The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-12
COULD FIGHT BUT NOT TALK
The Traditions of the Effort That Made
the Elder Harrison President.
An Incl 'ent of,he Campaign lSlO-Eov the
CID Warrior iesent.d Int ut,iul Crit.
ciSm OF Lis Action as sel. Ter.

hmoDR Inc pleasant tTaultlODS OF the
Field family, of Jacksonville, In partition.
lar, and Clark county people In general, is
the story of how Gen. William Henry IIar.
rison made his greatest campaign speech.
The late DIR. Nathaniel Field related the
story once TO your correspondent, and there
are some still alive who heard General
Morrison make tho speech that made him
President
1t was during the campaign of 1910. The
General was making n personal canvass all
through Indiana. appealing to his friends
and to every Hoosier whom he met, and
State pride played as great o role
In that fight it did four years
ago In the second Harrison's campaign.
General Harrison was no stumper, and
though he could talk well enough to an ac-
cidentally gathered knot of persons, he was
extremely difiident upon the rostrum and
subject 10 that mysterious trouble, stage
fright" He would rather face thousand
enemies upon the battlefield than hun
dred friends in the forum. /"
During the course of bis canvass he nat
urally worked down Into Clark county,
which was then one of the great con,crs Of
pOPNaotfOh ih Ihuiano ctOOu u VII .
head tor men of intelligence and force,
Charlestown, now but a country village,
being then known for its abundance of
brainy men. indianapolis owes much of
Its pre- emlnence as an intellectual center
to the little Clark county town, SINCE most
OF the early leaders of the capital came
from there.
The fret stop made in Clark county by
the PRESIDENTIAL candidate was In Jeiier-
sonviile, at the Eospitable house of Dr.
Nathaniel Field an old log structure still
In existence, where many national and In
diana nOtabI!iuies have enjoyed the Wit
and wisdom Of the great pioneer physician
as well as his valuable and always gener-
ous assistance. The Doctor insisted
that Hsrr son go to Charlestown and make
speech, and, wille-nille. gave out "a
programme TO that effect Charlrstown
was then a county seat. and An enoi mons
crowd gathered there the next day to hear
the hero OF TIppecanoe anu the Thames.
In the afternoon Harrison. accompanied by
Dr. Field and other gon tlemen, drove from
Jeffersonv lille to CharlestOwD. The General
had no idea of the crowd which awaited
HIM, even Kentucky having sent Its con-
trlbutlOn to swell the thrOng. and when he
saw the mass of people has heart was troub-
led. The party dIsIDDunted at the court
house, and some leader IN the cOnnty made
the opening speech. DR.. Field told the
resident-to-be that he niust also speak.
But L am no speaker" responded the
GENERAL Il know nothing or politics, and
shall certainly make u fool of myself if /
attempt to talk abOus it'll
You must speak," was the Doctors
peremptOry answer; speak about any
thing you Know"
VALUABLE IDEA.
An idea suddenly struck him. General
Harrison's enemies had been busiiy
circulating slanderous stories about the
Generals conduct at Tippecanoe. and at
the Thames: how he had allowed himself
TO be SURPRISED mt tRe 4ffAr piaee. and sacri-
ficed his men needicssly, with lot
of other charges. including that of cow
ardice. Or thess vilo cnlumnIes Harrison
WAS utterly Ignorant. Tor his friends, from
ill-adyIsed deiicaey, had hesitated 10 tell
him of the matter. and it was greatly in
jurng him. Here. thought the Doctor, was
a chance To retute ami cOnfOund the I'M
warranted attack, and the victim might do
1t without being told tho full extent OF the
cslumnies circulated against him. After n
few moments thought. DIR. Field turned tn
General Harrison: Speak you must. Talk
about the battle of Tippecanoe AMI of the
Thames. Your opponents say yOu made
some crave mistakes there. Tell the story
OF those battles III your own way. You can
do it,"
les. / think can. know something
about that topic"
There had been occasional calls for Har-
risoD before the first speaker closed and
how these had broken firth into vocal
storm. redOrbllug a. the General stepped
forward from the rear OF the platform
where he had held his hurried cOnsulta-
ton with DIR. Field. The roar of voices
was deafeniDg.
The General stepped forward bare
headed, bowed and lifted bis hand. The
laundering acclaim subsidized. Then be
launched forth into wonderful descrip-
ton of battle. At first he spoke almost in
ardibly, hesitatingly: then he warmed 10
his subject. An orator was born suddenly
for the occasion. He marshaled his bat
taliOns. The Indians orept up. The rattle
CT musketry, the roar OF cannon, the clat-
ter aud clash of cavalry We're heard. 1t
was Is wonderful effort. Inch 10y inch the
battle canvass was nnrollcd by o master
hand! The great audience hung breath
lessly upon the lips or the speaker. 1t
swayed with his emotions. it shared his
fears, 1t gathered his confidence, and at
last, when the battle wns won, il broke
into hurricane of acclaim
1t was the greatest speech ever made by
Harrison. IL was classic of American
oratory. and pity it is that il has been lost.
1t won the day! AS an expedition OF the
battle, as n rofutatlOn OF ealnmEics. il WAS
a masterpiece. The old berO's enemies were
routed. The iourDals'of she country OH d.
lished IL far and WIDE, and on the wings
of it's eloquence and, Convincing truth he
was born To the presidency. Clark county
is proud. to-day, that the victorious speech
was made within her borders iidI prom { cd
by one OF her sons. HERMAN RAVE.