Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-01-30
American Oratory.

I
| effusion on America and Americans.)
But this has nothing to do with San
Francisco and her merry maidens; her
strong, staggering men and her wealth OF
gold and pride. They bore me to ban
quet in honor of a brave lieutenant
Carlin, of the yandalia-who stuck by his
ship in the great cyclone at Apia and com
ported himself as AN officer should. On
that occasion-'twas at the Bohemian Club
Il heard oratory with the roundest of o's,
and devoured dinner the memory of
which will descend with me into the
hungry grave.
There were about forty speeches deliver
ed, and not one of them was average or
ordinary. 1t was my first introduction to
the American eagle screaming for all it
was worth. The Lieutenant's heroism
served as a peg from which the silver
tongued ones turned themselves loose and
kicked They ransacked the clouds of sun
set, the thunderbolts of heaven, the deeps of
hell and the splendor of the resurrection
for tropes and metaphors, and hurle d the
result at tie head of the guest OF the eve
ming.
Never since the morning stars sang to-
gether for joy, learned, had an amazed
creation witnessed such superhuman
bravery as that displayed by the American
navy in the Samoa cyclone. Till earth
rotted in the phosphorescent star and
stripe slime of decsyed universe that
godlike gallantry would not be forgotten.
| grieve that l cannot give the exact
words. Ny attempt at reproducing their
spirit is pale and inadequate. / sat be-
wildered on a ccrruscating Niagara Of
blatherumskite. 1t was magnificent-it
was stupendous-and was conscious of a
wicked desire to hide my face in napkin
and grin. Then, according to rule, they
produced their dead, and across the snowy
tablecloths dragged the corpse of every
man slain in the civil war and hurled de-
fiance at "our natural enemy" england, so
please you,) with her chain of fortresses
across the world" Thereafter they glori-
| fled their nation afresh from the begin
ming, in case any detail should have been
overlooked, and that made me uncomfort-
able for their sakes. How in the world
can a white man, sahib of our blood,
stand up and plaster praise on his own
countryi He can think as highly as he
likes, but this open mouthed vehemence OF
alteration struck me almost as indelicate.
| Ny hosts talked for rather more than three
hours. and at the end seemed ready for
three hours more.
But when the Lieutenant-such big,
brave, gentle giant-rose to his feet be de-
livered what seemed to me the speech OF
the evening. / remember nearly the whole
of it, and it ran something in this way:
Gentleman Its very good of you to give
me this dinner and to tell me all these
pretty things, but what I want you to
understandable fact il, what we want and
what we ought to get at once is a navy
more ships-lots Of EN-" Then we
howled the top Of the roof off, and | fol
one fell in love with Carlin on the spot.
Wallah He was man.
The prince among merchants bade me
take no head to the warlike sentiments ol
some of the old generals.
1.-The sky rockets are thrown in fol
effect" quoth he, "and whenever we get OF
our hind legs We always express desire
to chaw up England. It's sort of family
affair" And. indeed, when you come tt
think of il, there is no other country fol
the American public speaker to trampls
upon.
France has Germany, We have Russia
for Italy Austria is provided. and thu
humblest Pathan possesses an ancestra
enemy.
Only America stands out Of the racket
and therefore TO be in fashion makes
sandbag of the mother country and bang
her when occasion requires. "The chair
OF fortresses" man, n fascinating talker, ex
planned to me after the affair that he wa
compelled TO blow of steam. Everybody
expected it.
When we had chanted "The Sta
Spangled Banner not more than eigh
times we adjourned America is yerl
great country, but it is not yet heaven
with electric lights and plush fittings, a
the speakers professed to believe. M.
listening mind went back 10 the politician
in the saloon, who wasted no time in talk
ing about freedom, but quietly made ar
rangements to impose their will ON th
citizens 'The judge is great man, bu
give thy presents to the clerk" as tn
proverb saith.