Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-09-22
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eHAEAorER OF LoRD BRousHAM.-
Brougham is a ehundefbolt. He may
come in the dark, he may come at ran
dom, his path may be in the Fiewless,
praspless air; but give him something
solid. let him come IN contact with the
earth. and, be it beautiful OF barren, /
feeIsthe power of his terrible visitation.
You see not, on rather you heed not, tht
agent which works; but, just as the
archgianf of physical destToyers rend'
his way, you see the Kingdoms of Ma
ture yielding at his approach, and the
,Rightiest OF their productions brushed
aside as though they were dust, or torn
IS though they were gossanaerl
-stWhile he raises his voice in the House
while he builds firmly and broadly
The basis of his propositions, and snat-
ches from every science beam to en-
large and strengthen his work; and
while he Indignantly beats down and
tramples upon all that has been reared
-bghis antagonist, you feel as if the wand
of aunihilation was in his hand, and the
power of destruction in his possessionl
Ia There cannot be a greater treat than
to hear Broughamo upon one of those
great questions which give scope for the
mighty swell of his mind, and which
permit him TO launch the bolts of that
tremendous sarcasm, for which be has
not now, and perhaps never had anequal
IN the House. When his display is a
reply, you see his lsthy figure drawn
aside from others. and coiled up within
itself like snake. and bis eyes glancing
from under the slouched bar; you mark
the twin demons of irony and contempt,
playing about the terse and compressed
lines Of his mouth '-
Up rises the orator slowly and clum-
silly. His body swung in an attitude
which is none the most graceful. His
long and sallow visage seems lengthen-
ed and deepened in its hue. His eyes,
his nose and mouth, seem huddled to-
gether, as if, while he presses every
Illustration in his speech, he were at the
same time condensing all bis senses into
one. There is a lowering sublimity in
his brows which one seldom sees equal
ed; and the obliquity Of the light shows
the organization of the upper and later
!al.parts ffhis forehead, proud and pal
pable as the hills of his native north
His left hand is extended, prepared as
an anvil, upon which he is ever and
anon to hammer with the fore finger of
his right, as the preparation to that full
swing which is to give life to every mus
Gle, and motion to every limb. He
speaksl In the most powerful and sus-
tanned, and at the same time in the most
close, clear and logical manner, does he
demolish the castle which his opponent
has built for himself! You hear the
sounds, you see the flash, you look for
the castle, and it is not; stone after stone,
turret after turret, battlement after bat
tlement, wing after wing, are melted
away, and nothing is left, save the sure
foundation upon which the orator him
self may buildl There are no political
bowels in him. He gives no quarter,
and no sooner has he razed the fort
than he turns him to torture the garri-
son. He is now something more terri
bic than the satire or mock solemnity of
Canning, the glow of Burdett, or the
glory of Maekintoshl His features,
(which are always gravel assumes the
very depth of solemnity; and his voice
(which is always solemn falls into that
under sophrano, THAT visionary tone be-
tween speech and whisper) which men
employ when they speak of their own
graves and cofins. You would imagine
it not audible, and yet its lowest sylla-
bic runs through the House like wildfre.
You would think it only meant for the
ear of him who is the subject of it, yet
it comes Immediately, and powerfully,
and without the possibility of being for
gotten, to every one within the walls
You would think it the fond admonition
of a sainted father to the errors of a be-
loved son; and which the devil is said
to exercise, when he acts as accuser OF
the brethren. You may push aside the
bright thing which raises a laugh; you
may find cover from the wit which
ambles you on antitheses, or quotation;
but against the home reproof of Broug-
ham there is no defense; its course is SO
firm that you cannot dash it aside.