Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-11-24
MISCELLANEOUS.
Correspondence IF he y O. C'e'tent.
John Van Baren---Thc New York Free
SU,crs.
Nrw YoKK, Tuesday. Oct. 10.

Nrw YORK, Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Fps. CREsceHT :-Last evening, by dirt
Of an early appearance on the ground. aud
waiting resoluiely amid those innoyances
and common.places that f'l up the first hour
Of a mass n%eeting,"l got a first tate view
and hearing Of John Van Buren-saw hiai in
tho strong glare Of a tho, sand fire wok
| tights, and heard every word that he uttered.
/ This was my best sight yet Of Prince John;
aud ! tugged the matter through on purpose
TO give your good " Crescent" n full descrip-
ton of the great Batnbufner. AS 10 the meet.
ing (it was On the old spot, in the Park /!
was one OF the big ones. Standing on the
front steps Of the city Hail the most %vitreous
Of moonlight bathing tue whole scene, ]
stretched MY eyes in vain TO mark the con-
fines Of the mighty crowd. Lord, what Il
lovely night il was, though! And the great
roar Of Broad way and Chatham Street.-The
dark and dim trees Of the Park-long row OF
| printers lights in the top stories from Tam
many Hall 10 Spruce street; know YOU not
those features from your own remembrance!
Surely you do.
The personal appearance Of Van Buren,
would hardly warrant one in expecting from
him any high evidences Of inteIlectnality.-
His complexion is light; hair ditto full and
placid blue eye, fame tall enough and stout
enough, and with an evidence Of youthful
freshness and vigor that would attract nine
teen women's eyes out Of twenty
"You may look from east TO west,
And'ihen from north to soLth,
And never find an ampler breast,
Never an ampler mouth;
A softer tone for lad ear,
A daintier lip for syrup,
Or a ruder grasp for an axe or spear,
Or frmer foot for siirup."-PrGcd.
With his pink collar, rather expressionless
visage, and no earthly means of telling from
his manner what tack he is going TO take,
John Van Buren, gets small good from any
earliest impressions on his audience. The
matter is not mended either by the quality Of
his voice, which, neither deep nor sonorous,
| strikes You at first like the chromatic notes
after hearing regular ones.
Blu, the voice reaches and pierces clearly
10 a remarkable distance in the largest and
most noisy assembly. Mr.. Van Buren, has
probably systematised his pitch Of voice on
acoustic principles, and from close expert
ment and practice. Nor would it be unpro.
ftable for public speakers generally TO follow
his ~exanpIe for sumo of the loudest and
showiest speakers can neither be heard dis
tinctly by those near them or the rest at a dis
lance. Not so with Mr.. Van Buren,. You
nave the comfort of losing not a word-not
the infexion of a syllable even. By-1nd-by.
too, the voice becomes more agreeable, and
YOU find il inimitably fitted TO the dry and
crispy humor that makes SO large a portion Of
his address.
The FIRE Of oratory, as we are accu stoned
10 picture it 10 our minds in the historical eX.
emplars of that divine art-the sweeping trair
Of regal ornament-the impassioned appea
graceful and dignihed ge~stures-such a
grand temper and port az we could idenlif,
with Cicero, or such lightning breath as il
Demos;henes, or such molten scorn and per
s~uasion as in Patrick Henry, or Clay in hi
best days-aii or either Of these, in any ex
cellence,-Mr. Van Buren, does not possess
His manner on the contrary, is serene ant
smooth not like the pondeTous smoothness {
Silas Wright that carried with it the signs {
depth that common plummct hardly coul
sound but a calm complacency more lik
that Of an Indifferent. needless child. II
usss very little gesture when he benz
down it is almost a sure thing that he give
one of those sarcastic bits of humor that Gu
to the very hearts Of his victims. And y
all seems done in good humor. There is n
a particle Of malignance or spite. lquesti;
indeed, whether any of John Van Buren,
speeches show a lot of those qualities. Ho
= oIed be he, for this, ~ any rate! We ha
too much, among our politicians, Of persor
bitterness, and its ex posnre in their pub
proceedings. Even those at whose expen
he launches his jokes, may generally lau
VI with the rest. 81
Ii | were asked TO give the leading pc,
l~iarities Of Mr.. Van Buren's style and IN,
ner, | should say they were condensati
cIearness and wit. He often presents
very new arguments /; but he invariably r
sents them in new and clearer light-so cl
indeed, that they come upon your mind |
an explained promblem in mathematics
n This is assisted by his slow and deliber
manner no hurry, no feverish pushing
ward, but every thing in its due order. 7
difference between him and other speak
is a good deal like the difference betwee
man working by the day and another WI
ing by the job. John Van Buren, never I
fl. an audience in his life, | am sure and ne
worried them by his rapidiiy. His wit /
the purest in the world. II wuuld extor
laugh from the most morose anchoritt
Nothing artificial, nothing strained bu
comes into the body OF his remarks appar
ly Just as much a matter Of course as the
positions and coniunctions. No words
describe the droll way in which he now
then turns of a sentence on some Of his
ponents-thousands meanwhile shaking
laughter, foes as well as friends. He
sesses that rare faculty of appearing perl
ly unconscious of his wi wit he never
ters the point of a joke with an air tina, Sc
to demand, "lsn't that a good one 2" w
others laugh, he is cool, dry and cant
changing not a muscle, and not a pot On
witty, either.
Perhaps some free and easy spectator t.
advantage Of HIS right Sf - free speech,'
ntter a criticism or a question. He n
does 1t a second time, however. Mr..
Buren, seizes upon the ialehopa,ion, and +