The Indianapolis journal., 1888-08-06


fash-like and coherently. There were not only
words at command. but the right words, en-
aoing him to express bipssif exactly. be founo,
too, the pleasure tbersNlwsys II IN the facul-
dence came with the discoveries Irom that
day to this, whether addressing himself to cours
or jury, or the vaster audiences who furnish the
delight of oratory on the platform or stump. he
has been an impromptu speaker.
AT the conclusion OF this maiden effort be
WAS congratulated by everybody. The audience
dispersed to exploit that little fellow. Harrison.
What swinee-cat he is Who would have
thought it2 he is only boy yetr they said to
each other.
Tho juu after retirement sufficient to take
the usual votes returned q verdict of guilty
and Harrison q first trial WAS triumph and more.
1t brought him honorable notoriety and quick
induction into business"
No passage in General WaIlaces book per.
haps. will be more heartily enjoyed By Repub-
licans than that in which he tells how youne
Harrison met Thomas A. Hendricks in joint de-
bate and at the same time put the laugh on Mr..
Voorhees, almost as signally as did Mr.. ingalls,
in the Senate Chamber on o certain historic oc-
casion some twenty-eight years later. In 1860
Harrison, as the Republican candidate for the
lofty Office Of Reporter of the Supreme Court.
he had been assigned by his colleagues to uphold
alone the dignity OF the ticket and entnuss the
hearts of a Republican assmeeting- From
this point let General Wallace tell the story;
Interest In the contest as will be remem-
bered. was centered chiefly in the battle be-
tween Col. Henry 5. Lane aud Mr. Thomas A.
hendricks, who were opposing each other for
the governorship. When young Haryson set
out Tor Rockville he had no other though. than
OF making his speech Of general advocacy of the
Republican party and its tickets State and
tional, without responsibility other than per-
tanned to his own subordinate struggle. Upon
alightirg at the old tavern he learned for the
first time that Mr. Thomas A, Hendricks had
int fOr fho 4%h,
court-house. The Republicans gathered arornd
and told him that the Democrats were hectoring
them with suggestions of joint debate The
young man met the news at first with modest
hesitation. Mr.. Hendricks reputation as
speaker and debater national. and he had
been pitted against Colonel Lane as the fttest
Democrat in the State to take care OF the
vass. Young Harrison shrank from the effect
of failure upon the interests OF his party.
"'That is, of course. a very unfair proposal,
he said Mr.. Hendricks is at the head of the
Democratic ticket, while am at the tail of the
Republican ticket. He is an experienced public
deoater, while am on my first trip
Finally he said: Gentleman, IL we can't
get along with this without showing the white
feather, you just tell them We will consent TO q
joint meeting And il was so arranged; that Is
as Mr.. Hendricks did not want to dignity the
affair by making il a Joint discussion in form,
his friends proposed that, as his appointment
Was first, he should speak two hours. leaving
Harrison to follow.
''The people. men and women. jammed the
courthouse. There was scarcely breathing
room in it. John s. Davis, Democratic mag
nate of the locality, and Mr.. Voorhees,, the
Tall Sycamore of the Wabash occupied high
seats. dividing honors with Mr.. Hendricks.
Young Harrison went in unnoticed No one
was so poor as to offer him chair. He was
compelled to content himself with q seat the
edge Of desk, his feet hanging pendulously in
the air. The three great lights of the Democra-
cy had no fear of him; to the Republicans he
was unknown quantity.
''Mr. Hendricks found il easy going. The
time was when the Democracy were trying 20
persuade men that the early and later rains and
the increased population and DEVELOPMENT Of the
country were all due to their benefcent infu-
ences. The speech was pleasant. plausible and
strong. To the unknown. perched upon the
sharp edge of the desk in the squeeze OF the
crowd, the two hours stretched into four. and
the applause smote him like blows. At last Mr..
Hendricks finished and took his seat having
generously requested the people to remain.
"Then Harrison's turn came. When he ap-
peared the stand il was amidst a heavy
silence. The men gazed at him blankly. The
women pitied him. To regain composure, he
was slow in arranging his documents. He be-
gan, at length, with we'll -worded compliment
to Mr.. Hendricks. Directly he stated propo-
sition. and charged that at some previous time
the Democrats had conceded it TO be true
There was q stir in the house indicative of a
sensation. and promptly Mr.. Voorhees, reared
his tall form, claiming every eye, and, with
stately wave Of the hand to check any demon
stration, denied the truth Of the statement. An
electric fash is not quicker than the returt.
'Fellow-citizens, the denial TO which We
have listened induces me to amend my assertion.
now state that every Democrat approved the
proposition except Mr.. VOORHEES,. lie was then
'With the spontaneityithat distinguishes az
American audience above all others. yell
burst out, and before it ended the boyish-look
ing individual In the stand knew that the house
was we'll stocked with Republicans.
PLEASED, confident, smiling ne then took M
Mr. Hendricks's points and answered them one
by one, supporting each statement with the
record. As he proceeded the difficulty was to
reprees the enthusiasm of his friends"
Many interesting extracts might be made
from the portion of the biography devoted 20
the career Of the soldier and statesman. bot
these phases OF the candidates character have
already been so fully exploited in the columns
of the press that their main features are well
known. Let it suffice. therefore. to give Cen
eral Wallace's account of Harrison's famous
charge upon the confederate batteries at Re-
SAGA:
''To General Ward. of the First Brigade,
there presently rode mp officer with the order
to attack. The hill on the right of the road was
pointed out to him as the one against which he
to direct his column. Without loss of time
the order was rSpeated TO Colonel Harrison, who,
appreciatine the work before him. paused to
give some directions Seeing the impossibiity
Of making way through the woods and dense uu-
dererowth on horseback. he ordered general
dismount of field and staff officers. and dis
mounted hiEaself He also made up his mird
that it would be difficult. if not absolutely impcs
sibe, to preserve his line: once fairly within the
grove of young pine treas he would be unable
to see from right to left of his regiment; if the
captains could do better with their companies.
they might congratulate themselves Ihs
colors were TO be displayed to the best advantage
as center about which the men were to mass
themselves, and by which they were TO govern
their advance He said TO the officer who brought
him the order: i am not familiar with the
ground; you are. Go with me and show me the
battery; / do not want to charge faux to it, ,
The two then started to reconnoiter. The re-
port of a gun saved them the trouble. Divining
the direction from the shell which passed over
his head. Harrison called out 80 as to be heard
by the line behind him, Come on boys, and
started down the hill.
1.-THE brigade, with great shout, put itself Ia
motion. arms at right shoulder shift and all the
flags raised to the utmost The crash Of the Ave
regiments through the underbrush the rush
and tear. must be imagined.
''Seeing 80 large a body OF men in the act OF
charging. the rebels upon the opposite crest
opened upon it with great guns and small The
target was large; no need to take aim. Under
the sharp zip, Zip of the bullets, and the sing
ing ping Of grape-shot, familiar to every vet
eran. officers and men took up the cry of for-
ward AS was anticipated the column rushing
down the declivity lost its alignments and inter-
vals and fused into q mass while crossing the
valley When the ascent WAS made, the entan-
clement Of the several commands had become
inextricable. But. in that supreme disorder,
<b ot;l hos tpdF lof n A..