Burlington tri-weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1852-1855, 1855-01-20
MR.. JOHN b. COUGH.

MR.. JOHN b. COUGH.
Some few years back. in the early morn,
staggering from drunken debauch, might
be seen q young man, in the American town
of Newburyport; he had reached the church.
yard Of the town, and had come there to die.
In the wide world he stood alone. His wife
was dead he had no friends. He was over
whelmed with misery and debt. As he turn
ed around his ANXIOUS eye he saw no way Of
escape, no hope. There was nothing left but
the drunkard's nnhonorcd grave Another
drop, and he would have become suicide;
but the bottle struck his lips and saved his
life. He went back to the town. A temper
ance meeting was held, and he was induced
to sign the pledge. He did more, he left his
humble calling-that of a book binder-and
became a Jealous advocate Of the instrument
tality that had done so much for him.
Friends gathered around him. As an orator
he was perpetually in request. For ten years
he spoke three hundred times year, travel
ed ten thousand miles year; his name was
John B. Cough. His fame reached this coun-
try, and twelvemonth since he was engaged
by the committee of the London temperance
League to visit England. He came originally
for six weeks, but was induced to stop for
two years. Nor will those acquainted with
Exeter-hall oratory wonder at the result
See Cough as he stapds upon the platform,
and YOU at once learn the secret of his sue
cess. He is spare, thin man, with prema-
ture age stamped upon his face, with stat
ure by no means imposing. Dressed IN black,
you would take him for a very ordinary man,
and the first sentence that falls from his lips
strike YOU as little better than common
place. Wait while and the orator will
warm; the mass before him will respond, and
it will beat as with one pulse, while he con-
vulses it with laughter, or melts into tears
The eir ct is striking. The scoffer is touched;
the drunkard is reclaimed, the most degraded
feel that there is ethope and happiness, and
heaven for him. And what is it that does all
this? Not learning; for Mr.. Cough has new
er been to school since he was twelve years
old; not reasoning, torhe makes no profess
sion to the possession of argumentative pow
ers: nor rhetoric, for he tells plain, unvar-
nislied tale, and leaves it to others copiously
to illustrate, or gorgeously to disclaim.-
But the fac, is, that he is in earnest; that is
the terrible story of his life he unfoids; and
that, saved as by fire himself, he devotes for
others: real natural eloquence, that never
tires, never wearles; and tongue that never
grows dull. To save the drunkard-to stop
the ravages Of intemperance-to build up
barrier between the intoxicating cup and the
unpoluted lip--to bid man to be true to him
self and the Divine principle within him; and
to dash down the flowing bowl wreathed, as
it may be, by flowers, and presented by Beau
ty, for beneath turks serpent that may
8 Ing as an adder: such is the work Of Mr..
Gough-such is bis theme. Had he been an
orator alone, he must have failed long before
this; but he is an actor as well; he has an un-
usual hexibility of face and voice. His fea-
lures can express every shade of feeling his
tones can give utterance to every emotion Of
the human heart. lie can be all things in an
hour; he is the very Proteus Of the platform.
He walks up and down it as one inspired; and
you tremble all the while lest the speaker
and the audience, in the frenzy Of the mo-
ment. should rise up, and do something ex-
travagant or mad. Youfeel what wonder
full instrument the human voice is-what
power the orator wields. You feel that he
has as much power over men as when the He
brew Paul spoke and Felix trembled. or as
when the Athenian Demosthenes reused the
decaving hearts of his countrymen, and fulmi-
mated over Greece.
Mr.. Cough has now been twelve months in
this country, of which he is a natiye-for he
was born (August22, 1919 and spent twelve
years of his life at SYNDICATE. Since he has
been here he has travelled over England and
Scotland, and has delivered two hundred and
thirty-seven orations to audiences of an av-
erage Of one thousand five hundred persons.
He is accompanied by his second wife, an
American lady to whom he was married in
1S43. His father was soldier, and lives on
a pension in London. He has sister in
America, where he has purchased small es-
tate at Boylston, Worcester county, about
forty miles from Boston, where he usually re-
sides three months in the summer, and where
he enjoys the society of his numerous friends,
who visit him during the season of his relax
ation.-[ London Times.