Evening journal., 1912-03-30

George S. Hillard, who. in the early
fifties Of the last century and for
some time after the close of the Civil
War was one Of the acknowledged lit
erary forces of New England, a writer
Of great charm and a politician Of
considerable ability, was selected by
the citizens of Boston to offer the
toast to Henry Clay upon the occasion
Of Mr.. Clay's visit to Boston in the
winter of 1867 to attend a reception
given in his honor by the committee,
and to receive beautiful silver pitch
er as visible and permanent memoir
ial of Boston's regard for him.
For both Mr.. Clay and his great
colleague of the Senate, Daniel Web
ster. Mr.. Hillard entertained the pro-
foundest admiration, and he some-
times spoke of the wonderful influ-
ence that those two men and John G..
Calhoun, the third Of that great trio
Of statesmen, welded in the Senate
chamber by virtue of their intellec-
tual powers. One Of the best evi-
dences of the respect and esteem in
which Mr.. Webster was held by every
member of the Senate was often refer
red to by Mr. Hillard in an anecdote
he told and of which | have obtained
the following summary:
On March 6, 1850, debate began in
the Senate on a question arising out
Of the greet moral and political issues
ocoasioned by the system of slavery.
There had already been intimations
in the Senate that if the issue were
| pressed, It might lead TO the with
drawal of some of the states from the
Union. and it was presumed that the
debate would contain many references
to possible secession.
! "On Wednesday, the sixth of March, %
/ Mr. Hillard used to say, the senior
Senator from Wisconsin, State which
had been admitted to the Union only
three years earlier, had the floor He
began what proved to be a very able
| speech. He was Senator Joseph C.
Walker a name now forgotten. but in
his day a man Of recognized personal
/ power and intellectual force
Announcement had been made that
it was the purpose of Daniel Webster
| to speak on the question before the
Senate; and it was also said that Mr.
Webster would begin his speech on
the following day-the seventh OF
March. But at the usual hour of the
adjournment of the Senate on the 9Th
Senator Walker had not finished his
speech. He was therefore entitled to
the floor the next day at the begin
ming OF the hour of debate.
But long before the Senate met on
the morning Of the seventh of March
the galleries were packed to their ut
most capacity Members of the lower
House thronged the floor of the Sen
ate chamber. A dense, struggling mass
of people attempted TO force their way
from the corridors into the Senate
galleries, but they were compelled to
stand aside, as there was no room for
/ them. IL was. on the whole. the most
brilliant audience that had gathered
in the Senate chamber for some years
! II was an audience which would have
appealed to the proper pride of any
Senator who had the floor
AT the proper time, the Senator
from Wisconsin, Mr.. Walker, arose as
though TO finish bis speech Before
beginning. he swept the galleries witt
one quick glance and next the grea
throng Of members of Congress tina
had packed the Senate chamber to itl
doors
"Then the Senator from Wisconsin
addressing the .Vice-President, MillarJ