The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-09
CHOATE AS AN ORATOR.
A Famous Speech, Portion Of Which Has liith'
erto Remained Unpublished.


| Alexander Ii. Stephens writes In the
Baltimore Gazette: l entered Congress
in 1S43, when was of the age Of thirty
one years, when the second generation
| OF the great statesmen were still on the
boards, tapping the Revolutionary age.
They were then in the full VTgor of INTEL
lect, and still figuring prominently on
the public stage. John Quincy Adams
was a member OF the House Of Repre-
seutatlves. Calhoun, G ay and Webster
were the three great leaders Of particu-
lar political ideas.
They were known as the great Amer
lean trio of their respective schools. One
OF the first deep Impressions made upon
| my mind was by RUFUS Choate, of Mas.
| sachusetts. Early in my first session l
had gone into the Senate to see Mr..
! Berrien, of Georgia. w nile l was about
| leaving the Senate Chamber the order OF
the day WAS called, and before reaehe d
| the door the tones OF voioo of speaker
attracted my attention. l turned in the
| direc ction of the orator, and saw before
me ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS man OF medium
size, with raven locks, a striking black
eye, pallid cheek, u bearing as If fully
| charged with mis- subje ct, and his hand
trembling az if with electricity. The
Chair had announced the gentleman
| from Massachusetts,, and in an instant
| knew it must be Rufus Choate.
| | soon became very much interested in
| his speaking. HIS matter and STYLE
we're grand, and became more SO as he
progressed. Every one was enrapture d
with his eloquence. He was replying to
a speech made by Mr. Buchanan on a
resolution to give notice to the English
| Government of termination OF the
joint occupancy OF oregon. Mr.. Buchan-
an had taken the extreme view, calcu-
lated to arouse war feeling. He spoke
of deep.seated enmity in the breasts
OF our people over tue wrongs inflicted
blood and hate existed In this
country i'll consequence of these
wrongs. The Globe OF 1S43, in re-
porting the reply Of Mr.. Choate, says it
can not tinish the report Of the speech,
owing to the sudden in disposition OF It's
reporter. ] can repeat the omitted por-
lion even at this distance Of time, 30
profound was the impre sslon made upon
me. When Mr.. ChoaLe came to this D ART
of Buchanan's speech he seemed to rise
to a majesty that impressed his audience
more deeply than L mad ever witnessed
any orator accomplish on like occasion. .
After quoting these expressions OF Mr..
Buchanan, AR. Choate said:
"How is this? Is it SO? Is it 80, that
there are anything like deep-seated d
feelings OF hate or enmity toward Eng
landY Sir! in behalf OF my countrymen II ,
| ueny the allegation. protest agains /
Lne statement that they indulge IN any
~ ntiment so immoral, so uncnlyalr0us,
| so unchrIstian and 50 unworthy OF gouu
and gallant men. Let US discriminate, -
SAID he. "Inat there is an intense feel.
ng indulged IN by them OF eXultation
over their Independence, L admit. That
they cherish an intense sentiment or
consciousness Of this independence, and
OF hign and grand destiny we are to
fulfill III our race with the mother
country and with the toremos
| nations OF the earth in all that
| tends 70 elevate, adorn and ennoble civil
lIzatioD, i grant. But deny there is
any sentiment akin to enmity or hate
| toward any of her rivals in this race to-
ward the goal Of true national renown.
No, Sir! No, Sirl We are above all
this. Envy, malice, nate, and revenge
are passions Whicu have no existence
or ablding-place in this land. Let the
Hig1lEnu clansman, halt naked, hall
civilized, hall blinded by the peat smok g
Of his cabin, nave MS hereditary enm ty :,
and keep his keen. deep, and hereditary
passions unhealed, set on the fire Of he'll
alive IN his breast; let the NorLh Ameri-
can Indian, driven to the Pacific
shore, and looking back upon
the lands OF his iorefathers,
indug ge in feelings Of hate for unayenged
wrongs that have been done MIN; but
| never let IT be said that such passions
dwell in American breasts. Are we
| moping over the wrongs OF the Stamp
act or tea tax, or subsequent wrongs?
tnu .Irs I'm nNf at md n,
| the glorious deeds Of our ancestors in
the bloody struggle OF the Revolution
and III the second war? D.d we not
come out Of these struggles with glury
rather than shamef Were not ali tnese
wrongs rightedi Was not our honor H.
well as our rights amply vlndiGateu? !?
Did we leave tue battle fields Of Sara.
toga, Monmouth, OF Yorktown, LunuJ's
| Lane, or New Orleans sulkly, or with
| feeling that our wrongs were mot
| rlghle"? No, sir! Nosiil In the name
nf INV anunLrV | n.nu