Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-07-06
,r.,n h phiiadplphIn l~nqu!rer.l

To sketch John G.. BrecklnrluSe Is no easS
task. The difficulty is TO keep the pen in pro-
ner restraint, for such is the inspiration Of the
,bomo tia, the temptation TO run oil into pane.
eyric is almost irresistible. Let us give a lev
dates, and then pass TO a presentation OF inc
man himself, for, after all, 1t Is . view OF tile
living coming man the people want ana not a
lesson in chronology:
.Jons c. BnEcHISElpGE: IS lhirt!-nlne years
old, and Vice President OF the Ctitcd States.
lie is I Kentuckian, born near Lexington, Jant!'
ary &c. 1921, and is \ scholar, lawyer and sol
der. For these pursuits, nc was educated ut
Centre College, Princeton, lransyiSania lnsti'
trtc. and on the field in Mexico. Alter the
| Close Of the Mexican war, he returned to his
practice at the bar, but was soon elected 10 the
! LEGISLATURE Of Kentucky. and very soon after
tbst a.ain to the National House OF Rrprcscn-
tatiyes, where he served from 1901 to lSlJ.
During the latter period he was offered the
mission to Spain hy President Pierce. This
was 4 giiltering temptation l" so Young man,
lint After a short reflection the protter was mo-
dcstly but firmly declined, because his bust
ness ard personal affairs required home at
tcntion, and because of his desire TO Withdraw
| for 4 time from public life. This purpose he
obeyed, until the Cincinnati Convention, in
| 1s5j, Nv its spontaneous suffrage, afterwards
confirmed by the people, made him Vice Pre-
sident of the United States. by virtue of this
office. he is now presiding over the American
Senate. His term does not expire until the 3d
Of March, 1861, but he has already been re.
turned to tho Senate, TO represent the State OF
Kentucky, from that day until March Sd,
1857.
This is a skeleton sketch Of a1r. Breckin-
ridges career. Much might be said about it,
hut is crca; distinctive feature is its prc.emi.
ncut success. Ia COLLEGE he was the chief of
his comrades, and the brightest intellect in
every class-at the bar he was prominent from
the very start-in the army he stepped at once
into consnicuous rank and high cstceln-in the
legislature he was the acknowledged first ora
tor oG The '.noturiouslv eloquent State oil Men
,ucky"-cn the broader Theatre OF Congress,
HI. was. by universal consent, the leader and
| CHAMPION Of his party. and ablest exponent of
itS upl;cy-wiilc in ins latest and highest po-
s,,;nn. il is his characteristic distinction ~ have
been elected 1T tho age of thirty five, when
cioht wears Younger than the Youngest OF his
predecessors, and 10 have discharged the dill
! lies Of the President Of the Senate with a grace,
dignity, and Justice, unsurpassed by tic eldest
and aJlcst of them all. Such Il career could
not fail, and of conrSc has not failed, to at
tract the widest public notice. II mnSt mean
sOnieth ing.
Let us row present Tie man. Major Brock
inriLgc is in person about six feet high, with a
18th, well knit, graceful orm-inollldrd for &C
;iyity and strength. Accordingly, he has a.
wars been fond of mainly and athletic sports,
surpassing his fellows IN these rs in other con-
tests, for he never laiird to beat them ali. In
deed, there is Il well authenticated instance, in
one Of his exciting campaigns, ol Ills .lHnlpil.
into the affections" Of i squad Of the kentucky
! soyereigns, and getting their votes by beating
them all nj Il long leap. which he did without
any troubl. whatever. KS usual III nil cases ol
! great force o! character, he has strongly mark.
! ed f.a,urcs--thc broad high, impending lore
head Of the nan Of mind, and the masslyc Jaw
and firmly set mouth bctokening ~rcso!ute will
and cou, age. His hair now a very little sill
vcred--.S dark, and thrown back from his tenn
vlc, ard his eve is like an eagles. When ab'
| sorbed il. thought his FACE wears Il severe as
peel, 5nt in soc;a! life, i! is = fine manly conn.
%ienancr, oYc:siowins with genial, frank, and
kindly ]SympaihiCs. liut 1t is dair when
aroused III debate that you! see the ih!i play h'
his expressive features. Then they are lit up
OK lightning, but no art If words CAL repro
dacr that picture Oh paper.
70 convey any clear iica I'll Breckenridge
as 4 parliamentary speaker, II Is necessary To
give Spccillrn extracts from his reported
SSpceches. but in 2 sketch so limited, in plan,
as this, these mus: be ~cnniinctl 10 the brielrst
space CT excluded altogether. Those VINO
would sec low his speeches lock in print
| should read his vindicatiOn Of General Butler,
| his review 0f the Nebraska Bill, his address
On leaving the old Senate Chamber ard his GU
~lociuin upon Henry Clay. These are fair sam
piles Of his stY!e il, debate and in set = speech.
But white they illustrate his nervous and Gle
giant G;clion, li.; statrSln"ulikc views and his
lofty tone CT mind. they yet fail utterly 10 give
4 true impression Of him rs an orator. For the
! charm al maI,:,cr !. rUt set Town with tho
words. the ~,ansirai intouat!on. the telling en-
phas,s, the ~arace.,,, cid significant gesture,
the hich a:m, chivalrous bearing. the deep Ter
var Of passion and the electric Ire Of his eye
arc all lost. Yet these arc the qualities by
which lie Is sire to magnct!ze his auditors into
sympathy. captivatc their judgments and i'll.
flame them with his own enthusiasm. Until
some subtle process IS discovered BY which the
reporter cai catch these qualities and cilrystal
IL. them ia.n words, all verbal attempts TO
describe Brcckinridge's uratory must fail.
4 reference to y OCCASIONS will Sailicr to il
~lusira;c a!I thu: need further b. said Of Major
Breckenridge Is q speaker.
During the heat OF the Presidential canvass
cf 1872, certain rulnors were current about IN
trirucs between General Nm. y. Butler and
the Free soi! Democrats, whereby il was alleged
that the furn!c: had secured the support OF the
Free-soiicrs, by p~lcdging himself in advance 10
give them certain patronage anu position, II
elected. THIS, Breckenridge knew 10 be false,
and indignant thai s';ch calulnnlcS should be
raised against so good Il man, vino was Al ono"
his commander, his constituent and tbs friend,
he arcs. at the first lifting occasion, in the
| Elnusc, aud poured out his heart in a rIndlca.
! ton that silcnced the Islander forever, and car.
RED everybody way captive. After reading
4 Letter from General T., fully diSEroving the
charge, he said: II dare affirm that IS the let
ter of a uatriot and an honest man; perhaps
too honorable for political advancement, in
these times, vet he has not I friend who would
rot rather see him sink beneath the manly
ayowal Of his principles and thoS" Of his State,
than to sec him creep into power by hctraylns
both. What the effect Of this may he. in Ger
tain quarters. | know not; but DEFY any man
whose hear, chcriS!,cs the love o! honor, to
read ,hcS. letters without airalring the man
who wrote them :-'-AN TIE hereditarg IT,
xsiaes Of lis race spura e~0nesai"sni and
ernx:oa.'" Abiding to tie Tnmors again, Mr..
r. said: az they were true, Genera! l;ul!er
would be c~tcrnallv Gishonorcd, because the
public raan bctrays bis party, who comes I'M
der obligation TO less than the whole. AMI he
who makes agreements with factions or sec.
tious, ~forgcits the confdrncc Of all the rest
Brt they arc not true. In the name of the
Kentucky Democracy | deny them. meet
them reeoilimg ,iifom TIC &potless choractfr q
their otjtct. AND | TnANri.i: THEN BENEATH Wy
FEET
As he spoke this i">i sentence, his voice made
the hail ring again. #.l s~"aspina ~ tie 'rcroii-
ing" SANDERS lie @aS*:ad Them 1" his feet, and
"t1anplcd nn then" a. though he w:S crush
ing out their verY liic. The whole house was
electrified, and iher. "as a Sympathetic and