Page:Adams and Jefferson.djvu/12

 The ablest and most complete life of Daniel Webster is that written by George T. Curtis. It is full of most interesting material. The most scholarly article on Webster is the eulogy delivered by George S. Hilliard. For a compact and interesting life, read Lodge's Webster in the "American Statesmen Series." A valuable and suggestive essay has been written by E, P. Whipple and serves as an introduction to his  "Webster's Great Speeches." The last mentioned work is the best and most complete of the various compilations of Webster's works. Harvey's Reminiscences of Webster and March's Reminiscences in Congress are interesting works for general reading. Tefft's Webster and his Master-pieces, Banvard's The American Statesman and Harsha's Orators and Statesmen contain much popular and interesting matter.

student who wishes to become familiar with the works of Webster should secure a copy of Whipple's Great Speeches arid Orations of Webster and mark with pencil the best passages in several speeches. The "Bunker Hill Monument Orations" are well adapted to elementary study. Extracts from the argument on the "Murder of Capt. Joseph White," especially the famous preliminary remarks, are of absorbing interest. The Plymouth oration, on the "First Settlement of New England," has been called a series of eloquent fragments. The thoughts are fine, and are expressed in simple and beautiful words. The celebrated eulogy upon "Adams and Jefferson," the speeches on the "Character of Washington," the "Landing at Plymouth," and the "Addition to the Capitol," should form apart of the education of every American school-boy. Next read Mr. Webster's remarks on the death of Judge Story and of Jeremiah Mason, and finally the speech on laying the corner-stone for the addition to the Capitol in 1851. Of Webster's speeches in the United States Senate, the student should become familiar with portions of the "Reply to Hayne." It is one of those grand speeches which are landmarks in the history of eloquence. The speech as a whole has all the qualities which made Mr. Webster a great orator. He said that his whole life had been a preparation for the reply to Hayne. After selections from these orations and speeches have been studied, over and over again, the student will be well prepared to continue his studies in Webster with the strictly parliamentary speeches and discussions which have become a part of the intellectual life of the country.

Webster ranks high among the prose writers of the country as a master of English style. Like his oratory, his composition is plain, natural, easy, strong, dignified, and sometimes very lofty. His diction is entirely English. His words are the commonest in the language. They are those that we use in our own homes, and when talking with every-day friends. He had a powerful historic imagination, and could describe with great vividness, brevity, and force what had happened in the past or might happen in the dim future. As a rule, his sentences are short, pointed, and easily understood. Mr. Webster was a severe critic of his own style, sparing neither time or pains in revising and correcting his written orations. Aside from their profound thought and glowing patriotism, his great speeches can be read and studied to-day for their style alone, with the deepest interest, instruction, and pleasure. The young man who is training himself to think and speak on his feet should study Webster if he would attaint a perfect clearness of statement, joined to the highest skill in argument. He who would become a skilled debater and is ambitious "to learn the science of logical defence" should study the productions of this great master of eloquence until they become part and parcel of his own intellectual capital. 6