The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-09-17

beneath shaggy eyebrows, Quandr0ng.
ular breadth of jaw bone and mouth
which bespoke strong will, he stood like
sturdy RounGhead sentinel on guard
before the gates of the Constitution.
Holding i'll profound contempt what is
termed spread eagle oratory, his only
gesticulations were up-anu-down motions
Of his right arm. as if he was heating out
with sledge hammers his forcible ideas.
Henry Clay WIS formed by nature for
popular orator. He was tall and thin,
with a rather small head and gray eyes.
His nose was straight, his upper lip
long, and his under jaw light. His
mouth, of generous width, straight when
he was silent, and curvlng up atethe
corners as lie spoke or smiled, was
singularly winning. When lie enchanted
large audiences his features were lighted
up by pleasing smile, the gestures of
his long arms were graceful. and the
gentle accents of his mellow voice were
persuasive and winning or terrible in
anger. His friends were legion, and
they chung to HIM with undying affection
while his antagonists never made peace
with him. John Quincy Adams wrote
in his diary that the "oratorical en-
counters between Clay and Calhoun are
lilliputian mimicry of the orations
against Ctesiphon and the Crown or the
debate of the second Philippe"
Sergeant Smith Prentiss was undoubt-
eddy the most eloquent man who ever
addressed the United States House of
Representatives. A carpet, Dagger from
Maine, he went to Mississippi poor and
friendless, and not only became fore
most among her sons. but acquired
national reputation. He was indeed.
a remarkable orator, his intellectual
endowments presenting remarkable
example in which great logical powers
and TIE most vivid Imagination were
happily blended. AS Dryden said of
Halifax. he was q man
OF piercing wit and pregnant thought,
Endured 10y nature and by learning taught
To move assemblies.
The great secret of his oratorical success
was his readiness. He seemed never Mt
q loss for an epigram or a retort, and his
impromptu speeches were the best.
Thomas Corwin, of Ohio, was noted
for his humorous speeches, especially
one i'll which he mercilessly ridiculed
lawyer holding n militia commission,
who had undertaken to critcise the
martial exploits OF Gen. Harrison. It
was with him, however, o subject of
regret that he had ever said funny
thing in debate, and he used to advise
his young friends never to make humor-
GUS speeches. ga man." said he one
day, "must be funny or wise. You will
rise higher in the long run to be wise.
This reputation of mine for hnmor
hangs about my neck like the body of
death. It is the Nemesis which will
haunt me to my grave. Shun it while
You may"
Stephen A. Douglas WIS short, thick
set man, with ford, clean. shaven
conntenance, and nervous manner,
which made him attractive to friend and
foe, and gained for him the sobriquet of
"The Little Giant" His mind was
capable of grasping, APPLYING and
Calculating the most abstract and diff
cult subjects. He had q deep-toned
voice, and his gestures were energetic
and somewhat graceful.
We may not have the equals of
Patrick Henry. Samuel Adams, John
Rntledge, Webster, Clay, Calhoun or
Prentiss but as whole the Congress
sional orator of to-day is far superior to
that of the near. or the distant, past
Verbatim reporting has proved great
injury to Congressional oratory In the
olden time the Senators and representa-
lives would listen to those who were
speaking with the attention of assem-
blages of trained critics. When verba-
tim reports of the debates were made
and printed, these Congressional list
cners were no longer to be found. A
Senator OF Representative who had
carefully prepared himself would, rs
he commenced his speech, see his audi
ence engaged in every other way than
listening to his accents. Some would
be IN groups chatting, others would be
reading newspapers or books, and the
rest inditing epistles or directing public
documents to their constituents. 1t
would be difficult for him to say what
he had intended where thara Woe ono+bo,