The Arkansas banner., 1846-02-25
From he Baltimore .7mcricaa. HON. ANDREW kENNEDY-ELO.
QUENCF


 QUENCE.
 An eloquent man is MR. KESyEpY-ndne more so in the Congress of the United States 1 He is as foreible as thunder. and at the same l time as smooth as oil If there be man now in the Councils of the nation, who t!e- sereys the distinction of being called all ora tor, he Is the man. To one who reads his speeches, he seems to speak without an ef- l fort, merely to open his lips. and out pushes q strong and powerful and majestic tide of eloqHeHee. He seems to defy criticism, inas- much as he does not appear 10 make any points like other speakers. Most all prac- tised dehaters set out to prove given point, and generally disclose il at the opening ol their speeches. 'fhe logician merely always does this. The man who Is anxious to win the double fame of the orator and the reason- CT, is apt 10 preface the substantial parts of his effort with a kind of flourish, n order to command attention or win applause. Some again wind the mellow horn at the close of what they have to say, i'll order to leave up- on the mind of the nearer vivid and lasting impression. All these are mere artists al most. rhetoficians. At an early period, the attention Of men was dawn 10 the subject of eloquence, ,..andt they in all ages, have endeavor- ed to reachit by art. Culture may go great WAY, and when united with plactice, and in the absence of any physical defect, may attain something. This something is often lines mistaken for eoquence, and in the ab- sence of the genuine article, does and ought to pass for 1t. We never know the difference between the tive, until they are heard togeth- CT, and then, as in all other cases in which nature and art are brought in contrast, the mighty mother asserts her splendid superori- ty, and wears the laurels, with none to dis pute her claims. It has been said, that it is the province of the orator ito persuade" So it may be; but to be able to persuade does not make the orator. If so, then the mathe- matician is an orator, for he rersuades men that the three angels of triangle are equal to two right angels. We cannot pretend to define M4at is eloqnence. Men have failed at that for centuries; so we will stop by call ing it magic and a mystery. Weknow how we feel when we read the famous speech of Patrick Henry, and therefore when d man makes us feel, as we do when we read that, We may very correctly set him down as an orator. We do not mean the same in degree, but in kind By no means do we intend to compare MT. Kennedy 10 Patrick Henry. but intend to point him out as one of the best orators, perhaps the very best, in the House of Representatives. The most letter. ed member from the Eastern States, onu who may boast Y ale or Cambridge as his Alma Mater, does not speak purer and better Eng fish than he does. We have understood, how and from whence we do not remember, and therefore dc not speak 1t absolutely, that he is a self-made man. If this be true, his case is still more surprising for self-made men do not generally win distinction by the puri- ty of their language Strong, bold and ori- ginal thoughts, are the ladders by winch they mount the height and reach the temple of fame. Mir. Kennedy is from the Slate of In- diana, is yet a young man, and who can say in what position he will be found in the year 1860 if he lives No position is too high for such man. We have spoken of him as an orator, as a reasoner we might say just as much, and yet not overstep the boundaries of truth. In fine, we may say of him both as to intellect and eloquence, that he is the EZPklcl Ol lHc lOWPT House.
 SPEECH OF AlR. KENNEDY,
 OF INDIANA,
 On Hc Oregon Question, in Ae House Q Re
 pfeSeMaticeS, JaR&ary 10, 1916.
 Mir. Kennedy addressed the committee. If any one (AIr Kennedy said,) had listened to this discussion, without knowing what was the proposition before the House, he would have supposed thai 1t was one upon question of war with Great Britain. All who argued against the notice to Great Bri- tain had considered that il would inevitably lead to a war.
 contend (said Mr. K that 1t IS not a question of war; and that the measure pro- posed If adopted) will not necessarily lead to 1t. But has it come to this, that to give notice which, by the terms of the conven- ton, may be given by either party at any time, shall be considered as declaration of war: cannot assent to such proposition as that. But be that as it may, the western gentlemen here are disposed to look not to the consequences of the act proposed but to its propriety, and to review 1t not as ques- ton of war, but of right Does the Oregon Territory belong to the United States! That, sir, is the principal question. That is the question that we look to, no matter whether peace or war be the result
 If we had slept long over our rights, as some gentlemen had said, it was because the people had not become acquainted with them. But now the people of the West have exam ined the question, and with the aid that you