I heartily thanked him,
and on the next day, prompt on time, I entered the train at Boston
for Plymouth. When I arrived at the hotel, which is also a station-
house of the railway, I did not know a single person in the great
assemblage. In due time we were ushered into the dining hall where
the banquet was spread. There was no mistaking Webster. He sat
at the center of a cross table with the British minister on his
right and Jeremiah Mason on his left. At the other end of the room
sat Abbott Lawrence and other distinguished men. The residue of
the guests, merchants, poets, and orators of Massachusetts, filled
every seat at the tables. I sat some way down on the side and
introduced myself to my neighbors on the right and left, but my
eye was on Webster, from whom I expected such lofty eloquence as
he alone could utter.

Much to my surprise, when the time came for the oratory to commence,
Mr. Lawrence acted as toast master. We had stories, songs, poetry
and oratory, generally good and appropriate, but not from Webster.
And so the evening waned. Webster had been talking freely with
those about him. He displayed none of the loftiness associated
with his name. He drank freely. That was manifest to everyone.
His favorite bottle was one labeled "Brandy." We heard of it as
being "more than a hundred years old." It did not travel down to
us. Webster was plainly hilarious. At this time the conductor
appeared at a side door and announced that in fifteen minutes the
cars would start for Boston. Then Webster arose--with difficulty
--he rested his hands firmly on the table and with an effort assumed
an erect position. Every voice was hushed. He said that in fifteen
minutes we would separate, nevermore to meet again, and then, with
glowing force and eloquence, he contrasted the brevity and vanity
of human life with the immortality of the events they were celebrating,
which century after century would be celebrated by your children
and your children's children to the latest generation.

I cannot recall the words of his short but eloquent speech, but it
made an impress on my mind. If his body was affected by the liquor,
his head was clear and his utterance perfect. I met Mr. Webster
afterwards on the cars and in Washington. I admired him for his
great intellectual qualities, but I do not wonder that the people
of the United States did not choose him for President.

Soon after the national Whig convention of 18