62 Reminiscences of 



and impressive features. His large dark eyes, well 

 sunken over his prominent cheek-bones, imparted a 

 singularly attractive effect. But his countenance 

 bore a friendly greeting over its sombre sternness. I 

 was shocked to hear Harvey familiarly say: "Well, 

 Dan, how do you feel to-day?" 



From our seats on the platform, where many 

 friends of Webster were seated, we heard his last im- 

 pressive words to the citizens of Boston. The standing- 

 room of the large hall was entirely absorbed, and the 

 standing audience, compressed so closely, took on a 

 swaj'ing motion from side to side which threatened 

 the stability of the building. This continuing when 

 Webster arose, he raised his hand, and impressively 

 uttered the following words, which are about all I 

 remember : 



"Let every man stand still in his place." 



The effect was instant. I have always had a love 

 for oratory and good acting, and oratory often car- 

 ries one beyond reason. I can imagine the ancient 

 orators were remarkable for their stirring power, 

 but I can hardly beUeve they surpassed those of 

 modem days, — Chatham, Fox, Patrick Henry, Rufus 

 Choate, Henry Clay, and our own orators of note — 

 in their specialties — of whom I have heard Wendell 

 Phillips, John B. Gough, and Thomas H. Marshall, 

 of Kentucky. I deemed them the most effective of 

 any I have heard. 



I was present at the first inaugural address of 

 Abraham Lincoln, at Washington, of simple and 

 heart-feeling words, which proved of no avail, and 

 in several political meetings in Illinois I heard the 

 combating stump speeches of Lincoln and Stephen 



