art of oratory
had flourished for ages.

Mr. Webster perceived and felt equal to the destinies of the moment. The
very greatness of the hazard exhilarated him. His spirits arose with the
occasion. He awaited the time of onset with a stern and impatient joy.
He felt like the war-horse of the Scriptures, who 'paweth in the valley
and rejoiceth in his strength: who goeth on to meet the armed men who
sayeth among the trumpets, ha! ha! and who smelleth the battle afar
off, the thunder of the Captains and the shouting.'

A confidence in his resources, springing from no vain estimate of his
power but the legitimate off-spring of previous SEVERE MENTAL
DISCIPLINE, sustained and excited him. He had gauged his opponents, his
_subject_ and HIMSELF.

He was, too, at this period in the very prime of manhood. He had reached
middle-age--an era in the life of man when the faculties, physical or
intellectual, may be supposed to attain their fullest organization and
most perfect development. Whatever there was in him of intellectual
energy and vitality the occasion, his full life and high ambition might
well bring forth. He never arose on an ordinary occasion to address an
ordinary audience more self-possessed. There was no tremulousness in his
voice or manner; nothing hurried, nothing simulated. The calmness of
superior strength was visible everywhere; in countenance, voice and
bearing. A deep-seated conviction of the extraordinary character of the
emergency and of his ability to control it seemed to possess him wholly.
If an observer more than ordinarily keen-sighted detected at times
something like exultation in his eye, he presumed it sprang from the
excitement of the moment and the anticipation of victory. The anxiety to
hear the speech was so intense, irrepressible and universal that no
sooner had the vice-president assumed the chair that a motion was made
and unanimously carried to postpone the ordinary preliminaries of
senatorial action and take up immediately the consideration of the
resolution.

Mr. Webster arose and addressed the Senate. His exordium is known by
heart everywhere. "Mr. President when the mariner has been tossed about
for many days in thick weather and on an unknown sea he naturally avails
himself of the first pause in the storm, the earliest glance of the sun
to take his latitude and ascertain how far the elements have driven him
from his true course. Let us imitate this prudence and before we float
furthe