Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-10-21
STUMP ORATORY.
How it is got upton COrWin and
Judge Chaae

HOW 10 ~ got upton COrWin and
Judge Chase.
This mode of political instruction is Of
late date, having grown up in the South.
west within the last half century, Ii il
now spread over the entire country, and af
fords one of the liveliest features Of can
Yass. ....
A native born American thinks aloud
the moment he finds his legs and can stand
alone. More's the pity. We run to talk
and being without inspiration and without
study, the talk is neither pleasant nor pro-
found. The larger amount Of stump ora.
tory is made up Of newspaper articles, and
there is fearful sameness in them, Since
the general introduction of short hand re-
porting, we have columns upon columns
from the stump that has already appeared
in the journals. The editors, therefore, in
sPlre the orators, but it is poor sort of in
SEPARATION at best. The American world
lacks time for thought. More's the pity.
The prince of stumpers was the late
Tom Corwin. Never profound, he was
V[wsys original and persuasive. No man,
probably, ever lived who had such sym
pathetic control of his audience. A superb
actor, he never seemed to be acting, and
carried his crowd from laughter to tears,
or from tears 10 laughter, with an ease
really wonderful. His pathos was genuine
and his humor real humor. 1t was good
humor there was not particle Of malice
in it. His opponents laughed, and the vic
tim himself when held up to ridicule, was
forced to enjoy the fun.
Poor Corwin! He lived to learn that
the man who amuses is the man to be sadly
moderated. "Quit that" he said to
young friend once; "you must not make them
laugh. If you want to succeed, you must
be as solemn as an ass. The world con-
POUNDS the satirists of genius with the
clown, and looks down on both alike. Be
solemn-sOlemn as an ass-aud you'll be
respected living, and mourned when dead.
All the great mOnum ents are erected TO
solemn asses."
1t was q sad commentary on his own life.
Corwin, as we have said, had no bitterness
in his nature. The nearest approach to
ugly sarcasm We ever new was in his retort
to Salmon p. Chase. The contest for Gov
ernor in this State, between Chase and
Medill was exceedingly close, and the
Southern counties went largely for Medill.
Mr.. Chase, jumping 10 the conclusion that
his opponent was elected, broke out in
great bitterness on the old Wings for de.
serting him. Mr.. f. P. Norton, always
about when eminent men appeared, was
exceedingly shocked at this irreyerent
treatment Of old Wings, and so expressed
himself to Mr.. Corwin'
"Oh, never mind that, Norton" said the
great humorist. "Chase was drunk. He
came round all right 80 soon as we got his
bottle from him."
Poor Norton, who never had 4 joke in
him, and could not get one in, save through
a surgical operation, took this as fact, and
SO reported. In time it came to Governor
Chase's ears, and talking with Corwin, he
said, laughingly: - .. .a.
81 didn't mind your telling poor Norton
of my inebriated condition, but you did
make a remark, about that time, that in
choosing between me and Medill, you had
to select between a skunk and rattle
snake"
"Ahl Chase" responded Corwin, with
that humorous twinkle of his eye, "the
first, TO Norton, was the best excuse
could make for you and the second WAS the
best could make for myself"
But we are getting away from the stump
AhD hAot bACpoiatiOu bhS youib bCSAuhCA
makes is TO secure a scrap book, and paste
in it certain articles from the press. These
are the documents that are read, from time
to time, with great emphasis He invari-
ably begins his speech by avowing that The
election then coming on is one of vital i'm
portance. In bis estimation it is the most
important election ever held. Then he
eulogizes the ballot and the intelligence
and virtue of the American people. He
seeks to convey the impression that the
American people is the greatest, best and
bravest people in the world, and the ballot
is the sheet anchor. This introduces the
Ship of State. No stump speech is perfect
without the Ship of State, and that states
man who at the right moment takes the
rudder. The winds blow, the waves roll,
and the breakers are ahead Then at the
right moment the great man appears.
One accustomed 20 this sort Of thing eaR
make affidavit that he can tell in advance
the line of argument, the illustrations,
quotations and anecdotes. flow audiences
manage to st md this sort Of thing, again
aud again, bothers the understanding
Cincinnati Enquirer. f.