Middletown transcript., 1868-02-22

State, and was bound to say something
telling" and strong. /, He stands on his
own legs, and not on prescriptive repnta-,
ton, opinions, or policies. He is at this
moment the grandest figure, the foremost
man in England. He seemed to me, NOR,
ally, to tower immeasurably above all the
mobiles and distinguished men about him.
He is indeed dangerous man. He goes
rather too fast for John Bull. Still, as one
of my English friends said to me, g Eng
land win and must have substantial re-
forms, it matters not what minister is in
power" The most striking looking man
in the House of Commons IS Disraeli. |
did not hear him speak. His head, from
the distance where / sat, appeared not un-
like Webster's, though Of far less massive
mould perhaps it was his saturnine COM
plexion and impurturbable countenance that
gave me this impression. His dark fea-
lures and black hair, his contemplative and
even sombre expression, single him out
among all. He is stranger here. Al
though his. spirit may not he wholesome,
and his eloquence is often more brilliant
than sound, he has dared to rise above the
dead level practical standard of English
debate into q new world of ideas and prin-
ciples, and to discuss subjects in a more
comprehensive and philosophical way. The
best speech heard on the whole, for its
vigorous English and manly thought, was
from Sir I. Barring. Judge Halliburton
(Sam Slick delivered a long, gossiping
discourse with no particular point. With
no lack Of point was Mr.. Roebuck's attack
on the Chancellor of the Eyehcquer. He
speaks deliberately and in ., low voice, but
with distinct whisper, or Kissing tone, that
makes every word tell, His keen shafts,
drawn firmly to the head. are sent twaagr
ing home with. no reservation of human
feebleness or pity. Chapcer must have
written prophetically of him; All 1oiaus,
l"The arwes Of thy Grabbed eIoquenceir1 -nru
Shall pierce his crest and exc his ,ayantayle.'
Although seated on the. lowest tier Gof
benches opposite the reporters desks, it
was some time before could begin to un-
derstmda word that wass said. The thick
articulation, and the broken, jerking way
ofnspeaking, made the English language
sound like another tongue. Even Lord
Palmerston at times got foundefing and
gasping in painfully prolonged course Of
barren {" eh-oh-eh's. - ''''S T B" -H-H'o s,
In the House of Lords, the dull, and
drawling style of oratory was still more
pronounced. Lords Normandy, Clanri-
carde; Waters, De Canning, Brougham,
and others spoke. Some the noble lords
actually went to sleep with folded arms be-
meath their broad-brimmed hats. BrouS-
ham has still the honlike look and the en-
ergetic sweep of the arm; but. the silver
hair, benta aback, and, above all, failing
voice, tell Of the decay of physical force
In the remarks that he made there was no
lack of mental vigor, and Of downright
crushing common sense. i He made the
impression of greater genuine ofatorical
power than any other speaker whom / have
heard in England though it was power on
the wane, and the old fire but faint. Sir
Stratford de Canning, who has done great
work as diplomatist, welding the infu-
ence of England on thefside Of humanity
and Christian civilization, is no speaker
judging by the effort which | heard. His
place is not in the stirring field of debate.
He delivered very elaborate speech tha,
read remarkably well in the '.sqtaes'' but
he nearly broke down twice in doing it.
II. 81