upo1
my united, free, and happy country.
hope | shall not live to see his beams fall
ing upon the dispersed fragments of tn,
structure of this once glorious union.
hope may not see the flag of my coun
try with its stars separated or obliter
ated; torn by connections smoking witt
the blood of civil war. I hope l may no
see the standard raised of separate States
rights, star against star, and strip
against stripe; but that the flag of tn
Union may keep its stars and stripe
COTucu anu DOuuu GOScGueI Ill luuls
soluble ties. l hope / shall not se
written as motto, first liberty AM
then union. 1 hope I shall see no sucl
delusive and deluded motto on the fla
of that country. I hope to see sprea
all over it, blazoned in letters of ligh
and proudly floating over land and Sc
that other sentiment, dear to my heart
Union and liberty, now and forever
one and inseparable.'
| 1t will readily be seen that the above
: while infinitely worse in manner than
is in its revised state, is much more lik
the speeches one ordinarily hears tina
e is the pruned and prepared edition
These are supposed to be the most ell
S quent words of one of Americas create:
4 orators; and yet their weakness is su
ficient, from strained metaphor an
t constant repetition, to make them, whe
put in print, ridiculous rather than sui
lime.