Year: 1873

ate each syllable that | had to


utter clearly and emphatically


before attempting to emit a


succeeding one, and so on until


the whole sentence, whether


long or short, should have pass


ed betweennyl By pursu-


ing this course rig:idlysfpr a con-


siderable period ct tine, / hoped


that at last Z might accomplish


the great object that l was seek
ing to attain, and that | should


become able to speak fuently


and without pain either to my


self or to Others. I practised


constantly upon these ideas,


and if [ now speak with ease,


as you seem to think, l am in


debted for my power in this res


pect to the labOrs which / have


just described. This is so GER


tainly the case that | assure YOU
were | even now to attempt to
express myself in the rapid man
ner which has become so COM
mon Of late among young men
of fiery temperament and of un-


chastened moral organism, /


should inevitably stutter Just
as disgustingly as I did forty
years ago"


"After this interesting recital
had closed, [ Iventured to refer
to the great oratoricalcontest be-
tween himself and Mr.. Webster,
in the National Senate, now near
half q century ago, and asked


him what he thought Of Mr..


Webster's powers as a speaker.
He at once answered that he sup
posed him, upon the whole to be
the most consummate orator of
either ancient or modern times;
that his ability as a reasoner, he
was confident, hadneyer been ex-I
ceeded; that his imagination
was as fertile and vigorous as
that of Milton or Homer; that
his humor was both exquisite
and abundant; that his knowl-
edge was unlimited; that he had
the happiest command Of his
temper at all times, and that on
certain great occasions he had
excelled all great speakers that
had ever lived, not excepting
either Demo, themes or Cicero.
L then asked him what he
thought of Webster's manner?
He replied that it was always
grand and expressive; that he !
had meyer heard him utter al
word III q careless or vulgar
style; that he seemed never toI
forget his own dignity, or to bel


mmindtul Of the character and !
feelings of others, and shat
when thoroughly excited the
sublime grandeur of his thoaght
and language derived great adj
ditional potency from his noble
and soul-moving enunciation
and his few but expressive ges-
lures. / then said to him: But
General Hayne, every one in
the South admired your speech
es on the occasion to which you
have been referring more than
they did those of Mr.. Webster,
and it is said that General Jack
son was so much delighted with
the first of your speeches in the
Senate that he had it printed on
satin for distribution among
friends at a distance. Was this
SO? To which he replied: Il
believe this to have been true;
the people Of the South general
ly approved my speech, because
they believed that / had been
defending it in their own local
interests and honor. General
jackson admired it because he
thought that | had successfully
vindicated the Democratic cause
to the support Of which his
whole life had been devoted.-I
But you know that in a few
months thereafter, when our
notification experiment had de-
veloped its gigantic proportions,
and after the memorable con-
test had occurred in the Senate
between Mr.. Calhoun and my
ancient antagonist, Mr.. Web
ster, General jackson becameI
so great an admirer OF the SEN
atOr from Massachusetts that hel
thought seriously of making him
Chief-Justice Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States up :
on the decease of the venerable
Be assured, SIR heI
continued, Inever for one mo-
ment thought of comparing that
speech Of mine, made in direct
assailment of Mr.. Webster and
the Federal party of old, and to