The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-05-05
oLDEN TIMES.
Society in Washington in the Times o
jackson

Society in Washington in the Times of
Jackson
40 Home Journal Sad .e.td mol
The Senate of the twenty-frst Congress
has probably never been surpassed if equaled,
in point of ability and oritoracal talent, by
any representative body Of its size, and an
| unimportant resolution, introduced early in
1880 by Senator Foot, led to general debate
which was ''the battle of the giants The
discussion embraced all the partisan issues of
the time, especially those of sectional nature,
including the alleged right of State to set
the Federal Government at defiance. The
State rights men in South Carolina, instigated
| by Mr.. Calhoun, had been active during the
preceding summer in collecting material for
this discussion, and they had taken especia
pains to request search for evidence that
Mr. Webster had shown a willingness to
have New England secede from the Union
during the second war with Great Britain.
| The vicinity of Portsmouth, where he had
resided when he entered public life, was, to
use his own words, searched as with q
candle. New Hampshire was explored from
| the mouth of the Merrimack to the White
Hills"
Nor had Mr.. Webster been idle. He was
not an extemporaneous speaker, and he passed
the summer in carefully studying, il his in
tervals of professional leisure, the great con-
stitutional question which he afterward so
brilliantly discussed. A story is told at
Providence about distinguished lawyer of
that place, Mr.. John Whipple, who was at
Washington when Webster replied to Hayne,
but who did not hear the speech, as he was
engaged in case before the Supreme Court
when it was delivered. When q report of
L 4
Mr.. Wbipple read it, and was haunted by
| the idea the he had heard or read it before.
| Meeting Mr.. Webster soon afterward, he
| mentiened this idea to him, and inquired
| whether it could possibly have any founda-
ton in fact. Certainly it has," replied Mr.
Webster. "Don't you remember oar con-
versations during the long walks we took to-
| gether last summer at Newport, while in at
| tendance on Storys court2" 1t then flashed
across Mr.. Whipples mind that Mr.. Web.
| ster had then rehearsed the legal argument OF
| his speech, and had invited criticism.
As the debate on the Foot Resolution pro
| crossed, it revealed an evident intention Il
| attack New England, and especially Massa-
| chusetts This brought Mr.. Webster into the
| arena, and he concluded brief speech by de-
| claring that as a true Representative of the
| State which had sent him into the Senate il
| was his duty, and a duty which he should
| fulfill, to place her history and her conduct
| her honor and her character, in their Just and
| proper light A few days later, Mr.. Webster
heard his State and himself mercifully at.
i tackled by General Hayne, of South Carolina
no mean antagonist The son of revolu.
tionary hero who had fallen victim t.
British cruelty, highly educated, with slen
der, graceful form, fascinating department
and a well-trained, mellihuous voice. the
naughty South Carolinian entered the lists o
the political tournament like Saladin t
oppose the Yankee Ceur de Lion.
When Mr.. Webster went to the Senate
chamber to reply to General Hayne, or
Tuesday, January 20, 1880, he felt himsel
| master of the situation. Always careful
about his personal appearance when he wa
| to address an audience, he wore ON that day
the Wing uniform, which had been copied by
the revolutionary heroes-a blue coat will
bright buttons, buff waistcoat, and higl
l white cravat. Neither was he insensible Il
the benefits TO be derived from publicity
and he had sent request to Mr.. Gales to re
port what he was to say himself, rather thar
to send one of his stenographers. The mos
graphic account of the scene in the Senate
chamber during the delivery of the speech
was subsequently written virtually from Mr.
Websters dictation. Perhaps, like Mr.
Healey's picture, it is rather high-colored.
Sheridan, after his forty days preparation
did not commence his scathing Impeachment
| of Warren Hastings with more confidence
than was displayed by Mr.. Webster when hi
stood up in the pride of his manhood, anC
began to address the interested mass OF talent
intelligence and beauty around him. A mar
of commanding presence, with well-knit
sturdy frame, varthy features, broad
thoughtful forehead, courageous eyes CLEAN
ing from bereath shaggy eyebrows, quad
| rangular breadth of jaw-bone, and mouth
which bespoke strong will, he stood like
sturdy Roundhead sentinel on guard befor,
the gates of the Constitution. Holding il
profound contempt what is termed spread
eagle oratory, his only gesticulations were
| up and-down motions of his arms, as if hC
| were beating out with sledge-hammers hi
forcible ideas. His peroration was sublime
and every loyal American heart has sine,
echoed the last words, Liberty and union
now and forever-one and inseparable"
Mr.. Webster's speech, carefully revised
by himself, was not published until the
23d Of February, and large editions
of it were circulated throughout the Northern
States The debate was continued, and it wa
/ VIC SlSb Vi may OoiOro OOiOHol Deu
ton, who had been the first defamer of New
England, brought it to close. The North
ern men claimed for Mr.. Webster the superb
ority, but General jackson praised the speech
of Mr.. Hayne, and deemed his picture WORTHY
to occupy a place in the White House, thu
giving expression to the general sentiment
among the Southerners. This alarmed Mr.
| Van Buren,, who was quietly yet shrewdly
at work to defeat the further advancement
of Mr.. Calhoun, and he lost no time in de
monstrating to the imperious old soldier wht
| occupied the Presidential chair that tn,
South Carolina doctrine of notification coulC
but prove destructive to the Union.
Mr.. Calhoun was not aware of this in
trigue, and in order TO strengthen his state
rights policy he organized public dinne
on the anniversary of Jefferson's birthday
April Is, 1880. When the toasts which