The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-01-17
What Daniel Webster Thought OF Clay,
Calhoun and Others.

Mr.. Webster profassed to have liked
Mr. Jefferson better upon making his
personal acquaintance. His great sim
piici:y he found impressive. The author
Of the declaration had an intense dislike
for the forms and trappings Of govern
| ment, and when he became President he
discarded many uf the pomps which
W. -hington had considered as iitting the
dignity of the office. Mr.. Webster
thought it fortunate that Mr.. Jefferson's
ideas prevailed. OfMr. Clay, Mr.. Web
ster sold frankly that he did not like
him. The Kentuckian had ga great r.t al
OF native talent and little smattering of
laW-less than that possessed by mere
office boys in some large oifices." He
added:
;. ".In the course of NV professional life
II has happened many les that found
myself retained in the .sme cause with
Mr. Clay. He was my senior by several
years in the profession and in age. That
fact gave him the right to speak first in
all such cases. Often, before beginning
my argument, I have had to labor hard
TO do away with the effect and impression
OF his. Some of the most laborious acts
OF my professional life have consisted in
getting matters back to the starting point
after Clay had spoken. The fact Is, he
vas no lawyer. He was statesman, a
politician, an orator, but no reasoner."
ar. Webster somewhat modified this
opinion after MIR. Clay's speech on the
compromise measures, and said: "He is
q very great man; there is no mistake
about that. He is o wonderful man."
Mr.. Webster considered Afr. Calhoun
the greatest man he had ~ It in the
Senate, or With whom he !. come in
contact In public life." OF Mr.. Benton
he did not say much that was compli-
mentary, but his latest relations with.the
Missouri Senator were friendly, and he
once remarked 10 him: "You know
everything, Colonel, and where every
thing ie." OF Silas Wright, Mr. Web
ssssr ea::a: "aee e .he :sost oyer=ra..es<l,
man that / have ever met. He is oracu-
lar, Nise,iooEing, taciturn, and cunning
az fox. He was the most inferior man
IN debate that ant inithe Senate. You
nave aean boya at school who would con-
tEtve IN como way to skip the hard SPELL
Ing. He always skipped the hard places.
E.::: Arguments besides being weak and
iallacious, were always evasive. He
would try 70 make the o. ID think that
he had answered when he had not
tenched tho point. In nay Judgment he
vas q very ANAL man--8 mere politician
and no statesman" OF Buchanan: "IIIo
is good politician, but he Is no states.
man. He merely looks at things as they
aiiect the party" OF Rusk, Of Texas.
He 10 . man Of perfect integrity and of
O very high order of,ability like him
very much" OF Mr. Pierce "He is not
2 great man IN the proPsr apucptaiiiun Vi
the term; but he Ia not by any means d
small man. he is . well-inforned, in.
tei.igsnt, ripe, talented man, OF Kos!
sutsa He Is true patriot, devoted
advocate OF liberty and brilliant orator,
but too impulsiTe In his Eeeli1gs, TOD
postic In his temperament and too vision.
aEy IN his pEoposed measures to be a sase
leader of reform or o judicions states.
mai. ictO Poak 2IFibisns.