The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-16
INDIANAPOLIS WEDNESDAY,

impress the country with the belief that he just
ly merited this position. No matter about what
differences of opinion there may be upon the
views expressed by him upon public questions,
there are none now to deny the great ability with
which he maintained them. He discussed moth
ing he did not elucidate so thoroughly that the
leastinformed minds could easily comprehend
/ his meaning and purpose. His arguments upon
all subjects which engaged his attention were
exhaustive, leaving nothing more to be thought
or said upon the side he defended.
His senatorial service embraced the most
difficult and embarrassing period of our
political history-that which involved the re-
| construction of the Union upon such basis
as would assure it's proper preservation. During
the progress of the measures finally adopted and
| toward which he largely contributed the na-
tional sovereignty over all national affairs was
the polar star of his political faith He admit
ted no sovereignty in opposition to this any
whore, except that which the people of the Uni
ted States had reserved to themselves. Whilst
he desired to all the Just rights of the States
| fully preserved and maintained, he did not rec
ognize among these any which could be right
fully set up against the authority of the national
government From these IDEAS and opinions he
never swerved even the breadth of a hair, and
whatsoever or by whomsoever they were assailed
he was prepared to defend them. The weapons
he welded so skillfully in their support were al
ways polished and in order, and when drawn
from his culver and directed at an adversary
they never failed to reach the point he aimed at.
HIS ABILITIES AS A MAN.
have been somewhat at loss in comparing
Governor Morton with prominent statesman 1
have heard in debate, to decide to my own salts
faction which one of them he most resembled as
an orator Such a comparison is made the more
difficult by the fact that, in important respects
there are points of similitude between almost all
successful orators. AS each one however, must
necessarily have personality of his own it is
only as are impressed by this that can es-
Sb a IN of
the Senate, q moment ago, L enumerated four
teen senators contributing to the great dis
tinction which it justly acquired in their day.
Yet no two of these men possessed the same kind
of oratory. Clay ardent, impassOned,
sometimes violent always mesmeric and pos
sessed what Taeitus calls the thunder and light
| ming of eloquenee-plunging' into every battle,
even among the giants with his naked spear
| alone. Webster clothed himself i'll armor
which shielded him against adversary
at every point and his arguments came
forth from his well poised mind, richly adorned
with classical purity of language, which bore the
impress of care, thought and marvellous grasp
of intellect Calhoun was clear, quick, ener-
getic, thoroughly logical, always instructive,
never tedious, but never rising into the region
of imagination. Hayne was exceedingly polished
and elegant in manner with an easy and flowing
style which displayed the most highly-cultivated
literary taste, combined with profound knowl-
edge. Benton was diffusve sometimes, occa-
sionally blunt and dictatoral, but always power
Iul BECAUSE Oh the SUfSlSUH lie HdQ acquired DY
hard work and long experience Wright was
plain, direct lawyer-like and logical, laying
down his premises with the utmost precision
and arguing from them with elearness. Nc
Dufie was impassioned like Clay but never clas-
steal like Webster, or logical like Calhoun; and
his words were spoken with faultless accu-
racy and with most graceful delivery
Preston would have been model orator in the
best days of Greece or Rome. His language had
the smooth flow of poetry, and his ardent zeal in
what has conscience approved never impaired
| the grace of his manner, or failed to captivate
his hearers. Crittenden, when not aroused, was
full of gentleness and sympathy-with a temper
as placid as the surface of unruffled lake-but
he welded blade like Durindana in the hands
of the Paladin Orlando, which, when the occas-
ion caused him to draw, was certain to eleave
the helmit of an adversary, matter how well
his guard was planned. Mangum was like a
child in the warmth of his affections but, when
aroused by the Importance of the subject exhib-
tied the strength of lion in debate-clear, dis
tinct, and accurate in his statements, weighing
well his words, and uttering them with eau
tiousness of delivery which evidenced a desire
always to be right, as he understood the right
Buchanan was cautious IN laying down
his premises, and equally so in en-
forcing thenI-and his Style while plain and
practical, was easy. elegant and attractive Ber
rien always spoke with the precision which be-
comes the college rostrum, and his words were
so arranged, with such belles-lettre taste and
accuracy, that they needed no revision to pre-
pare them for the press. Ewing-6guratively
| speaking-wielded at will weapon which no or
binary man could lift, and viewing ali questions
with the eye of true philosopher, he struck
such blows in defense of his convictions as few
adversaries willingly encountered And Cor
win-last but not least-with his beautiful
| imagery, and polished metaphors, and flashing
Standardization in the open field of argument,
or by the quick blows of repartee which the
close combat invites, alike charmed his au-
dience and discounted his opponents
1t is not easy to point out the precise points of
any one of these distinguished men.
But he undoubtedly possessed some of
the qualities of eminence as an
orator which they shared in common. In one
respect he was like Clay, in that his stock of
common sense was never exhausted. In another
he was like Calhoun, in that his logical powers
were so great that if his premises were admitted
his conclusions could not be denied. In another
he was like Wright in the clear and direct
methods of his statements and in the precision
with which they were enforced. In still another
he was like Ewing, in the strength and power of
his arguments and in the character of the
weapons he employed to maintain them. He
never appealed to the passions, or underworld to
arouse them, like Clay-or studied to adorn his
language with classical polish and eloquence
like Webster-or attempted to crush oppo-
nent by SATIRE like Corwin-but always
penetrated directly to the heart and
core of subject and, cOmprehending it in
all its tendencies and bearings, never
fell below its requirements His style
was, IN all respects, MS own. IL was well
moulded by himself, before he entered the Sen
ate, in discussions at the bar and before i'm
mense audiences of people, where he invariably
treated great questions with the seriousness
they deserved, and without any effort to prac-
tice the mere arts Of oratory at the expense of
such calm investigation enlightens the under
standing and convinces the Judgment. 1t can
not be said of him that there were any among
the distinguished orators of our own State whose
style he endeavored to initiate, notwithstanding
standing some of them were well worthy of imi-
tation. He had not the sublime pathos and ire
sistbe impetuosity of Joseph 6. Marshall, or the
whitening and crushing severity of George G.
Dunn, the captivating and flowing style of
! S. Lane or the scholarly delivery of Tighlman
A. Howard, or the beautiful dcton and fertile
imagination of Edward A. Hannegaii, or the
| gracefulness and suavty of Hardin Il Moore or