The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-05-20
"a uostxeiT view OF the Question.


thousands who heard the speech OF Daniel
webster delivered from the portico OF the
CAPITOL in, October, 1910. The day was
bright and genial-the orator alluded TO "
in one OF his happiest passages. lie was
inercbed above the heads Of the people, ana
must have experienced some difficulty 10
getting at their eirs. He spoke in loud,
unbroken strain, upwards OF two hours
nossibly more, for the crowd became FESTIVE
as he Proceeded, and very many left the
ground before be finished. remember
gentleman saying that johnson Barbour,
then i young man Of brilliant: promise,
could have entertained the assembly better
than Mr.. Webster. 49,
The old terrace running out from the
south base OF the Capitol was then an even
plot of ground. 1t was filed to Overflow
ing by the wealth, worth, and Intelligence
of Virginia. Around the orator were
pro1rped q tbrong OF ladies and gentlemen,
eagerto catch every word that fell from his
lips noted on table that stood on the
orators left hand an orange, which he
sucked ever and anon in the rauses Of the
delivery. A wag, who seemed 10 be aware
OF the habits or the sage OF Marshtield, re-
marked fiat the Juice OF the grape was
interninglcd with that Of the aforesaid
orange. 1t may have been so. There
were other orators engaged at the time
in haranging the people from wooden
stands pitched to the east and north Ut the
Capitol. Ibid not hear them, because did
not seek them BY the afternoon the great
crowd had dispersed. Mr.. Webster, with
all his admitted power, wasn't able to hold
them together. Indeed, 1t was felt by many
that his speech was q failure. | kept my
footing on the ground till the dusk set in,
and was about to leave when I saw issuing
from the bar-room Of the Powhatan House
a thranS Of gentlemen" amongst whom
[ instantly recognized the robust figure
and, g0d.like face Of Daniel Webster.
HiIarity ruled the hour. There was
pattering Of. feet, n clapping OF hands,
laughing murmur OF voices a. the gentle
manly company came near and nearer
vacant stand that stood on the northern side,
Of the Capitol. Mr.. Webster was carried
UP its steps by the strong arms OF his SUP
porters (he needed physical snpport), but
soon grasped with tirmness and audacty
the outer or front railing. / watched him
eugerIv and attentiveiy. He appeared to be
steadying himself for great effort. His
eyes rolled necessarily in fine phrenzy as
he poured forth full torrent OF burning
inv5ctlve on the heads OF the Democratic
party. The orator was now aroused
in all his faculties, and spoke $50 it APP
peared TO mel more like god than
man I doubt il could have taken
down mis- words even though l might have
been a practiced stenographer. Boy as
was, had heard that year the impetuous
Preston. the gifted McDuf1ie, the quaint
and classic Legare, besides many others,
some OF whom were among the most elo-
qucnt Of Virginia's sons. Webster alone
impressed me as being par excellence The
orator. The genius OF the man was amaZ-
ing. There was prodigalilv about it, too,
that made me think its powers ineXhauSti-
Bile. Whilst i cannot recall the words
l'whose thunder-tones are alone remembered
by me, 1 know that was struck with the
Homeric force with which they were given
out. Alas the people who should have
heard this mighty effort bad long ago de-
parted. The "mighty shaker" spoke to
empty benches. This must be the speech
ferred to afterwards as the greatest OF bis
life. cannot conceive how he or any other
could have spoken it more divinely.
The morning speech was prepared in
soberness, memorized in soberness, and
spoken in Soberness. ordinary elocu-
ZIONIST might have delivered. it as we'll
Webster could have. spoken the memora bIe
afternoon speech. }, Those who had the good
fortune to, hear 1t were chiefly Of the best
elements Of Richmond society. All told,
they did not number over two hundred,
but may be slightly mistaken in this guess.
Nobody spoke after Webster, and there was
no crowd and no speaking when he begun.
Dark set in when lie closed. 49,
L shall not mince words when / say that
the orator,appeared to me tojbe Uery drunk
when he mounted the platform. He could
not have spoken this.speech in sebernesS.
Webster realized my ideal Of an orator.
His .rhetoric is superior, / think. to that Of
Chatham or Burke-there is none like it in
our American books. 1t moves you on the
hustings, it enchants you in the closet.
: His nephew, Fletcher Webster. used to
say that he formed his style after the mod
els Of three fav0rites-the Bible, Shaks-
peare, and Milton-and that he never sat
down to a great speech without invoking
their inspiration. -. n. W.
ia. TFrom the Wylheyille Euterprise.l ''--