The record-union., 1898-09-25
HOW THE IMMORTALS SPOKE
CLAY, WEBSTER AND CALHOUN
DESCRIBED.
The Record Union" Gives General
Shields Recollections of the
Triumvirate.

Nothing is more interesting or in
structfve than the careful study of the
lives of great men, those characters
whose works have shaped and builded
human Institutions
In America there are examples of the
sudden rise of the humble to stations
of rank that are as interesting as any
thing in the history of the world. This
country's history illustrates the old
idea that the gods come in low guiSes-
Odin in a fishers hut Christ in a man
ger. SO, coming to the gods of indus
try, the golden-tongued men of elo-
quence. the heroes of Senates and the
leaders of men, the like rule holds.
One of the most remarkable men that
this country ever produced was General
James Shields, the hero of two wars
and the only man who was ever United
States Senator from three States.
A Record Union man had the
pleasure of a chat with General Shields
just before he died. 1t was one of the
most remarkably interesting conversa-
tiOns that one may ever expect at this
late day to hear. Shields was the COM
peer of Webster, Clay and Calhoun
the great American triumvirate Of Sen
atorial giants, and General Shields
conversation related to the exploits
manners, achievements and eloquence
of his three ilIustrious companions.
1t was just after the old General had
finished one of his lectures on the sub
| ject of American heroes that he dis
cuSSed his own career and the achieve
ments Of the great men with whom he
| had been associated
After lighting his pipe and seating
himself in an old arm chair. he eXem-
plified the saying of Philip Gilbert
Hamertop that all great~ conversations
have originated in clouds of smoke As
he puffed away at his pipe, he said:
1T seems but yesterday since I was
sitting in the United States Senate lis
tening to Webster. Clay and Calhoun.
and taking part in the debates that
have become historical yea. that have
furnished the world with the greatest
examples of impassioned eloquence. In
a way it was hard to believe that these
| men were so great as they have be-
come, yet we did feel-we who battled
with and listened to them-that there
was something far beyond the ordinary
in all these men.
full specimens of the old generation
They were workers and We're brought
up amid the conflicts of the growing
times. In those days debating societies
We're common and all of them had been
trained for many years as logicians and
debaters.''
(which was the greatest man of the
three?" he was asked.
the quick reply, butt should say" con-
tinued the aged speaker, that Clay
was the greatest orator, Calhoun the
greatest logician and that Webster
made the greatest speech
'Will you explain more in detail?" he
was asked
Yes" said he. Il mean that Clay
was always ready to make a smooth,
musical. polished speech. He could
talk on short notice and on almost any
thing under the stars. He had been
trained from boyhood as a speaker You
remember the story of how he talked
to the blind mules in his farm yard
Then his voice was like music. If you
started to listen you could not sur
render your attention. If you ever gave
him heed he was so plausible, so mag
netic, so grand, that it was hard not to
fall under the spell. All, me! the days
of such oratory have vanished. But
Webster is whole world of recollec-
tions to me- You know he often made
a failure in his public speeches His
biographers show that at agricultural
fairs and like places he never got
warmed up. But his mind was so
deep and vast that it required some
such subject as the destiny of a whole
nation to wake him to his full powers.
''In his reply to Hayne," continued
the General, webster was seen at his
best. I heard all that speech, and that
scene of glorious triumph can never
pass away as long as l live. He spoke
in thunder tones and like a man in
spired. I remember that he impressed
me as he delivered that great speech
that he was talking like a man inspired.
He spoke very slowly, in deep tones.
and his long pauseS were as if he had
ceased for a moment to reach up and
pull down upon his adversary some of
the thunderbolts of Jove. His great
est speeches were delivered at the rate
of ninety to one hundred words a min
ute"
How about CIay's rate Of speaking?"
was asked
well" said the speaker, che was a
faster speaker. and his rate ran to 100
to 115 words per minute. His manner
was not so cool as that of Webster, be-
ing far more fervid and full of gestures.