The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-24
BRECKENRIDGE on THE STUMP.


JOHN CABEL1 BREcKINRIDaE has Teen 80 con-
spicuously before the country as General IN
the Southern army, Is candidate iof inc
Presidency, as Vice President and pre-
siding officer of the Senate, and as member
of Congress, that he is comparatively forgot
ten in the career in which he first won the
plaudits and confidence of his neighbors,
relatives and friends.
The Wings of the Ashland district were, in
1851, earnestly resolved to maintain their as
tendency, and to elect Wing representative
in spite Of the growing strength of the Demo
Gratis. The latter we're, and had long been,
equally resolved to wrest the control Of the dis
trict from their opponents, for which end they
had been steadily working for many years. The
Democrats had gained, but their gain was
slow though steady, leaving in 1851 wide
gap of several hundred votes to close up.
The Wings put forward as their champion the
gallant, versatile and popular Gen. Leslie
Coombs, citizen of mature age, varied
talents, most affable manners and irreproach-
able character. The Democrats had for Q
long time fixed their admiring eyes on youth
full and promising member Of family re-
nowned for tslent, learning and chivalry, who
had already distinguished himself as soldier,
legislator and lawyer, who combined the
prudence of age with the fire and vigor Of
youth, whose ambition was manly and noble
without selishness or vanity, and who
possessed in . remarkable degree the I'm.
Ainching. constant, thoughtful courage so
necessary to the successful career of an aspi-
! rant for popular favor Major Breckinridge
was little more than thirty years old when
he began his first great struggle for the honor
Of representing the district made noted by
the talents Of Henry Clay, and he acquitted
himself with all the grace Of youthful
orator and all the adroitness Of the thorough
politician. 1t was Q laborious contest in
which he and his rival addressed the people
three OF more times each week in July, Au-
gust, September and October. The old
Wings were hard to move, and adhered OBJ.
stinately to their candidate. The real strife
was for the votes of the younger classes,
some of whom had never voted before. The
race was exciting and close. Six weeks be-
fore the election it became the absorbing
theme Of discussion. and the interest in it
extended to all parts of the State. The
wealthy members of both parties in that Sec
ton supplied all the money that could be
honorably employed. Vast crowds were hos
pitably entertained at barbacues. and hos
pitable doors were thrown open to the
throngs who followed the candidates from
county to county. The result of the severest
canvass ever commended in the West was
Democratic victory.
Two years of faultless and efficient service
in Congress confirmed the Democrats in their
confidence in their champion, who had
chance to add to his store Of political knowl-
edge, to enlarge his conceptions, and to
strengthen and impose his oratory by con-
tests with the able Wing members of that
distinguished Congress
The Wings of the Ashland district were not
content to let it pass from their hands with.
out an eff,rt to regain it. They did not feel
confident Of beating Major Breekinridge, but
believed that with a hard trial they would
have more than an even chance They again
bought out the strongest candidate their ranks
could afford, and found him in the veteran
politician who had held office half his life
time and had never been defeated, Gov.
Robert P. Letcher. His name was familiar
throughout Kentucky, and he was renowned
as one of the ablest and most adroit stump
orators in the West He was over sixty years
Of age, OF double the age and experience of
his antagonist, corpulent and heavy in his
movements, but full of mental energy and
fire. He watched Breckenridge with keen
eye. waiting for him to commit some blunder
or to say something which could be converted
into ridicule and give scope to that power Of
satire and sarcasm for which he was noted.
His arts, experience, vigilance and power
we're wasted on the young gladiator, who
went straight forward to his purpose, in
which his own personality was merged, unless
some cunning question Of the veteran COM
PEELED him to speak of himself His aim was
to prove to the voters Of the Blue Grass Dis
s2AOS SAA0t t4o WOAAh10 VI GA0 CVuAIIy IcQUlk00
the adoption by the government of Demo-
cratic doctrine. His political learning had
been amassed and assorted under the best Of
tuition. His memory was tenacious and
ready. His command of words was very
great he was trained logician and skilled
in all the tactics of debate His voice was
flexible. clear, deep and powerful, capable of
being distinctly heard over an area five hun.
bred yards in diameter. His sentences fell
perfect from his lips, and every rounded and
sonorous paragraph ended with elimination
in sense and an explosion in emphasis. II
for moment turned from the current Of his
speech, he treated the transient subject of in.
terruption with the same vigor and in the
same finished style. If for moment reused
to unusual fire and feeling, his words were
uttAred with tha force of randi successive