The Portland daily press., 1867-04-01

er the water, OF which he imbihed so eoI
while speaking, affected his brain. the audianay
could not satisfactorily determine, but II woS
certain that some disturbing element had en-
tered his composition.
He had not gone far when it was noticed
that his repetitions erefrequent, his sentences
utts rly pointless and involved, and his pro-
nunciation of such words as "conshtooshnup'
quite peculiar. After about half an hour his
audience began to grow inpatient at his dull,
tedious and meaningless repehhons, and to
snunie about as though anxious for change.
ha hAoout @ three-quarters of an hour from the time
800 JSoiseinehced, he was interrupted by NOISY,
10y fellow just in front of him, and dispute
ioa, .ne you're another style followed, until the
chser;n, quieted the audience, meantime,
49,, hlssing, and Icallng to Blair to sit
and Soon uly up" Blair, however, went on,
ahoa.o soon there came another storm of mingled
Gneers, Misses, whistles and lond calls fnr aIoo-
n.'e, Doohttie." But Mr.. Blair was not to
ne qI,e'eu ' mus and alter telling the audience
.,;shaJ :" haa. nvt % detain them long, as they
his dreary augmentation Up "e''''
soon the audience renewed their efforts for
a relief from Blair, and with loud cries @f all
down, go on, go on forever" with scraping
of feet and Kisses were heard. Blair, undannt,
ed, waited till cries had ceased, and then he
gan again his argument on negro loyalty and
negro suffrage. The seedy patriot in front of
him, reused once more ut this, remarked in an
energetic manner damn the nagur-let us
chance for argument, which Blair would not
pass by, and another discussion ensued be-
tween the two philanthropists ON the expedi-
ency of talking about "the nagur Having
settled this matter, the persistent taiker re-
turned once more to the discussion OF our
cOnstooshnal rights" This was too much for
the audience. They aaised such hubDuD
that even Blair's obscured perceptions couid
not mistake its purport, and SO after an hour
ana forty minutes of stupid, meaningless, IN
fWndAla 10 p.oin. ,,ant,,, of
ern JohnsOnism, loftily waved an adieu, and
ungracefuly subsided, while the audience
gave sigh of relief, followed by one outburst
OF genuine applause And this was the end
Of Blair.
The purpose we have had in view in giving
the above extracts, is not to show up the un-
pleasant and unfortunate condition in which
public speaker appeared before an audience or
to convey the impression that because it was
Democratic meeting such an exhibition was
in keeping or to be expected, or even to
vindicate the substantial truth of the para
graph to which the Aryus has taken exeep-
tions. None of these considerations have
prompted this article but it seemed fitting
opportunity to say word upon another point,
OF equal importance to Democrats and Re
publicans Gen. Blair undoubtedly had been
to be afflicted into an indulgence beyond his
strength, which served to bewilder his mind
and unfit him for the work he had undertaken.
This is no new thing with men in high posi-
ton. Such misfortunes do not befall our
Democratic friends alone. We think Repub-
leans have been chagrined in the same way
Probably it would not be necessary to go out
Of this city OF further back than our last cam
paign to find at least partial parallel for the
case of Gen. Blair, so far as the condition of
his brain was concerned, and yet we are not
disposed to hurl vindictive thunderbolts at
either of the gentlemen because, in an I'M
guarded hour, they yielded to a too common
temptation, and thus allowed themselves to
take on a temporary condition less apparent to
themselves than to those who saw and heard
them. '.'.
If Gen. Blair thought enough of the Demo-
Gratis of Connecticut and their cause to make
the journey from st. Louis to address them,
the Hartford committee should have had suf-
ficient regard for him and his reputation to
hold him back from public speaking when he
was not in condition to do so. So much was
due to him, and though delicate office to per-
form his true friends should have faithfully
performed it, and in his clear-headed moments
he would thank them for so doing 1t is an in
suit to an audience knowingly to introduce to
them, as a public speaker, an Incompetent per-
son, and it is a great wrong and unkindness to
the speaker to be thus introduced when he has,
by over indulgence, untitled himself for such
a labor and remains-as most men do under
such circumstances totally unconscious of
his true condition.
A stranger-a popular stump orator-if not
bound to absolute total abstinence, and espec-
tally if he has strong social feelings, is almost
unav vOidably thrown in the way of q great
many invitations to indulge his appetite over
social glass, and men who drink but seldom
will ask and expect him 10 drink with them
The result is, often, that, while if left to himself
he would remain perfectly sober and clear
headed, under the influences which surround
him he drinks more than he can bear, and be-
fore he is aware of it other persons will discov-
er the cloud upon his mind, and the embarrass-
ment in his speech. The friends who have, in
mistaken kindness, been instrumental in
bringing him into such condition, should
then of all times, show their real friendship by
keeping him from public exposure which
may cost him days and months of bitter regret.
This should have been done by Gen. Blair
if the report from the Hartford paper does
Injustice to his condition and appearance, land
this should have been done in other cases,
some of which have been as humiliating to Re-
| publicans as the Hartford exhibition could pos
| sibly have been to Democrats.