Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-02-17
HAYNE AND WEBSTER.

In the great South Carolina debate
which took place in the Senate Cham.
ber upon the tariff question of 1928,
1 was in the gallery. The nulliica-
tion fever had risen almost frenzy
high. Members of all parties had
deserted the lower House to witness
the splintering of lances between
Robert Y. Hayne of South Carolina
and Daniel Webster. When entered
the hall General Hayne was speak
ing he was man of general youth
full appearance, with his shirt collar
turned over his cravat and his hair
smoothly brushed across his forehead.
He was of the middle stature and well
made. He was speaking energeti-
cally; his eyes were peculiarly bril-
liant and his face extremely pale; he
moved up and down the aisle formed
between the desks with rapid and
energetic step; his gestures were We
hement, and he appeared to be under
high state of excitement l was
peculiarly struck with his whole ap-
pearance and the tone of feeling evi.
dent in the chamber. Mr.. Calhoun
then Vice President) was in the chair,
with his large, steady and vigilant
eyes witnessing the first great battle
of his doctrine; he seemed the very
spirit of embodied interest; not a
word, not gesture of General
Hayne escaped his lion look. The
Senate was deeply interested, as
matter of course. The language of
General Hayne was rich and vigor-
Gus. and his powerful portrayal of the
effect of the impost law on the South,
the description he gave of her people,
his own bold and hazardous elocution
and impetuous bearing were evidently
making strong impression on the
body. From time to time attention
would be directed from him to the
gentleman who was expected to an
swer him, and whom the General at
tackled under cover of terrible and
CALLING fire.
Cold, serene, dark and melancholy,
that MAN. thus assailed, sat apart,
black and frowning as a mountain
rock. He evidently felt the gigantic
influences that were at work around
him, but his profound mind was
strengthening itself for the contest.
And how deeply solemn was that
hour, that moment! How grand that
scenel And what were the medits
tions and spirit allying of that great,
dark man? His countenance was the
same during the whole Of that tremen-
dous speech. Assault upon assault
was made upon him; but yet he never
turned to the right nor the left, but
calmly and gallantly, like the soldier
awaiting the signal, he bided his hour
That time of retaliation came swift
as the thoughts of vengeance to Dan
iel Webster Who will forget the ex-
ordium of that remarkable effort, the
lashing sarcasm, the whitening tones
of that voice, and the temper of his
General Hayne changed
color, and appeared much discon-
certed. But who that heard him will
permit the perorations to be forgotten
those closing passages of grandeur,
that majestic allusion to the flag OF
freedom and his country? Looking
with his dark and lustrous eye
the dome of the Senate
Chamber, over which he could see
that banner floating, he delivered an
apostrophe that has never been sur
passed and seldom equaled. 1t com
posed a figure of the most thrilling
interest a burst of solemn and
pathetic feeling, and, coming from
such source Ia man generally esti-
mated phlegmatic), it was electric.
1t was like the beam of sunset or the
gieam of summer lightning radiating
the brow of cliff and mountain.