The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-07-28
COLORED ORATORS.

C0LORED ORATORS.
correspondent of the New York Trtbun
gives his impressions of the Colored Mem
Convention which met at Rochester on thu
9th instant, in tone and in terms of admira
ton which cast into the shade all that is re
ported of the Presidents progress from Wash
ington to New York, with the ceremony anC
celebration of the Crystal Palace opening be-
sides Something must be allowed for the
writer's surprise, and something subtracted fol
his enthusiasm; but his instances and illustra
tons 90 very far to support his estimate o.
the character, talents, and conduct of the as
sembly. Indeed, the fine qualities of his own
style of thought and utterance, are no mean
proof of his competency to form just judg-
ment in the premises. He names Douglass,
Day, Remond, Woodson, Reason, McCune
Smith, PendletOn, Green, Gaines Langstone,
and some others, as distinguished among their
fellows for abilities as speakers, and whom no
thinks could not be matched in the average
by the Legislatures of any Of the States, nor
by either of the existing Houses of the Fede-
raj Congress This looks like piling it up
pretty high, and will probably carry little
weight with those who know nothing of the
men he speaks of, and less of those with whom
they are compared SO much to their advantage
Our own opinion, if we could raise the cour-
age to avow it, might serve as an endorsement
in blank. We have heard and felt Douglass
Remond, and Woodson and for opportunity
Of comparison, we have heard few of those
renowned orators whom we would scarcely be
allowed to name in such connection-men of
the first rank in the pulpit, at the bar and on
the stump and-but, may be, we had better
not
Well, the first time we heard Douglass, then,
was at Pittsburgh, nine years ago, and more.
Mr. Clay was in the Senate, Mr.. Webster was
Tyler's Secretary Of State Walter Forward
was Secretary of the Treasury-he was at
home on visit, that night, and was sitting in
the seat beside us. Douglass was chattel
personal of one Mr. Aud of Maryland at that
time, and under the laws Of our happy coun-
try, fugitive from service and labor. Mr.
Clay was saying that is property which the
law makes property-two hundred years of
legislation have sanctioned and sanctifed ne
gro slavery" Mr.. Webster was demanding
restitution from the British Government for the
slaves that had escaped from the Creole ) Mr..
Aud stood upon his vested rights; and there
stood Douglass upon the spring board of his
wrongs--if space could have been annihils.
ted, as pretty conjunction Of men and things
as one could desire for q dramatic tableau
Calhoun, too, was alive, intensely alive, thai
same night. Douglass put them all upon TIT
stage before us as really as Shakespeare ooult
have done it then, or the Witch Of Endcr now
Half an hour we held our places, hdgeting a
first then frightened, into the cutting con
seriousness of somehow participated culpabil
ity in the villanies charged home upon ou
Consultation and our color; then, carried on
of ourselves, exchanging those quick glance
that telegraph the unknown depths of men
spirits compelled into the light, till time an
space and every law Of mortal matter yielded
and we swept away into that strange regio
where inspired thought clothes itself wit
ideal forms, and not pulse or breath break
the enraptured vision. There in that charme
atmosphere the magician reared the Nations
Capitol, opened the Senate Chamber and reI
resented TO q miracle the men that we hn
thought were without a model or a SHADOW
twas even terrible to our sympathies, 30 deel
ly enlisted, to witness the daring of that vi
lettered slave, attempting the personaton
Clay, Calhoun, and Webster, in action, though
and utterance. Gracefully athletic in his flo
Of thought as Clay in his happiest mood whe
he presented him arguing the right of restit'
tion-terribly Commemorative as Calhoun in vii
dicating the international obligation and POI
derously logical as Webster in expounding ii
doctrine Of the demand His astoundin
power Of transformation, his perfect clearne
of discrimination, and his redundant abili
in the execution, more than justified the aud
city Of the design. To see one man with q
tho varied capacity Of these three, mixir
them up, without confusion or mistake, in Il
puppct-show Of his imagination, and playin
upon them at his pleasure, was verify sigl
to see. But the bitter burlesque of the Amer
can Eagle, with the Secrctary's missive tucks
under his wing, bouncing down upon the Bri
ish Lion, and screaming in his ears " not tho
words Of mortal terror to the tyrant beast
oil men are free and equal-so ruefully r
membered; not that dreadful battle.cry-Fr,
Trade and Sailors Rights-to start his rsoel
} wounds afresh; but-but-Ip ant my niggus
That capped the climax; and we have an Ga
nest doubt IL any man in that assembly h