Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-04
What Daniel Webster Thought OF
Clay, Calhoun and Others.

Mr.. Webster professed to have liked MIR.
Jefferson better upon making bis personal ac'
quaintance. His great simplicity he found I'M:
pressiye. The author of the Declaration had
an intense dislike for the forms and trappiogs
of Government, and when he became Presl.
dent be discarded many of the pomps which
Washington had considered as fitting the dig
nity of the Office. Mr.. Webster thought it for:
tunate that Mr.. Jefferson's ideas prevailed. Of
Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Webster said frankly that he
did not like him. The Kentuckian had "a
great deal of native talent and little smattcr.
log of law-less than that possessed by mers
Office boys 10 some large Offices He added -
10 the course Of my professional liteit has
happened many times that found myself re-
tanned 10 the same cause with Mr.. Clay. lie
was my senior by several years 10 the probes
sion and in age. That fact gave him the right
to speak first in all such cases. Often. before
beginning my argument, 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 10 gettiog mat.
ters back to the starting point after Clay had
spoken. The fact iS, be was no lawyer. lie
vas a statesman, q politician, an orator, but no
reasoner. ,..,
MIR. Webster somewhat modified this
opinion after Mr.. Clsy's speech on the
Compromise measures and said :-"Ho is
very great man !; there is no mistake
about that. He is wonderful man.
Mr.. Webster considered Mr.. Calhoun
''the greatest man he had met 10 the Senate,
or with whom he had como in contact 10 pub
liz life." OF Mr.. Benton be did not say much
that was complimentary, but his latest relations
with the Missouri Senator were friendly, and
he ono, remarked to him :-"You know every
thing, Colouelu and where everything 49,. Of
Siias Wright Mr. Webster said HE is the
| most oyerrated man that l ever met. lie Is
| oracular, wise looking, taciturn and cuoDiog az
fox. He was the most ioferior man 10 debate
that sat 10 the Senate. You have seen boys at
school who would contrive 10 some way to skip
the hard spelling. lie always skipped the
places. His arguments besides being weak and
| fallacious, were always evasive. He would try
| to make the crowd tbiok that he had answered
when be had not touched the point. ln my
Judgment be was very small mao-a mere
politician and no statesman. Of Rusk, OF
Texas:-"Ie is mar Of perfect integrity, and
of very high order of ability: ike blm very
much" Of Mr.. Pierce lie Is not great
man 10 the proper acceptation OF the term; out
he is not by any means q small man. no Is
we'll informed. intelligent, ripe. talented man;
Of kOseuth - 'lle ls q tTue patiloI' oe'otou
advocate of liberty, and brilliant orator; bu
too impulsive in bis feelings, too poetic in bis
temperament, and too visionary 10 his propose
measures to be safe leader Of reform, or Il
iudicious statesman. IN Y Tribune.
f8 ANTIQUE ERRORS 10 this cpliR Rhten
ed age and land, find acceptance only with the
prejudiced ard ignorant, II is impossible, ior
instance, to persuade any large proportion OF I
people who have imbibed their ideas Of logic II
common schools and free academies, that 1t II
J expedient to cram their systems with mercury
rasp their bowels with coycnth and jasp, o
stupefy their brains with opiates, when pure
effective, asfe, botanic cordial like Hoste!ter
, Stomach Bitters which relieves every discfde
, for which the poisonous drugs have been hereto
tore prescribed, is within tho reach OF every one
O,d fsshioned remedies arc rapidly glVinl
: ground before the advance of tbi' conquerlnI
snecifc, and old fashioned ideas in regard to ia
pletion a. means of cure have quite been e1p'cd
ed By the SUCCESS Of the grea. renoVsnl Whc'
tones the gystem. trsnquilives thenerves. induce
!, sound repose, neutrsiizes malaria. depurste
9 ard anriches the blood, rouses. the livcr ~ha'
| dormant, and promotes regular h Abit ofb1dy
dec 31-eo3t GS-i rq4:ta- ~