Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1879-10-03
style of Daniel Webster.

IL 1. hlpple, III MS essay on Web.
ster as master Of English style, has the
following:
The mature style OF Webster is per.
feet of its kind, being in words the ex.
press image Of his mind aud character
.-plain, terse, clear forcible; and rising
from the level of lucid statement and
argument into passages Of superlative
eloquence only when his SRhole nature
is stirred BY some grand sentiment Of
freedom, patriotism, justice, humanity
or religion, which absolutely lifts him
by its own inherent force and inspira
tion to region above that in which his
mind habitually lives and ,ves. At
the same time it will be observed that
these thrilling passages, which the boys
OF two generations have ever been de.
lighted to declaim, are strictly illustrat-
i've of the main purpose of the speech
in which they appear. They are not
mere purple patches of rhetoric. loosely
stitched on the homespun gray Of the
reasoning, but they seem to be lnwoven
With it and to be vital part of it. In
deed we can hardly decide, in reading
these magnificent bursts Of eloquence
in connection with what precedes and
follows them, whether the effect is due
to the logic Of the orator becoming sud,
denly logical. What gave Webster his
immense influcnc, over the opinions of
the people of New England was, first,
his power of SO putting things that
everybody could understand bis state
ments; secondly, his power Of SO fran.
ing his arguments that all the steps
from one point to another, in logical
series, could be clearly apprehcudcd by
every intelligent farmer or mechanic
who had thoughtful interest in the
affairs of the country; and thirdly, hi.
power of ipflaming the sentiment Of
patriotism in al! 1aonest and well inteu
toned men by overwhelming appeals tt
that sentiment, so that, after convincing
their understandings, he clinched th'
mater by sweeping away their wills.
1t may be said that W bster's argu
mcnt in the .l~,ra.ed Dartmouth Col
lesc Case, before the Supreme Court O
the United States, placed him, at tn
age of thrty.six, in the foremost ran'
Of the constitutional lawyers of th
country. For the main points of tn
reasoning, aud for the exhaustive cita
ton Of authorities by which the reas
oning was sustained. he was probabl,
indebted to Mason, who had previousl
arguel the case before the Superio
Court of New Hampshire; but his su
periority to Mason was shown in tn
eloquence, the moral power, he infuse'
! into his reasoning, so as to make th
dullest citation Of legal authority te
on the minds he addressed.
There is one incident connected wit
t this speech which proves VIII t immens
force is given to simple words when
great man. great in his emotional n'
: ture as we'll as great in logical power
is behind the words. 1T is, sir, as
have said, a small college. And 'yt
there are those who love it." Al tn
, point the orators lips quivered, h
voice choked, his eyes filled with tear
q all the memories of sacrifices endure
: by his father aud mother, his brothe
and sisters, in order that he might e,
JOY its rather scauty advantages of
f liberal education, and by means
which he was there to plead its eau
d before the supreme tribunal Of the u
: ton, rushed suddenly upon his mind
an overwhelming food. The justic
of the Supreme Court, great lawyer
:, tried aud toughened by experience in
= a certain obdurate sense of justice, at
iusensible to any common appeal
:, their hearts, melted into unwoat'
tenderness as, in brok n words, the a
vocate proceeded to state his own i
'e debtedness to the small college, who
% rights and privileges he was there
y defend. Chief Justice Marshall's ey
we're filled with tears; and the eyes
e, the other justices were suffused with
~ m ,isture similar to that which atfilct
er the eyes of the chief.