Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-09-10
ExTEMp0RANE0uS ORATORS.

lations of this one institution to the commerce
Of the world.
HETEROGENEOUS ORATORS.
From the "Recollections of All Old Stager,"
in Hhper's Magazine, we clip the following
offhand sketches of some orators Of the past:
Marshall, of Kentucky, one of the most
brilliant orators Of his time, and man Of
large scholarly attainments, who had as much
of that material quality called genius as any
of his contemporaries in Congress, was full Of
affectation in this regard. He spoke readily
without preparation, his ideas following each
other consecutively and with uncommon force;
but he never trusted to the inspiration OF the
moment when there was an opportunity for
studying up the subject and arranging his
thoug ghts in advance. He had habit Of alb
senting himself from the Capitol for days at
time, every hour of which he devoted to read
ing and study, his acquaintance generally sup
posing him TO be engaged in debauch. AT:
ter getting thoroughly crammed and armed
at every point he would come into the House
looking exhausted and haggard, giving color
to the notion chat he had been on frolic,
and, watching his opportunity, would pour
forth the fruits of his study in strain Of of:
hand striking eloquence that hardly ever
failed to astonish his hearers. And the re.
mark was often heard, "What brilliant
man What could he not accomplish if he
was only industrious and regular in his hab.
its!
Mr.. Preston, for some time Mr.. Calhouns
colleague in the Senate, was an accomplished
gentleman and very popular orator. He
never spoke without commanding the atten.
ton Of his hearers, and few men in Congress
had higher reputation for extemporaneous
eloquence. But he never spoke without the
most ample and careful preparation. Soon
after he retired from Congress he was chosen
president of a college in South Carolina. In
his address to the students he said he knew of
no such thing as genius or natural inspiration.
Whatever of reputation he had acquired was
by dint of constant, untiring labor. He had
trusted to study and hard work solely. He
never spoke in Congress or to a popular as
semblage without arranging what he had to
say, and even premeditating his sentences and
the precise collocations of his words. And he
assured his hearers that the only road to pub
lie distinction lay through the field of study
and research.
Mr.. Webster was 80 thoroughly instructed
upon all subjects which came under discus
sion in Congress that he was equal to almost
any occasion, and rarely needed any special
preparation. And yet be was not above the
weakness of concealing his studies and the
sources from whence he drew his inspiration.
No man better understood the weight and
value of language than Mr. Webster, and
what be said was always marked by precision
and perspicuity but when coping with for
midable antagonist he omitted no means that
promised to aid him in the contest. He was
accustomed to speak of the master production
of his life, his celebrated reply to Hayne, as
sort of casual effort made on the spur Of the
moment, without much precious consideration.
Probably the two men in public life who
could most safely trust to their own resources
and requirements, under all circumstances,
were Mr.. Adams and Mr. Calhoun. The en-
dowments of Mr.. Calhoun were of higher
order, and his creative power was superior to
that of Mr.. Adams; but the "old man elo'
quent," as he was called, had a memory so
tenacious, and his knowledge was so exten.
sive and exact that he never seemed to need
any special preparation. He was the most
laborious and methodical man in Congress,
and probably in the country. He kept vo-
luminous diary, in which every event, Incl
dent or circumstance of the day was care fully
noted down and this, with his habits of indus.
try, made him very doctor in all matters Of
controversy and argument. 1t was knowl-
edge of his own complete equipment and his
power as an antagonist that prompted the re-
ply of Mr.. Clay, when asked when he purpos'
ed to renew the discussion with Mr.. Adams
on the vexed question of the fisheries of the
Mississippi, as connected with the treaty Of
Ghent. Finding himself getting the worst OF
the argument, Mr.. Clay closed the conside-
ration of the matter, so far as he was concern
ed, with the remark that he should drop the
subject, hoping to renew it at some future Pc
riod more favorable for calm discussion, when
he expected to show that Mr. Adams was al
together in the wrong. Some time afterward
a friend asked him when he proposed to re-
open the controversy. "Never!" was his em-
phatic reply. "A man must be born fool
who voluntarily engages in a controversy with
Mr.. Adams on a question of fact. doubt
whether he was ever mistaken in his life.
And then, if he happens to be in doubt about
anything, he has his inevitable diary, in which
he has recorded everything which has occur
red since the adoption Of the Federal Consti-
tuition"