The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-04-20
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on her very stupid husband, when she
wrote to him that toward the. obtain
ing political power: ''the first qualifica
tion isimpudence is and (as Demosthenes
said of action in oratory) the second
Is impudenee, and the third is impu-
dence." Tried by the: standard OF
} self culture, and the steady and per.
sistent battle to ultimate and honora-
BILE triumph against GLOW birth and
iron fortune" the number ofT.self.
made" men in the public life of Amer
. ica is very small. There are Ooifaxes
enough, but unless we mistake allow
order OF Sunday-school2 denlag1gslery
: form high order of states.nanship W e
/ must call them elf-forced instead of
self;made.n IF 1 were called upon to
! name the two men in the, House of
Representatives who owe most to them
| selves and least to Others for the posi-
tions they,occupy in their respective
parties and before the country +
should name James Brooks, off New
York, on the Democratic, and j judge
Kelley. Of Philadelphia, on the Re-
publicanD sidea- The both began life
,'anong tue loMlyP"s and the best evi-
dence Of the purely intellectual char
acter OF theii' success Is that, while
both are prominent among the public
nleh of the day, neither has acquired
wealth on the road TO netoriety. In
this respect they difer.drom the Cam,
eron type of "self made men, who
"grow rich by stealth and blush to
find it fame, ,"who rise from Ill gotten
wealth into ii-dcserved leadership. 4
Mr.. Brooks isl perhaps, one OF the
ripest scholars. as he. has been one of
the closest students, in the House
He began life as q school teacher,
then many years ag94twerity-fiFe, I
,beiieve-canie TO Washington to write
,far.a,N New York paper. On the saw
ings Of his work for q long session he
went to Europe, and travelled the con-
,tinent OH foot. studying French and
German as he went tilong, and acquir-
ing thorough llisowled, e,of the hab.
its and manners of the people. among
whom he. Travelled. -. BY close appli-
cation ever since he has perfected |
himself IN all branches Of Knowledge,
until he has become one of the most |
interesting speakers in the House to
listen tolwhen q subject isaup WHICH
calls for historical illustration. His
voice is not pleasant, being a constant
alienation between n siifiek and a /
scold, and his gestures are limited to
4 monetonous shake and y a1honotoDous
bending forward OF the whole body, |
but he can generally be read with in
terest and profit for his facts if not |
for his arguments. His personal ap-
pearance is quite prepossessing-# II
should guess him to be quite fifty
years Of age. He is rather above
than below the medium size and
height-broad-faceG and broad-chest-
ed, always neatly dressed. and quite
up to ones ideal of the representative
of the richest district in the United
States distinction which l believe
he enjoys. In social life he is a little
inclined to colthess and reserve, and
not apt to impress.a stranger fayora-
bly,. But after the first or second ap-
proach. you VIII find him clever and
genial, remarkably fopd of cqnxersa-
ton, and with singular power Of
to its interest and. max
ing it attractive. Few appear to such
good advantage In that most diff
icult of all species of, oratory- the
after-dinner speech d, No matter what l.
the subject of, the tuasts or the occa- b
sion Of the CALL, he is, never wanting
in appropriate remarks" and never
hesitates on the brink of. the tipple as
f embarrassed or afraid, but plunges
IN medias res into response, and always
too soon for his audience, in
which respect, he, differs from most of
he postprardial orators I know off,
In his political caieer, Nh. Brooks is
mother illustration of; what / said in
| former letter7that the jewel Of con- ,
istency has no. place in, the civic {
,rown: While you can not apply to :
lim the poetic verdict which is. soft
ing to Morton = ~. 80, /.
: Stiff ir opinion, always IN the wrong. n d,
Everything by starts and nothing long
1t Is, nevertheless, true that he has : :
Swung the circle" of political parties
retty thorough hly-havine been an in. .
ense Wing, a rampant know-Nothc 8
ng, and now "a. Jealous Democrat,- h
Sut he has always been able to give a
ood reason for the faith that was in
i'm, and weli-gifted with the power of L
,aking t.'the worse appear the better :;
eason," he has always good answer -
or any adversary who assails the, mo-
YES Of his many new departures" a
I I
FERNANDO WOOD. E
/
Il can not help thinking that if o
'haries Dickens were to write anoth- a
: American novel, and were to intro Ii
ice American politicians into its n
,apters, he would select Fernando 6
..nd fc,. ono of than, !. =. a nd sim nnlud.