The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-26
Yaucey ut Syracuse.
fHE GREAT SOUTHERN ORATORS VISIT TO NEW
YORK TWO YEARS BEFORE THE WAR.

| fHE GREAT SOUTHERN ORATORS VISIT TO NEW
YORK TWO YEARS BEFORE THE WAR.
IRON the Selma tAla.l Times, July 29th.I
Before the war Colonel Y. l.. Royston,
Of this city, was solicitor OF the circuit
which then embraced Perry. Autauga,
C0osa. and other counties OF Central Ala
bama. Ii is said by those who know that
he was as good prosecutor OF law-break-
ers then rs he was aftcrward brave col
onel in the army, and is fine warehouse
man now. In the old days when he used
to travel his circuit and distribute
law and facts among honest men by the
dozen he knew William l.. lancey well.
Yancey used TO practice in several OF the
counties OF his circuit, especially in Au-
tauga and CoOsa. The Colonel is by no
means a rider Of conversational hobbies,
but it is with genuine pleasure that he dis
courses on the man he regards rs unques-
tionably the greatest popular orator to
whom he ever listened. The other eve
ming crowd was sitting around store
| door on Water street, and scattered all
around were the remains OF a 4l-DOund
watermelon. Everybody was in that happy
| condition when listening to somebody else
talk Is almost rs good rs listening to ones
self. Some one turned the conversation
on Vance,, when the Colonels face lighted
ND and he began something after this fash
ion:
"Yancey was the greatest orator ever
saw, and he was great on all occasions.
When he rose 10 address jury everything
was hushed TO listen, lie never hesitated
for a word, and every pass he made at the
opposition was like the thrust OF iavelin.
| No Jury could ever doze when he had the
| floor. | don't believe nc ever addressed a
| Jury in his life a half hour before he had
them nodding their heads TO every propo-
sition he laid down. IL was impossible TO
listen TO him without being convinced that
he was right. | was always on the
opposite side and | couldn't do it. |
have held my hands in my ears many
time TO keep from hearing what
he had TO say, afraid OF beng carried
away and convinced that my case was
wrong. | have known inries to find a de
| PENDANT guilty because they cOnScenIiouSly
believed that Yancey. and not the eyi-
dence, had persuaded them be was inno-
cent. When he got up TO speak there was
magnetism about him that nobody could
resist. II seemed like audacity 10 gainsay
anything he had laid down. Almost any
| body in the world would feel small talking
to jury after he had done with them.
| There was one thing" continued the Colo
mol, - very peculiar about Yancey for great
man. The loss Of little case troubled him IN
much rs a bic one. Ii he had Il fiyc-dolIar
Justices case, if you knew him you could
tell at once whether he had lost it. III he
had won, you could tell il as far rs YOU
could see him-swmging his arms, his
head up, and his eyes bright-in a good
humor, his whole appearance showing that
he was proud Of what he had done. When
he lost a case he was detected. and would
often sit down, bury his face in his hands,
for all the world like u man in deep trout
Bile, and at such times he was utterly un-
apprOachable."
"Tell us about his great speech in SYRIA
cuse. Colonel" somebody suggested.
"Just after he returned from the great
northern tour in 1859 met him at King
ston, then the countryside OF Autauga
county. He was flushed with victory, hay
ing achieved some OF the greatest triumphs
ever won by any American orator. asked
him where, in his own opinion, he had
done the best and made the most complete
success. He promptly answered at SYRIA
cuse, n. y. Public sentiment at the North
was then very much divided on the slavery
question, Seward being at the head OF the
more moderate crowd that opposed the
rank Abolitionists. The two hated one
another worse than Yancey Democrats
hated the anti-,layery party. Yancey said
he felt that night very depressed. he was
TO speak in large hail. and knew he would
have an immense crowd. As the time
drew near he found il impossible to shake
of the gloomy feeling that had settled over
bin. When the hour to speak came, he
said, he went TO the hall satisfied that
he was not going TO do himself JUS
tice, and fearing that he would make
a comparative failure. As he walked
into the vast hall and down the aisle
be saw that every seat was filled, but
even that failed TO rouse him. Some dis
lance down the aisle, on one side, sat a
negro dressed up like a gentleman, with \
large cane in his hand. and looking like he |
was perfectly accustomed TO such occa- |
sions. The negro was Fred. Douglass, |
and by his side sat another negro, and |
rom his general appearance and bearing |
Nancey said he took him to be recent |
runaway, not yet rid OF his corn-field man.
ners. iancey passed on, and when he got |
up 10 speak his eye, wandering over the |
vast audience, caught sight Of Douglass and |
his friend. All 1t once he felt the fire come /
back to him. lie SAID he never felt more |
buoyant in his life or more like making 4
speech, and he never better succeeded in |
bringing out I'LL that was in himself. He /
iTst took up Seward and crowd and /
handled them without gloves for half an
hour. The Abolitionists hOwled them
selves hoarse. Douglass was carried away,
and the old negro ut his side got up cour-
age enough 10 cheer. Then he turned on
the Abolitionists, and ii was the other
crowds time to cheer. Douglass's stick was
stlll, and he gradually got lower and lower
down in his chair until only his head ap-
peared above the back Of the one in front
OF him. The other old negro had skunk
down clear out OF sight. Yancey said that
1t was the best effort he ever made, and he
didn't know how TO account for il except
that seeing Douglass and the other negro
reused all the nettle there was in him. He
caught the crowd TO start with and held
them TO the close. Yes" concluded the
Colonel. g Yancey was the greatest man
ever saw"
The above Il interesting az showing the
great orators opinion OF the best speech he
made on the most notable tour ever made
by any orator in this country.