Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-05-06
The little dogs and all,
Tray, Blanch and Sweetheart,
See-they bark at me o"

The little dogs and all,
Tray, Blanch and Sweetheart,
See-they bark at me"
All accounts agree IN praising the oratorical pow
ers ot Randolph. His manner was generally slow
and impressive, his voice Squeaking, but clear and
distinct, and, as far as il could be heard, what he
said was clearly understood. His gesture was
chiefly with his long and skeleton ike finger. The
imPressiveness with which he used it has been re-
marked by all who have heard him. When he was
sarcastic, amidst a thousand il would say, stronger
than language, 10 the individual whom he meant
Thou art the man." In his choice Of language he
was very fasudious, making sometimes a conside-
rable pause 10 select a word. His reading was
exteIsIve, and IN every department of knowledge
-.romanees, tales, poems, plays, voyages, travels,
history, biography, philosophy-all arrested hrs
attention., and each had detained him long enough TO
render HIM familiar with the best works of the kind.
dis mind was naturally cratic, and his desultnry
reading, as he never devoted himself TO profession,
and dipped a little into a |, Increased his natural and
mental waywardness. He seldom reasoned. and
when he did, 1t was with an effort that was painful.
and which cost him more trouble than il was worth.
lie said himself. in one Of his speeches IN the Sen.
ate OF the United States, shat he had a defect.
whether of education or nature was inmateriaL
perhaps proceeding from bolh-a defect which had
disabled him, from his first entrance into public life
10 the present hour, from making what is called a
regular speech" The defect was doubtless both
from education and nature; education might have IN
'NN"~f " hNo " khANg
but there was perhaps an idiosyncrRsy in the consti-
luton oil the man which compelled him TO be meleo-
rc and eTTatc IN mind, as well as temper. He said
lhat "ndlcule was the keenest weapon in the parlia-
mentaTy armory" and he learned all the tricks ofienc.
with IT, and never played with ioils, Hes seems to have
had mole admiration for the oraioTy OF Chatham
thhn that OF any other individual, If we may Judge
from the manner in which that great man is men
toned IN his speeches. They were certainly unlike
IN character, very unlike. Chatham having had had
I health md n hptnE Nran pnu.a H. =
Parliament ard made his best efforts when almosI
sinking from sickness, Randolph might have felt
that, as he had done the same thing, their Characters
were esslmilated. Chatham was seized with a faint
ing III when making his last speech, and died a short
time afterwards. And probably il is not idle specu.
lauon 10 say that Randolph, with a morbid or per.
haps an insane admiration Of his character, wished
TO sink as Chatham did, in the legislative hall. and
be borne thence TO die.
However, there was enough IN the cha -ac,er of
Oha'ham 10 win the admiration OF any one who 10.
we'd eloquence, without seeking in adyentitiour cir.
cumslances q motive for his admiration: and Ran.
dolph appreciated such talents s his too highly NOT
10 have admired them under all circumstances bpt
his reverence was doubtless increased from the re-.
sembance which lie saw ~ their bodily conditions.
and which, he was very willing u believe. extended
TO lheif minds. Chatham was bold, y6hemen'. resist.
less, not often witty, but em.nenuy successful when
ne attempted u; lnVectIye was his foue. In some
OF these points, Randolph TesembIed him. but tbsn
Ctatham's ell quence was but a means To gain his
ends his judgment was %Intuiuve, hrs sagacity unri-
vailed; he bore down oil opposition by his fearlsss
energies, and he compelled hs enemies TO adm,
that he was a public beneIctoT in the very breath
~ when lhey expressed their personal dislike.
Chatham kept his ends steadily in view. and meyer
WaVefed ~ his effort to gain Them. Not so Il ,n-
oolpn' lie reminds US OF the urchin in the Law
Of The Last Minstrel" who always used his lTr,yy
CT : with ? spirit o. dew try, 10 provoke, to annoy.
anu 10 inJure, no matter whom he woundeI !. o., wbsn
or where. Randolph old not want personal digni
", bot he wanted the dignity winch arises from
consistent conduct, a want which no brilli,ncv of
talent can supply. On the contrary, the splendor
~ high talents but serve IN make such jncon,,s-
tency the more apparent. flo was an int lectuaI
meteor, whose course no one could predict: but be
II where u might, all we're certain that IL would b ne
and wrther, and destroy. As a Statesman, III. be.
lieved that he never originated a single me su,e.
though his influence often destroyed the measures Of
Others. Some one observes shat tho hand which
. not able 20 build a hOyel may destroy a palice.1
and Ne seemed 10 have had a good deal u the ambi.
ton Of him who fired the Ephesiou dome. Asa
scholar, he leif nothing behind him, though his wit
vas VARIOUS and his a%cquirments profound. lie
seems not % have written a common communicate
for a newspaper, without great labor and f7Fidious
correction. ] have been Informed by D compos Tor
who set a part d his speech on "ret,enchment ~
which he dedicated 20 his constituents, tn a. hs
emenistlots were endless. ] have a part Of he
NfPf W NNla elHfNN htDlt wv " " NNLkGu Win a
trembling hand, but with great attention & puretu t.
ton, and with a delicate stroke Of the pen. IL va.
az an orstor, he shone; and hs an orator bis pow
~ Of claiming the attention Of his audience
has been, perhaps, never sufp1s Cd. In ar
assembly where Demosthenes, Cicero, Chatham
Mlnbsau, or Henry spoke, Randolph's eloqueno,
would have been listened 10 with profound interest
and his opposition would have been feared. As ar
orator he felt his power-he knew that in sloousne,
he welded a magic wand, nnd he was not onlv
fearless OF opposition. but he coursd II, Tor Who OF \,
B contemporaries has equalled him in the poVsr a
5 carrying on successfully the piuis1n warC,re O
a desultory debate-the cut and thrust-the steao
= aim1 Who could WELD like him the tomahavk. an
e Who OF them possessed his deIteuty IN scalping
} tos1 His trophies are numberless, and he woI
btm With the pride Of his pfogonitors, for there wi
hu'y a good deal Of Indian blood 10 his veins.
" . said that Randolph first signalizsd himself 1
making stump speech in Virgin a in oppos tioo
he fa'nek henryi scarcely any one knew him wh,
en- h'ro'e g. reply to Henry, and so strong was ri,
ry's conviction Of his powers, that he spoke Of In
ne ~ the highest terms, and prophesied his future =,
nd lnence. Randolph g~ortously said Of Henry m
Ie- he was Shakespeare and q inick combinsdp
We Ha do ph's eharac ett nd conduct Eorc,blv ;oo,,
II. upon us the power Of eloquenee in a republic