The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-22
IND[ANA'SGREAT ORATORS.
Some of the Men Who, in the Early
Days, Were Princes of Speech.
Caleb Il. Smith, Henry S. Lane, Howard,
WhitcOmb and Marshall-The Latter's
Speech in the Freeman Case.


a legal gentleman to the reporter. There
was Caleb B. Smith, who came here about
1852 from Connersvllle where be had made
his reputation. He did but little practice
in the law courts here, as he went into Presi
dent Lincolns cabinet. His great efforts
were in the political arena. He was man
of remarkable fiuency and rapidity of speech,
and lisped slightly, which seemed to increase
rather than retard his fuency. He had a
rich, sweet voice, as clear as bugle and a
head full of ideas, so his rapid utterance was
not verbosity, as it was filled with thought,
He never tired an audience, and
always ceased speaking before
his hearers desired him to-a
rare thing among speakers. He was not
above five feet six inches high, bald, feshy,
with full chest and regular oval features.
His voice had such compass. General Coburn
reports that when he spoke from the old
State-house when Taylor ran for the presi-
dency in 1913. his father, Henry P. Coburn,
standing in the Governors circle, heard
every word he uttered. Caleb B. Smith was
descended from race OF preachers of Salem,
Mass, great pulpit orators, famous for gen
erations, and his gift of eloquence appar
emily came as an inheritance.
"Henry S. Lane was another famous ora
tor. He was a man of great common sense
and polite in his intercourse with all men,
staunch Wing though he was, making warm
friendships even among Democrats. His
| denunciations of the opposition from the
stump were in the most fearless and ire
mendous style of eloquence, with sallies of
wit, at times, astounding for their brilliancy
and originality, and coming when least
expected, like vivid lightning from
a clear sky, His speeches, which always
were strung upon thread of com mon sense,
frequently had the drollest wit coupled with
the most brilliant imagery. He spoke with
| great excitement, his voice thrilled you, and
! his eyes, which cleaned like a wildcats had
weird fascination. Many of his most
eloquent efforts at the bar were made in the
most trivial cases. Once in petty case be-
| fore Charlottesville justice he spoke with
such wonderful elOquence that a great
crowd gathered. and lawyers, as we'll as
others, listened entranced for two hours to
| the imprisoned orator.
| "Tlghman A. Howard was the greatest
orator the Democratic party of Indiana ever
produced. He was of gigantic frame, and
| lowered above his fellows, standing six feet
four inches high. He had a dark com plex-
ion, straight black hair. with large Roman
ing public man OF his day, with a courtesy and
gentleness as remarkable as his size was
majestic. Besides this, ne was a devout
| Christian, being a Presbyterian OF the strict
est sort. His candor and sincerity were as
marked as his affabilitv and he had the
warmest friends and few enemies. He spoke
with an earnestness and sincerity that car
ried to his hearers conviction of the perfect
| honesty of all he said He had no humor,
never stopped to waggery or vulgaritv, and
| depended on strong argument, clothed in
| glowing words, for success He had indeed
| the divine gift of language. He was NOM
mated by the Democracy in 1840 when the
! Wings swept everything, as a forlorn hope
| for Congress, but went down before the
storm in that notable year. One incident in
that contest is worth repeating. While max
| ing political speech he had lying before him
a Democratic paper that had got in OPP
position to him and denounced him
! in biting terms on account of tenn
! perance views he had delivered in a speech;
andin those days temperance was particularly
questionable. He took the paper III as If
about to read it and threw it to the ground
with face radiant with glorious contempt,
and turning to a Democratic editor (this was
at Greencastle) said Print thousand
copies OF that speech of mine and circulate
! it," Howard was native of Asheyille, n
| c., and came to this State from Tennessee,
first settling at Bloomington then Rockville
! U
nexation, being appointed by President
| Tyler and died there of yellow fever. His
| widow still lives at Rockville, and his son
| practices law there.
| James Whitcomb was a man of vast at
| attainments; a severe student from boyhood,
J he continued student all his life He was
! especially able at the bar and strong upon
! the stump-not what would have been called
eloquent in those days of fervor, his oratory
! being more of the style of to-day. He had
| the best law library in Indiana. which he
| bequeathed at his death to Asbury University,
! conditioning that no book ever be taken out
| of the university. When Whitcomb was
! elected Governor he was Democrat. He did
what was esteemed the most iniudicious thing,
! in nominating as Supreme Judges to the
Legislature, Perkins and Smith, both then
! young men, to succeed two such old and
| able jurists as Dewey and Sullivan. So,
! when Whitcomb was renominated for Gov
ernor the great Wing orator. Joseph G.
! Marshall, was arrayed against him, and the
| Wings brought against Whitcomb the
accusation of having injured the
| people and the dignity of the
the State by this change in judges and
challenged him to meet Marshall at the
courthouse in this city. Marshall was ex-
| pected to overwhelm Whtcomb, who amazed
! his friends and dismayed his foes by his mas
terly vindication of himself. He held that
! the court was behind in its docket and that
! the people wanted young men who could dis
! patch their business rather than slow-going
| old fellows of ponderous talents. He proved
| himself more than match for Marshall in
this debate, and the Wings felt that they
had gone for wool and come back shorn.
When the Madison road, the first road built
to this city, was completed it was prodig-
ious event, and Governor Whitcomb was in
vited to address the people on the arrival Of
the first train load of excursionists at the
old depot on South street. He made deal
of preparation, as he always did, and
was on the platform as the train came in,
ready to speak. The excursonists intent on
sightseeing, all rushed by him and not a
man, woman or child was left to listen. The
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