The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-27

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The commencement exercises of tn
University of the South were held yes
terday at Sewanee, Tenn. An address
was delivered to the graduating class OF
the "Defects of Public Speakers ant
the characteristics of Popular Orators,
by the Hon. T. L. Clingman. This ad
dress contained many interesting remin
iscences of the great orators of thi
country, with descriptions of their style
of speaking, and personal anecdotes
concerning them. A large portion O.
the address is. given below.
WEBSTER AND CHoATE.
Let us, however, now consider the
peculiarities of some of the most dis
tinguished orators of the country.
will in the first place call your attention
to two prominent senators of the same
state, Daniel Webster and Rufus Choate
of Massachusetts,. Among orators de-
servedly eminent, / can recall no more
striking contrast than they presented.
! When I first heard Mr.. Webster his
voice, though not in any sense melodi.
GUS, was strong, clear and very mascu
line. At times 1T reminded me pleas
antly of the ringing tone of a ravens
note heard at great distance through
the air. During his latter years it lost
much of its strength and volume, but
was always distinct and pleasant. In
184S he made an elaborate speech on the
subject of the proposed acquisition of
territory from Mexico. He differed
with his colleague, Mr.. Davis, admuch
feeling on the subject, and only spoke
after thorough preparation. That may
be remembered as the one in which he
said: Politicians are not sunfowers
they do not turn on their God when he
sets the same look they turned when he
rose." On this occasion he spoke with
unusual earnestness, and was very i'm
pressive. There were several Of the
| new members of the House present,
listening to Mr.. Webster for the first
time. Toward the close of his speech a
member from one of the northwestern
states said to me, "What is the matter
with the old fellow? What makes him
so dull ?" "Why," answered, "he is
to day speaking with vary unusual an
imation. Heavens % he exclaimed,
If he were to speak to one of our west
| ern crowds in that manner and they did
not know who he was, they would go off
and leave him." It was then the Gus
tom of certain western speakers in the
House to declaim with great vehemence
of manner, clinching their fists and
marching forward and backward with a
formidable aspect, and when thev
reached the most eloquent part of their
speeches the cravat was pulled off with
a sudden jerk and the vest was unbut-
toned and thrown open, partly to dinlin-
lsh heat and perspiration and doubtless
also to impress the audience with the
greatness of the effort then being made.
To persons accustomed to such speaking
1t seemed very strange that Mr.. Webster
should sometimes speak for several min
utes without making a gesture. In
spite, however, of his usual want of &C.
ton, he kept the attention of his audit
ors, and his speeches had that remark
able quality that when one looked back
to them from week to week they seemed
to stand out more prominently and
doomed in the distance.
A REMARKABLE SPEECH BY MR.. CHoATE.
EearIy in 1874, in the senate, he
spoke on the Oregon question. Several
democratic senators, following in the
debate, assailed his speech with re-
markable vehemence. It was evident
that they intended to make party cap
ital by attacking Great Britain. Con
splcuOus among them were Messrs.
Benton, Silas Wright and Buchanan.
Though denouncing the pretensions,
the injustice, the arrogance, and the
lnsolence of Great Britain, they dis
claimed any purpose to go to war with her.
While these speeches were being made,
one evening at a social party, on meet
ing Mr.. Choate, l said, "Why has not
your Oregon speech been published ?'
He replied 81 have not yet made a
speech on the Oregon question, but I
mean to make one" Soon after, he
| delivered probably the finest effort of
his senatorial career. After discussing
for perhaps couple of hours the merits
of the question with an earnestness, a
beauty and an eloquence seldom
equaled, he turned his attention to the
| senators who had assailed him. Quoting
in succession the words of each one,
denouncing the oppression, the in
science and the, arrogance of Great
Britain, he exclaimed 'But the senator
wishes for no war with her." Then.
with consummate skill, he repeated
Marx Antony's Grafton over Cesar's
| body, drawing parallel between each
senator and one of the conspirators.
"Great Britain" said he, "has always
been our enemy; she was arrogant,
domineering and insolent, but the SEN
ator wishes for no war with her. Pur-
suing the parallel, he exclaimed, 'fthere
the we'll beloved Brutus stabbed,
but Brutus is an honorable man. -
Then quoting another senator, he
cried out, "See what a rent the
envious Casca made but he, too, is an
honorable man." So admirably had
Mr.. Choate prepared the minds of the
auditors that it is difficult to give an
idea of the effect of these quotations.
| As one looked over the senate, it seemed
ready to burst into laughter, but in
fact every one restrained his feelings
lest he might lose some of the speaker s
words. The effect on the senators
arraigned was not less striking. While
! Mr.. Benton strove to throw it off, with
poorly assumed air between indiffer-
ence and defiance, Mr.. Buchanan hung
his head with the sheepish look of one
who has been detected in a shallow
stratagem. After getting through with
his adversaries, Mr.. Choate drew him
| self up to his full height, with an air
ofigreat dignity, and said "But, Mr..
President, there is one great and strik-
ing difference between Mark Antony
and these honorable senators, and it is
due to their high character as we'll as to
the courtesy of the senate that should
state it." As he uttered these words in
a fine manly tone of voice, and with an
air of generous courtesy, the senators
raised themselves up in their seats with