Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-04-27
LINCOLN AS AN ORATOR.
,,s Great Power with Jury or am
MS Audience.

o,,nressed IN terSe IOiLh WIN i'i'0AiSe cal
exp Slttn Uas enforced with plain, rugged ges-
I,nos and never lacking In apt words,
yu,1, fine chief points of interest in Mr..
TT;GncoIn rs an orator and advocate.
LIN In 70 contend with the brilliant and
,I.mont Little Giant" in the Douglas
eLo yqinoign of 81 was evidence of supreme
c"n ,rpra in his native State, but to con-
Vo ud for \ seat in the Senate and almost
le, i over such master of language was
WI If Genius in high degree.
Tbat he was original no one ever
,.;n,nd 70 DENY. His whole record
cll.lls il His Gettysburg speech, that
IIo.sco greeley called one of the three
ter spaeches by the foremost Ameri-
Inns since the settlement of this country,
:, nroof conclusive. In that famous
zach ONLY ninety separate words were
,,P5od vet volume of meaning was con-
,,,vad 70 the hearers and readers.
Rnt there were other points of interest
=, his oratorv that only his nearest neigh
i,,rs hest knew. He was known and be-
1.,,,od hy the whole of Springfield to be
LonastEso honest, in fact, that no re-
amer inner would be large enough to command
his services on the wrong side of itiga-
tjon. This gave him great power with
inrv or an audience. His words had
manhood behind them.
How long it took him to acquire this
sterling reputation and character no one
remembers. 1t seemed a part of his very
being. He was wise in choosing the right
side of questions and consistent in adher-
inc TO his convictions. No matter
whether the client was a car driver,
princev merchant, or prairie farmer,
fine right side was his governing fee, and
a settlement generally came at the end of
the lawsuit.
His fame (as a speaker was far reach
inc. Let it be known that "Aoe" Lin
coin would address public meeting and
the audience could be measured in adj
vance bv the capacity of the building.
Let It be known that he would address a
iurv and the courtroom was sure to be
crowded He was quaint, deep, graphic,
sincere Such is the verdict of his
friends and neighbors who knew him
most intimately before he became Presi-
dent.
81 heard him at his best" said Jay
Gould, Of Kansas, "when few men could
speak as he felt without faltering" 1t
was an evening meeting on the public
street north of the Planters house in
Leavenworth. The crowd was large and
noisy. 1t was directly on the heels of a
terrible raid in Missouri. The long fonr-
horse omnibus came over the "Big
Muddy" on fiat boat from the Missouri
side, and was driven rapidly to the hotel,
where, after few moments of rest, the
bonfres were lighted and thousands
1t was a crowd of desper-
ate armed and disguised men, mingled
with many courageous citizens and very
ready listeners. Only a few days pre-
vious the cornfelds of Kansas were the
skulking places of Prices raiders, and
many of his followers were believed to be
n the audience. Revolvers, bowie knives,
10th faces, SLOUGH hats, and cavalry out
its set the men off to advantage as they
ormed around the speakers stand Con
forty or fifty deep, on the up
lill side of the Planters house platform.
The band played, and tall man came
IN, with a soft felt hat, dressed in plain
black, plain and animated, who was in
SANITY recognized as cold Abe" and
hearty cheers, with few groans, greeted
the speaker. The spectacle was inspiring
to few, and mOmentous to MANY. 1t
might mean a fight or it might mean re-
newed courage. 1t certainly meant that
a man stood on the edge of giant under
taking. He began by reminding his
hearers of that bravest of bravery, that
Kind of fair play and a chance for a fair
nearing that western men had never de-
MED and always respected. He referred
% that (Southern) hatred of cowardice
hat strikes one when unarmed or under
lis adversary, and that chivalry known
wen up among the rude mountains of his
,arly home in Neutrality-suspicious. he hoped
many of his hearers had hunted in the
lays of their boyhood-that home of
brave men and fair women-the home of
air play and generous manhood. Over
% the western border had come the sons
If Kentucky's best blood and most dar-
NO young men in search of homes-and
50 he went on, earnestly, graphically,
gaining his hearers sympathy,
good will and applause until men swung
their broad hats in the air, crowded up
near the platform, or broke out in strong
like, Giles rightp' "We'ye
been thar" "Tell us some more of old
Kentuck" "What about Brown who
wants to free the blacksr' 'T'd fight for
that man" $50 onr' "Give us more ~
and the like, till Lincoln had no more
fear or reason to fear than any of the
armed party before him. His speech was
an inspiration in Leavenworth. 1t braced
up the settlers, quieted the raiders, en-
couraged free thought, and endeared him
to the people, as his speeches did to all
audiences. 1t proved that he was mas
ter Of men and master of oratory, the
art that comes by surprise, captures the
will and convinces the judgment. Am
prlna bod hut ana / irnolrn liz Ina1n-