The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-03-07

The proposition of Mr.. Davis Of Mississippi, that
speeches shall be published as delivered, ought TO
i be carried out. The people have right to know
what is said II is also act of justice to all who
,ake part in the debates. Reporting is now arrived
Al perection. mans words can be preserved
precissly as he utters them. 1t was very different
in the days when Samuel johnson was a reporter
This amusing anecdote is told in Boswell's book ::
OF the reports in the Gen,leman's Magazine,
Mr. Murphy says: :" That Johnson was the author
OF the debates, was not generally known; but the
secret transpred several years afterwards and was
avowed by himself on the following occasion: Mr.
Wedderburne, afterwards Lord Loughborough,)
Dr. johnson, Dr. Francis, (the translator of Horace)
Murphy himself, and others, dined with the late
Mr.. Foote. An important debate towards the end
of Sir Robert Walpole's administration being men
toned, DR.. Francis observed, that Mr.. Pitts
speech on that occasion was The best he had ever
read He added, that he had employed eight
years of his life in the study of Demosthenes, and
finished translation of that celebrated orator with
all the decorations of style and language within the
reach Of his capacity; but he had met with nothing
equal to the speech above mentioned Many of
the company remembered the debate and some
passages were cited with the appreciation and ap-
saton, Johnson remained silent As soon as the
warmth of praise subsidized, he opened with these
words: That speech wrote in a garrett in Exeter
street. The company was struck with astonish-
ment After staring at each other in silent amaze,
Dr. Francis asked how that speech could be written
by him. Sir, said Johnson, wrote it in Exeter
street. l never have been in the gallery of the
House Of Commons but once. Cave had interest
with the door-keepers. He, and the persons en-
ployed under him, gained admittance: they brought
away the subject of discussion, the names of the
speakers, the sides they TOOK and the order in which
they rose, together with notes of the arguments adj
vanced in the course of the debate. The whole
was afterwards communicated TO me. and COM
posed the speeches in the form which they now
have in the Parliamentary Debates To this dis
covery DR.. Francis made answer Then, sir, you
have exceeded Demosthenes himself, for to say that
you have exceeded Francis Dsmoslhenes, would
be saying nothing The rest of the company
bestowed lavish encomiums on johnson; one,
in particular, praised his mpartality, observing
that he dealt out reason and eoquence with an
equal hand to both parties. That is not quite
true,' said Johnson; / saved appearances tolera-
bly, well, but took care that the wing dogs did
not have the best of it,
The speech of Mr.. Pitt, referred to, was, no
doubt, the celebrated reply TO Sir Robert Walpole,
beginning, 7" the atrocious crime of being a yonng
man." March 10, l741; but there is in the state.
ment slight inaccuracy, arising, perhaps, from
slip Of Johnson's memory, who, by Mr.. Boswell's
list of Johnson's residences, appears not to have
resided in Exeter street, after his return to London
in 1887.