Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-10-20
RECOLLECTIONS OF EMINENT
MEN.
An Interview with Murphy. the OFF,
cial StenOgrapher
"Gath' in Cincinnati Enquirer

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| Cath in Cincinnati Enquirer
Among the most interesting and pecn-
liar men of Saratoga is Mr.. Murphy, the
head of the official stenographers of the
United States Senate. He was taught
stenography by Oliver Oyer in the Phil
adelphia High School, where it was
taught twenty years ago as regular
branch of study. Mr.. Murphy went to
Washington City in the year lS4s to re-
Fort Congress, and with scarcely an in
terval has been there ever since, peri
cd of about thirty-One years. His posi-
tion is one requiring great deal of tact,
perpetual industry, and very considera-
BILE knowledge. He can report Latin, it
is said, nearly as well as English. and
he explained it to me by saying the
Latin Language was the same as are
contained in the English. "While there
is considerable Latin quoted in Con-
gress," said Mr.. Murphy, "on account of
the large number of lawyers sent there,
there is scarcely any French, no Ger
man, and never but once have l heard
any Greek. The late James a Bayard
once closed sentence with short
Greek quotation, which happened to
bo acquainted with. American legisla-
tors are seldom linguists. George Hoar
has some fondness for the dead languag-
es."
"Were you in the Senate, Mr.. Murphy,
while Webster, Calhoun, and Clay were
aliye?"
"Yes, knew them all. Henry Clay
was around the Senate three or four
years after l went there. | think if he
were to return to the world to-day he
would not pass at his own valuation as
he used to do. He seemed to me deci-
dedly overrated man. He carried his
head on his shoulders, and his should
ers in the air, as if to advertise that he
was Henry Clay, and expected the Peo-
pie to bow and defer to him. He could
not brook any opposition at all, and the
fact that he was allowed to have his
own way in little and big things around
the Senate is pretty clear proof that the
average in the Senate in those times was
not up to what it is now. 81 think" said
Mr.. Murphy, ''that the Senate, take it
through and through. is altogether supe-
rior to what it was twenty or thirty
years ago"
did Mr.. Clay strike you as a man of
great intelleet?"
1. h,,k n
leader on the strength of his popularity
with the country, instead of by right of
ability and understanding. Daniel Web
ster was altogether more of a man. He
was a large man, of an impressive ap-1
pearance, but he was pretty heavy and
solemn in the Senate. unless there should
happen to be a night session, when he1
would take little too much brandy and
become very loquaeions. could not
make out what he was about the first
time 1 saw him that way. He would
Jump up and make some remarks, and
then jump up again; then you would
see him walking out with three or four
boon friends to get drink. Tom Ben
ton was another Senator of enormous
conceit, but he had so much intelligence
and general knowledge that you could
forget his self-esteem when he under
took to tell you anything"
"Was Silas Wright in the Senate in
your timer" i
mo; he died just about the time
went there. l heard a great deal of |
him, however, and he left strong i'm. |
preston behind him. They say that he |
would often rise to speak when habits |
of conviviality had left him very ner-
vous, and he would lay his hands upon
his desk to steady himself, and for few |
would proceed with difficulty |
but after awhile he would get the pace,
and then his brain brought admiration
Webster that, one day when he was to |
debate with Silas Wright, loquaci0ns
friend went over and said: Mr.. Webster,
you will have an easy victory to-day
Mr.. Wright is drudk.' 4 would have
you know, young man, said Mr.. Web
ster, that Silas Wright, either drunk or
sober, is a very hard man to encounter
(Which of all the men you have seen
in the Senate in more then thirty years,
Mr. Murphy did you regard as the great
est ?"
"That is too hard to answer. There
is one thing can say. As debater in
the Senate think l have never seen the
equal or superior of VIM. Pitt Fessen-
den. Some one has called him the Prince
Rupert of debate, and there was clear
ness and evenness and ability in his
quick and rapid speeches and interehan-
ges that make him to me, one of the
great characters of the English language
in legislation. Il do not think said Mr..
Murphy, that / have ever seen man'of
more intellectual force exerted at the
than Judah p. Benjamin, of
He was rather small man,
of a swarthy countenance and Jewish
features. The grasp of his mind was
almost Instructive. l have my doubts
the South took away from the
Senate more of man than he was, al
though Jefferson Davis was man of
ability and certain high-toned intensi-
ty, which, as long as he stayed in the
Unipn, made him an object of admira-
ton. He was governed much by his
personal feelings, however; and | may
say the same of Senator Yules, of Flori-
da, who was a Hebrew, and most BIT
ter, vindictive man. Clement G. Clay of
Alabama, was man of ability, but of
equal acrimoniOusness. One of the great
est mel remember in the Senate from
the South was Badger, of North Carroll
ma. He belonfied to the style of heavy
statesmanlike, old men,"
"What is your notion, Mr.. Murphy,
about the withdrawal of those Southern
Senators from Congress in 1851 ?"
"Why, there were but two or three of
them who had the least idea they would
be out of the Senate more than two
After Mr.. Mallory made his
speech of farewell bade him good bye,
and he said to me in. an undsrtone.
Murphy, we will all be back here in two
or three months Those men believed
that the game of bluff they were play
ing would force the Northern States to