The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-12-19
FACTS ABOUT PRESIDENTS.
In the Spirit Of Thomas, tho Doubt
er, George Alfred Townsend
Searches American
History.

menb tOSet0er last week 70 MIR. deOrge
Alfred Townsend. who produced for
the third time his new lecture under
the somewhat mystical title of 'sThom-
q, the Doubter." Instead Of being a
religious discourse it was . slightly
skeptical. yet very candid, description
of the American Presidents. as hand
led and their wounds touched and ex.
plored where they lived and were born,
among their neigbors and neighbors'
posterity. The sentence by which this
mysterious title was swung around to
suit the subject matter is good in
stance Of the lecturers leng-ruddered
craft:
Ladies and gentlemen" he said.
Sin no irreverent spirit chose for the
title of my little sketch this evening.
the name of that disciple which has
passed into by-word because his faith
and his fear were both SO strong that
he must put bis hands on bis Lord to
know Him we'll. Reared myself in
the familiar relations to religious things
my fathers parsonage afforded. ever
longed to 60 forth and touch the lordly
men whose wounds and fame survive,
the grave, our Presidents and their
competitors. Every cherished hope,
nurs,d with faith. blossoms som etimes
in our hands. and thrown into news
paper life at the age of nineteen. /
have. in the course of twenty three
years. been able TO visit the abodes and
graves of nearly every President, and
of most of the candidates and aspirants
for the Presidency and this is the sub
ject Of my talk to night, to handle
them
AS IF THEY WERE ALIVE
and among us again, uninfuenced by
books, politics or authority"
In this rapid, skillful way. as if the
title had been q mere afterthought,
the lecturer came Dol, upon the rise
and character Of Washington. He
poured fund OF study md poetry to-
gether into the successive personal Ca
reers of the presidents down to Buch-
anan, and there in an original poem
considered all the defeated candidates
from Horatio Gates and Hamilton
down to Greeley. The lecture had a
certain neutral indifference to any
body's pre-conception about any of the
presidents. but its tone was pitched
high and its humor was rather con-
descension. while the smothered ardor
of old fashioned American patriotism
all through it atoned for some of lis
seventies. A lecture seldom has left
q more distinct impression upon an
audience, the picturesqueness of the
portraits not being at the expense of
the thought and character conveyed.
It was above an hour and half IN de-
livery. having been cut down from
nearly two hours when first given in
Ohio, last Wednesday night.
Mr.. Townsend is man As years
old. weighing 200 pounds, about Eve
feet 10. with Marylsnd face, broad
and with high cheek bones, the skin
clear the eyes blush gray. with black
pupils, the manner firm and slightly
cald or rather bashfui, with touch of
boyishness in it His voice is not deep
but penetrating. He affects nothing
Of the orator, but lays himself out to
do justice to his extensive subject, and
builds it up like pyramid till its con
clusion is as elevated as its motive is
fearless and pure.
I As this lecture is, perhaps, the only
new one on the rostrum this year, a
fow extracts are made from it.
OF WASHINGTON
the lecturer said: "No more preco.
cious diplomat and soldier ever lived
than Washington. Like all our great
Presidents. he was a Western man.
At is he was among the Indians; at
81 he fought q battle on the Monon-
gahela. which had more extravagant
echos than the first shot at Lexington;
it started the seven years war, which
made the Prussian Empire of to-day,
drove France from the American con.
tinent. established the British Empire
in India, and founded the Russia Of
Catherine the Great. All this was
the fruit of Washington's killing Jum-
onville on the Monongahela, and i
shows what . drop of Bourbon and
Monongahela can do. He
was no: an observer of his neighbours |
wavs. nor would he declaim agains, |
human nature. He demanded no.
that such be good in the abstract, but
that they fulfil their obligations.
When be had reached the q, e of IS. |
ap2. was the greatest figure of his time.
he drew up and signed articles of
agreement with one Philip Barber. /
gardener. who could only make his