The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-18

Since his summer struggling began, Mr..
HAYES must have delivered. at least sixty
speeches long and short; yet in not one Of
them has he said one memorable thing or a
single thing worth saying.
There is no installing such evidence of
mental barrcnness. 4 man in any high sta
ton might make one, or two, or three paltry
and frivolous speeches, through careless
moss, or fatigue, or i'll health; but he could
not make thrccsoOrc of them in succession
unless his brain was chemically barren.
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
spcaketh; but when there Is no abundance
within, the tongue has nothing TO draw
from, and Mr.. HAYES public addresses are
incompnrably the cmpticst ever made by
anybody pretending to be the President OF
the United States
We have had Presidents Of soldcrlv tact
turnity, like TAYLOR and GRANT. But HAYES
is not u rcticent man; nc is rather vulublc
and gushing lie is a lawyer and politician,
and hence "a professional spccchmaker; SO
that no excuse Of lis being "a man of deeds,
not words, can account for the poverty apd
stcrlity of his speeches. Indeed, he talks
plcntfully. but his hearers are fain to say
II Mr.. HAYES. in the language Of the play,
"Lookl His lips move, yet he says moth
ing!"
We have had Presidents who made indis-
erect speeches, or vicious speeches, or eX-
trayagnnt speeches. When ANDREw JOHN-
son, for example. swung around the cir
clc,' he said some unwisc things, though
they were passionate and strong. Mr..
HAYES says nothing indiscrcct, or vicious,
or cxtravagant, but he never 10y any chance
gives uttcrancc to anything of originality.
emphasis, or significance. His example is
infectious among that strolling group COM
monty spoken Il as "thc President party"
This party, though mainly composed of
professional spccchmakers, delivers Itself
only of senscess gabblc, having not the
slightest moment or gravity for tho peo-
pie; and whenever this Presidents party
nlso includes members OF the President :
Cabinet, these Cabinet officers only reach
the climax Of commonplace.
We aim at no extravaganza in criticism
We ask the reader in good faith whether
out of all the numerous speeches of Mr.
HAYES summer jaunt, there has been one
thing worth the hearing or the saying. His
shorter speeches consist Of about nine parts
excuses for not speaking, and one part
dreary attempt at humOr In introducing
some other orator, who insults the intclli-
gencc OF the people by continuing the same
| performance. His longer speeches consist
| Of reminding his heaters Of what he said IN
some former speech. The bo-h and rubbish
which he thus perpctually quotes from his
| former self are invariably of not the slight
est consequence; but this popularity yet has
its value in its unconscious disclosure of d
dcicatcly nurscd conccit. which imagine
that the people of the United States have
immense interest in knowing what he, Mr.
HAYES, thought or said given number q
months or years ago.
\ second evidence of this peculiar vanit!
forms the only other salient point in TN
seasons experimenting Of Mr.. HAYES. W
| mean, of course, his constant citation Of tn
words and ideas of ABRAHAM LINCOLN. be
| tween whom and himself he evidentl,
| wishes 10 suggest some resemblance. Vast
81 labor. Beneath the homcly ont side q
ABRAHAM LINCOLN were an originality,
substance, and a power that the common
place Nj. HAYES does not at all POSSESS
When he quotes ABRAHAM LINCOLN hi
hearers 500 not the wl7hcd-for Resemblance
but the strong contrast