New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-27


entitled to conclude that connection with Journal
lem IL nat now quite SO disreputable and distressing
n thing as it was in the beginning OF the century.
The determiued resolution which was one OF tue
strongest traits of Campbell throughout his life IS
earlyapfestcd The letter 10 his sister announcing
bis nurpose to take to the law every ne
with that assurance of success that comes 10 nan
who knows himself capable Of immense and long
continued efforts. "Upon mature, SOBER deliberate,
dispassIonate and cool consideration, am nrhy
convinced that l ought 10 turn my sole and undi-
vded attention to the law declare to you most
.eriouslv that have scarcely doubt that should
r;sa NJ tho Frolish bar Although friendless at
present, I do not think that Lord lhuriow. Loru
Lonehborough. Lord Kenyon or Lord Eldon had
better chance at my age of filling their high otnce
than I now have Of succeeding them. 1hcre -
nothing like aiming at some thing great" FROM
t.s time on 10 tho period when his
success became certain, his confidence never
really gave way. and the story or his struggles
Is full of interest to the reader and of credit to
Campbell. II il less creditable to him that be
should have allowed his receive to spring, in part
fran that COMBINATIONS dislike to his native land
which I meutioued a moment age. Whsn he
dreamed of a literary career IN London, he calmly
remarks TO bis father: In Scotland shall be near'
" cut of from the streams OF Hecon which Camp
bell seems to have supposed river or fountains; I'D
London have only TO drink my ELL" so when lie
settled upon reading fer the English bar, he justhes
himself by the observation that giving evidence OF
the urofouudest abilities in Scotland lie like flower
wasting its fragrance in the desert or gem spark
ling at the bottom of the ocean, whose lustre IS
marked only by The stupid inhabitants Of the deep :
which will hardly enhance CampbelPs popularity
with the descendants Of his stupid" fellow-couI-
trynen. -
oID-TIME THEORIES OF REPORTING.
lie continued reporting speeches till tue end of the
session of 1902: and hateful as the work was to
him he did it thoroughly well. What he says on
the nrt Of reporting is still worth the consideration
of reporer,: great as has since been tie develop
,oent of shorthand and great as will De the sur
prse of shorthand writer's to be told that their pro-
decessors we're wholly incompetent to report good
speech:
For three sessions continued to attend in the
gallery of the House of COmm0nH whom any debate
Of irtrortance was expected / acquired great
facility and considerable skill in reporting, and the
best sneakers were Gned TO mo. knew nothing,
and did no. desire to KNOW anything, Ot shorthand
ShOrthnnd writers are very uscinl III takihT Gown
evidence as given in court Of justice, but they are
wholly incompetent TO report goOd speech. They
attend TO words without entering into tho thoughts
Of the sEesher IhGy cannot 1y Any eaS noa aISe
OF ordinary ropdty. and. If they DID, they wonld
convey very imperfect notion OF the spirit and
effect of the speech
Then, after saying that Pitt the younger was
probably the only Parliamentary dehater in whose
language there were no faults Campbell adds that
although "if Pitt could have been taken down YER
batm. all his sentences however long aud involved,
would have been found complete and grammatical
and the whole Grafton cethoiIcal and finished, yet
il would lave been sometimes stid and cumbrous and
vapid, even when animated by his deliyery,it had
electrified the House; and proceeds to give bis
own theory OF tue art Of reporting:
10 have q good report of a speech the reporter
must Thoroughly undei5fand the subject discussed,
aud &c qualified to follow the reasoning TO feel the
paiUs, 20 relish the WI, anu ID lie warmed hy the
eloquclcc Of the speaker. re hrSt apIrcncnd the
whole scope NJ tic speech! IS we'll as attend to tine
happy ,hraseululy in which the Ide OF theispeakar
are oppressed He ehoull take lown note, III abbro
waited long hand rapidly as he can for
aids TO has mcincry. lie must then retire
to his room, and hooking at these, rccOllect the
speech IA it was delivered. AMI give it with all
fidelity, POINT and spri. rs the speaker would write
it ont il preparing II for the press: Fldo!Iy IS the
first aud Indispensable TC 1ui3te; but tins docs not
demand exposure of lraccufaclcs and ieictlions.
This is obviously all account If Canpbclls own
practice, and no il recording what lac snpDoses TO
have been his own experience when lac says
cannot conceive more improving exercise than
this Ter Il young man who aspifes 10 ho an orato:.
Ii is VOL to translate the ordii cas- of Dcnosthencs
and Cicero; but it. would be still better, If the OPP
portunity existed t. report tie oratious Of Chat
ham and "a Burke" liut this, again. is too clearly
meant to challenge comparison between Campbell!
himself and Broucham. Campbell reported, II not
Chatham and Barke sheridan and PIT. BrougLam
translated asslduOusly the classical orators OF an
uguity. Unhappy for CampbePs comparison.
Campbell was poor speaker and Brougham wdsa
tebater and speaker OF great powers who came near
TO Icing m orator. Whatever the advantages of re-
porting ma lie in fornnga style, Campbcls reini-
nlscenccs are most curious He remembers being
80 much carried away by PItt's lofty defamation in
defending the Peace Of Amiens rs 10 be unable Ia
hold his r,n steadily enough TO take note Yet ~
reporting this part of the speech he succeeded best
And what Will the modern reporter and reader say
to thsf
At that time il was usual for one reporter to take
the whole oi long speech extending to five or sA
columns OF a newspaper. Upon this lie was nCCCs-
sarily employed good many hours, and on the day
after long debate the publication OF the newspaper
was delayed until or 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Luckily, while this system prevailed debates were
rare and the ordinary routine business Of Parlia
ment hardly any attention was paid. Ticrney, says
Campbell, was the easiest to report WELL aud Pitt
the most difficult He thourh Sheridan the most
brilliant speaker in the House. but" adds
Scotcnman, with his most nasal twang, " the eject
of his speaking was impaired by the recollection of
his private character and habits, now become most
degra,: his preparation for any great effort beng
laborous collection of jokes and a bottle of
brandy" in the Lords, Campbell never exercised
his talents as reporter. No reporting at all was to
Grated in t!@t angust body or AT least no noc-tak
ing Thers was no gallery. and one in boots was
allowed 20 enter the space below the bar All
strangers Obliged to continue standing, and the
dOoykeepcrs were strictly enjOined to allow no one
to take notes." In these difficult circumstances the
public was indebted for its knowledge OF what went
on among the Peers to tie peculiar talents of
Mr.. William Woodfal-Junius's Woodfa-whom
Campbell paints as now u very old gentleman
dressed in a suit Of brown dttos u with salmon
colored six stockings. gold buckles, tic wig and