Calhoun was a great debater, but was too dry and hard for the highest eloquence.

John Quincy Adams, despite his physical limitations, carried the eloquence of combat and bitter retort to the highest point in the splendid battles of his congressional career, but his learning, readiness, power of expression, argument, and scathing sarcasm were not rounded into a perfect whole by the more graceful attributes which also form an essential part of oratory.
Mr.Webster need not fear comparison with any of his countrymen, and he has no reason to shun it with the greatest masters of speech in England.

He had much of the grandeur of Chatham, with whom it is impossible to compare him or indeed any one else, for the Great Commoner lives only in fragments of doubtful accuracy.

Sheridan was universally considered to have made the most splendid speech of his day.

Yet the speech on the Begums as given by Moore does not cast Webster's best work at all into the shade.