-
Memorandum of Mr. Jefferson’s Conversations (1824)
- University of Iowa Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
[92] kkk Memorandum of Mr. Jefferson’s Conversations (1824) Daniel Webster Accompanied by George and Anna Ticknor, Daniel Webster (1782–1852) visited Monticello in December 1824. By this time, Webster had already established himself as one of the nation’s leading orators and as a leader in the House of Representatives, where he took on such worthy opponents as Henry Clay. They spent five days at Monticello. On the evening after their departure , Webster dictated to Mrs. Ticknor a lengthy account of their conversations , which George Ticknor corroborated. Together, the three attempted to record what Jefferson had said as accurately as possible. The resulting memorandum is one of the most important records of Jefferson’s conversation available. Rather than recording their conversation with Jefferson in dialogue form, however, they recorded it as a series of anecdotes, which, in itself, is significant. Jefferson often saved his personal anecdotes to tell family members. That Webster was able to coax several personal anecdotes from Jefferson attests to his rhetorical skill. Having established his own reputation as an orator, Webster was curious about Patrick Henry, the greatest orator of the Revolutionary era. Jefferson related his general impressions of Henry. Jefferson’s comments are consistent with and elaborate on what he told William Wirt, Henry’s biographer. Webster coaxed many other anecdotes from Jefferson about the American Revolution, his time in France, and his encounter with the comte de Buffon; Webster even managed to solicit Jefferson’s opinion on Andrew Jackson. This visit to Monticello did much to change Webster’s opinions of Jefferson. Peter Harvey, who compiled a volume of reminiscences of Daniel Webster, observed: Mr. Webster was greatly interested in this visit to Jefferson, and he said that very much of the early prejudice which he had imbibed with his political opinions in youth, when he considered Jefferson a great heretic, was dispelled when he came into personal contact with the aged statesman, and saw him in his home. Jefferson’s great simplicity impressed him. [93] Mr. Webster believed him to be a sincere man, very true to his convictions; and was convinced that much of the abuse heaped upon him by the opposite party, which had accused him of being a demagogue and an anarchist, was unjust. Mr. Webster said to me once, in speaking of Jefferson, that he had more deeply impressed his opinions and theories, as well as his practical ideas of government, upon the legislation and destinies of the country, than any man that had lived. (Reminiscences and Anecdotes, 212) When the following memorandum was first published as part of The Private Correspondence of Daniel Webster, it was recognized as one of the best parts of the book. Several reviewers reprinted Webster’s character sketch of Jefferson that begins the memorandum. mr. jefferson is now between eighty-one and eighty-two, above six feet high, of an ample, long frame, rather thin and spare. His head, which is not peculiar in its shape, is set rather forward on his shoulders; and his neck being long, there is, when he is walking or conversing, an habitual protrusion of it. It is still well covered with hair, which having been once red, and now turning gray, is of an indistinct sandy color. His eyes are small, very light, and now neither brilliant nor striking. His chin is rather long, but not pointed. His nose small, regular in its outline, and the nostrils a little elevated. His mouth is well formed and still filled with teeth; it is strongly compressed, bearing an expression of contentment and benevolence. His complexion, formerly light and freckled, now bears the marks of age and cutaneous affection. His limbs are uncommonly long; his hands and feet very large, and his wrists of an extraordinary size. His walk is not precise and military, but easy and swinging. He stoops a little, not so much from age as from natural formation. When sitting, he appears short, partly from a rather lounging habit of sitting, and partly from the disproportionate length of his limbs. His dress, when in the house, is a gray surtout coat, kerseymere stuff waistcoat, with an under one faced with some material of a dingy red. His pantaloons are very long and loose, and of the same color as his coat. His stockings are woollen either white or gray; and his shoes of the kind that bear his name. His whole dress is very much neglected, but not slovenly. He wears a common round hat...