Witnessing Webster and Clay Debate On The Floor Of House

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2005

A very rare Ante-bellum, 3pp. 4to., letter written in ink by New York Representative Rowland Day, Washington, Feb. 2, 1824 to Rev. William Smith on witnessing Daniel Webster defend one of his early bills against Henry Clay debate on the floor of the House, reading, in part: "…Congress have got to business now…the papers I send…will inform of all we are doing. The debate on Mr. Webster's Greek Resolutions continued seven days…it was sometimes tiresome to be confined four or five hours to your seat each day…it is said to be some of the finest speaking ever delivered in the house…Mr. Clay is a very powerful man in debate…I…thought…while hearing him that…it was owing to his voice, articulation, & graceful gestures. He is a well built man more than six feet tall and straight with a heavy eyebrow…a loud clear voice…modulates well and…gives great effect to his eloquence. Mr. Webster is…a different man in speaking he uses little or no gestures, [he] stands…stooping forward, has a dark swarthy countenance and a habit of nodding his head whenever he gives any emphasis to a word…he possesses a mind of the first order, clear, strong, vigorous, and discriminating…he is a sound, solid, commonsense man. He is listened to with much attention by the house…he was much disappointed if not mortified in finding so strong an opposition to his resolution. It is laid on the table without taking any vote on it…it will not be called up again…we have many fine speakers in the house…such as Mess.rs' Bartlett…Stevenson, Hamilton…John Randolph…is a curiosity in person as well as in speaking…". While defending his resolution for appointing a commissioner to Greece Webster displayed his debating prowess by taking on Henry Clay. Elected to Congress just two years prior Webster's performance during these debates won him international acclaim. In the coming years these two great men would meet in many great debates over sectionalism. Some fold splits with archival tape repairs, else very good.

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