Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-11-09
ORATORS OF OTHER DAYS.
PERSONAL cIAnAcrrRIsrics of PATRICK
HHSRY. HAMILTON. LIE. wrhsrrn,
CLAY AMI . q. rRESriss.

Patrick Henry. the great Virginia
orator. called In biz day 1.-The Demos
themes Of America. IL described |. hav.
ing been nearly ain fee, high. ~i'h .
slish, s,oop Of the shoulders. bic com.
plsIisn DARK. .unbarned and sallo~. bic
forehead high. his blasi.h. gray eyes over
hung by heavy eyebrows. and his mouth
and chin indicative Of frmness His de-
livery vas natural and ~sll.iimed. and
his manner, we're disnifed. lie spoke
Nth great dslibefstion. never recalling
OF reas,ing sntsnees - he vent along.
nor substituting q word for better one.
His voice VI. no, remarkable for i,s
sweetness. bat IL vas firm. sni he never
INDUCED ia continuous and deafsnins ,o'
eifersilon. Every ,eboolboy i' familiar
9TH hi. wonderful appeal to Congress to
Offer armed resistance to Grat Britain.
ending. "Give me liberty. OF give me
death"
Richard Henry lee. measured by the
classic standard Of orsioy. ". the
Cicero Of the Continental Consress.
The culiisstsd srsees ~ his rhetoric.
-e are told. received and ra e,sd beau.
" by their coniras, With his colleagues
srsndsr ,fssion'. hi. polished periods
rolling alorg without ,an, and filling
the esr 9TH the moa exquisite harmony.
samuel Adams. Of Massachusetts,. .ho
had bssn kno-n .. "ihe srea, inesndis'
~" In Ns- Easlsnd politics. h'c.me the
guiding inisll,e; Of the Consre: Yet
|, doe. no, .ppen ,hs, either be OF bis
colleagues took . prominsn, part In the
dstaio--i.e ooan.,l'. perhaps. accom-.
pli.hins .. much I. ,lcquenee. lie -s'
at thu, time 50 years 81 age. and hi.
form "a. slightly based. -hile bis lons
'ock. ~e', gray. bu, b., clear blue eyes
dashed ii b the hr, Of youth, and eour.
*, "a. ''smPd 90 every frs,ure.
Ahl,tdet H,mil,oa. u New York.
.u.ll n .'.'ury. po..e.'ei mind u in
m.t.s sr..p and unlimited original r-'
.ouie... Of such r.pii ihoush, ths, he
,eemsd a. time. 90 rs.ch hi. conclusions
by = species Of i1iui'ion. lie souli
catch the principle Involved In discus.
sion .. II by instinct. sud adhere iisiily
20 that. quite sur. thu, thereby ih- 'l,-
tell, w,r. certain 10 be- rishi.-Rafu'
King. ote OF hi. colleagues. vas tn pos
...or Of an uneommonly ,isovu. mind.
highly cultivated by study. and be 'Pot.
18th dignity. eotci.sn''s. aud force. HE
argum.n'. w,r- - logically ausns,d ,h.,
a. they had convinced him they carried
coh,iciion 20 o'hs''.
Jotn Ruil.dse. u South Carolins, -s
probably the mo-i cultivated orator Ia
the Con,in,ni.l Corgr" ~. ideu.
Ramsey tells We. were clear and strong.
hi. u,,srate, rapid bat di',inei, bis voice.
and action stdsnsig,iie msnnsr " 'Pesk.
ing foreibly Impressed his sentiments on
The mind. and hearts u ell -ho heard
bin. A, reply he ~N quick. Instantly
comprrhenting III, force u an objection
and ,e'ins At once the b'', mode OF
weakening 90 repsllins IL
Daring The fr, fifty years OF the si'
i.,snee Of the " senate aud House Of
Representative. Ia Congre.. assembled.
under the Constitution. there we're no
verbatim reporters. and the Congr,''ion'
al orators poured forth their breathing
thought. and burning word. in polished
and ,loqgsn, language. Ba.ins. Vas
transacted in conventional manner
and when o., 'pssehe. -tre ooeasionslly
made they ~,r. listened to Nth s,ien.
ton. The FIRE, written speech rad ia
the United States senate ~. by the Hoo.
Isaac Hill. Of New Hampshire, q firm
supporter Of Gen. Jackson. When abou,
half through be suddenly Io., the thread
Of hi. discourse aud stopped. evidently
smbsua.ed. HI. wife. -ho 90, 10 the
gallery slmo., directly over him. eompre.
hended the situation and 'aid 10 . voice
heard ell over the Senate Chamber. "Mr.
Hill. you've TUNED over two leaves q.
once" lie Immediately corrected bis
mistake and proosedsd with bis remarks
amid . roar OF laughter.
Daniel Webster ws no, an sI,empo.
rsneOus speaker. and he sl~sys prepared
himself With great care fof his speeches
in the senate and bis Arguments before
the Supreme Court. Alssys careful
.bou, bis p-r'On.l appearance when he
Vas TO address an audience. be used.
sfisr be had reached the zenith Of bis
fame. 10 wear the costume Of the British
Wings blue dr,,s.eos, with bright
buttons. . buff ~si.,oo.,, black trousers.
aud high, white ersyas, With . stand
ins shirt collar. A man Of commanding
presence. ~i,h . we'll knit, sturdy frame.
.-srhy features, . broad. though fal
forehead, courageous eyes cleaning from
beneath shaggy eyebrows. a qaadrsngu-
lar breadth Of j.w.bone. and = mouth
-hieh bespoke strong will. be ,,ood like
q sturdy Roandhead sentinel on guard
before the gates Of the Constitution.
Holding in profound con,smp, ~hs, Is
termed 'prsd-esgle ors,ory. bis only
sss'ieuls,ions were up-snd.dO~n mo-
tons OF bis nigh, arm. IS II be VAS beat.
ing on, With slsdse hammer. his forcible
ideas.
Henry Clay was formed by nature Tor
a popular orator. He vas tall and thin.
With . rather small head and gray eyes
Ills nose ". straight, his upper lip
long. and bis upper jaw light. Hi,
mouth. Of generous width. s,rsigh, When
be VAS client. and eurving up ., the
corner. a. be spoke or smiled. Vas singu-
lsfly winning. Wien he enehsined
large audience. bis features were lighted
up by . pleasing smile. the gestures Of
hls long arms were graceful. and the
.entle accent. Of his mellow voice we're
! ersussive and winning. or terrible in
anger. His friends were legion, and
they elung to him With undying affection
while bis antagonists never made peace
with him. John Quincy Adams wrote
In bis diary that the "orstoricsl eneoun.
tiers between Clay and Calhoun are lilli.