Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-24

n.4Hr)iiill impressed you most
nk tt"' he continued, multiply
WI ing his iHterrogntions
until l stopped him by
saving: Yes, saw Mr.. Webster many times,
ba; heard him speak only once on formal
o.cas.on-that H. on an occasion only that
seemed 20 call forth his powers Of oratory and
Intellect. /; was in Albany, Y. Y, in the fall
p-ece,iing the presidential nomination in Ba!-
tiYnore. when Mr. Webster was beaten FOR the
nomination By ten. scott. lie made no dis-
gli-e OF ms aspiration to ths presidency. and
on the occasion of which / speak he was AZ The
state capital Of New York on tho invitation OF
his whig friends who wished - promote his
nomination and who invited him to a banquet:
ut which he spoke IN his usual eloquent and in
pre-sive manner.
An oPES-AIR SPEECH.
After the invitation 20 the banquet. which
was TO be a select affair. had been given and &C
cepted another invitation by a number of ci:i-
zens.who would not be likely TO be at the ban
quet was sent Mr.. Webster - make them an
address IN the open air on any subject he might
select The invitation WIS 30 cordial and such
gathering promised accorded so eN-
actly with his wish for an opportunity to reach
the people that Mr.. Webster lost no time in
accepting it, and he named the day folloving
that Of the banquet for making the address.
The hour was early one in the afternoon and
. great crowd assembled promptly at the
time named. The weather and all else was
proritious IL in some respects n
peculiarly representative gathering. For some
time the people waited for Mr. Webster to make
his appearance. The banquet the night before
had lasted until toward the morning hour II
wa a great success. and Mr.. Websters speech
then had already been read in the Albany II
gus. The delay in making his appearance
caused the suggestion to go around IN whispers
that perhaps Mr.. Webster might disaTpCint his
outside friends ar idea which well nigh grew
into a conviction as the wait pro--acted.
A platform had been put up the front of the
Congress Hall Hotel, facing the Capitol Park.
which ran back 10 the piazza. Opening on tie
piazza was a window through which one could
step upon the stage. At the precise moment.
when the wait had become little less than sus-
pease. this window few up and Mr. Webster ap-
pesred through IL and stepped upon the plat
form
HOW M LOOKED.
To describe him he appeared to me then
and ~ in nv mind can see him at the present
moment would be impossible. He was fault
lessly dressed. and a. no man but Webster that
i ever saw or heard of ever did dress. His coat
was Of course the Websterian. with metal but
tons. His vest was buff. which also had metal
buttons. His trousers we're also blue His
shirt collar was ample. almost flowing. and tied
with no lees ample white neckerchief, peculiar
10 those days. All these were striking enough,
bur what riveted INV attention most were Mr..
Web-ter's eyes. which were cayernOus and sug-
gestive Of Mars as see that planet at the pres
ent time-suggestiye also, perhaps, of the ban
quet the night before. Pausing for an instant as
the assembled mass applsuded true welcome,
bovtng a. he advanced toward the front of the
Platform, and In a voice quite striking his
appearance, he began: what an American
President should be- Then pausing and rails
Ing both hands in a gesture that seemed to
speak not less than his words. he repeated with
studied emphasis, What an American Presi-
dent should be- That's the theme, That's the
theme Then he proceeded for more than m
hour and q half in q manner in which il might
be supposed Mr.. Webster would speak on a topic
that lay near TO his heart
HIS GREATEST SPEECH.
But that which has gone into history as Web
ster's greatest forensic effort il his reply to
Senator Hayne on proposition which con-
strued to assaii the integrity of the Union.
knowledge Of that debate and the attending
circumstances has gradually faded from the
minds Of men with the lapse of time. IL was
as tar back A. ls20. For years after there was
hardly . school boy in the land. al least in the
north, who had not declsimed some lar; of
Nebsters speech IL had a place IN ali books
OF oratory and for reading in The schools and
4 still found IN such aim to combine
patriotic literature with SONS of the fines;
specimens Of oratory to be found in the Ian
guase.
wxhsrxns hSrhGoSIsr.
Senator Hayne of south Carolina was selected
IN i.aa in ,hs a,..cL ,,h,.h o.. ,I,r,.,, ,;.t
" ~ WIZ f',' WIN
,..t -, -.
little famed. quite rs much SO. i; is probable
~ Webster Was then. lie rapid. fiery and
OF such rsmarkable auickue-s ana t,ciIitv O,
sPeech. we are told By one writing at the time.
hat be seemed 20 run all round slow ad versary
beiore NE had time to think by the tine an
%Pp"nen, could get himself TO understand what
La o.en iASt said, and when he began to see
tnTousn tne force OF H. the sprightIy genius
wound De on quick rs hight on some other
topic, pouring out volley of words whIcl
seemed 70 dazzle all IL did not convince Such
Was MS rapidity OF utterance that when mos
excited ne seemed TO stand almost transhgured
WIZ eye, hp-. hands feet all on IRE with a soT
OF harmless animation In bis peculiar vay b,
was eloquent, or, rather. he was an astonish
neut-
such, briefly, was the antagonist Mr.. Webster
Wa 20 meet At the time of the debate Mr.
Webster Vas daily occupied IN tine Suyrem,
Court, but great was the gravity o.
The question which Hayne had intro
caced, and solicitous we're the mel
OF New England, that he gave his atten
Son 20 the debate He made no preparation
while his opponents were acting with premedi
ta;iou and were fully prepared The skirmi, b
Ing lasted nearly two DAYS. Mr.. Webster shove,
no disposition to evade the contest; on the con
hnZw -.