The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-06-03
SOME NOTED SPEECHES
Made by Oratorical Giants of
the Republican Party.
DEBATE OFLINCOLN AND DOUGLAS

Black Jack" Logan's Vehement Elo
quence-IngersoIis Champ ionship O
Biaine-The Celebrated Nominat,n,
Convention OF 1880 Where Conklin,
shone and Garfield Won.
The success or failure Of the variou
candidates at the coming national nom
mating conventions will depend in larg,
degree upon the eloquence of the gentle
men who present their names for con
sideration, yet it must be admitted al
the start that since 1875 the most mag
nificent oratorical efforts have been
made on behalf Of those who failed tc
secure the banner Of party leadership.
lngersoll in 1876 and Frye in 1880 cham
pioned Blaine, and in the latter year
Roscoe Conkling battled for Grant while
Garfield upheld the cause and claims to
advancement Of Senator John Sherman.
On the other hand. there have been
numerous occasions when injudicious
speeches have knocked the foundations
from beneath carefully arranged pro-
grammes and impelled the delegates al
most to tumble over each other in their
eagerness to abandon a plan to which
but the night before. they had sworn
eternal fidelity. Everybody familiar
with American politics knows the effect
produced on the chances of a certain
aspirant when one of his ardent sup
porters from Texas cried out. What
are we here for II not for the offices?"
And again. the consequences of DR..
Burchard's Rum, Romanism and Re-
bellion" are matters of permanent his
tory.
These are but two among the many
plumbers of public speaking. Tom Cor
win made famous one when opposing
the declaration Of war against Mexico,
and Tom Marshall absolutely fed rather
than reply to the fierce invective show
cred upon him by Harry Of the West"
But to the self poised, thoroughly in
and earnest orator there come
triumphs which for the moment are
greater than any achieved by the mon
arch whose power Is absolute for life or
teath. or by the warrior who rides vic
'orious over field red with the blood
If slaughtered foemen- The true orator
the master Of something more than
mere existence. He sways the minds
md impulses OF his hearers. He Is the
'uler of their hearts and intellects.
like Antony he can tear down a con-
piracy at the moment of its culmina-
ion. or like Luther he can compel the
world to accept new creed.
was a mere lad when, for the first
nd last time, ! saw Stephen A. Doug
as. He was then making his famous
against Abraham Lincoln. and |
he speech heard was delivered at Chi
ago In the presence of at least 10 900
eople. The orator threw his head back.
,fated his mighty lungs 10 their full |
apacity and talked slowly. As conse-
uence. every word reached the ears of
ne most distant listener In solemn. state
cadence, forceful with dignity and
over. Then followed the immortal
Rail Splitter" q contrast in every way
the Little Giant" His tall, ungainly
'rm. his mournful face and cavernous
yes attracted attention where the solid
anne and Roman massiveness OF his
had demanded deferspce.
ouglas' voice had roared forth like the
'or, of minute guns; that Of Lincoln
emed as mellow as the sweet and sill
Try tones Of bugle call, and each In
I'm moved the vast audience by the
agic of his genius.
Those were the glorious old days of
Ioint debates" In the west, and / re-
ember with even more distinctness
an the Lincoln-D Douglas controversy.
Q verbal duel waged in the campaign 1
1854 by John A. Logan and T. Lyle
ckey. The former was fresh from the
enc Of war, with all the glories OF a
glorious general clustered about his
ow 1.-THE slogan of the iron hearted
gan had sounded on many stricken
Id. and the Republicans Of Illinois =
ore by him then, rs they continued to q
until the hour of his lamented death.
spoke as he had fought. He regarded Q
rules as little as he had pre-
ously reverenced the book Of tactics, 4
t he had won ON the battlefield and 4
won on the stump, for he hit straight n
I'M the shoulder, and his tremendous a
,nestness overcame all opposition. n
t 1t was restful and charming, though (
convincing. after one of "Black A
,k's" sledge hammer speeches to drink a
the graceful. scholarly and often sar q
tic remarks Of Dickey. He welded 3,
delicate but piercing blade Of Saladin. a.
lie Logan's weapon was the big two q
,ded sword Of Richard the Lion r
arted-
However. the political speeches that a,
to live tn the history of the Repub- ~
m party were yet to be delivered, and n,
have before noted they have been &
de on behalf of the vanquished and 90
OF the victors. Who that witnessed %
an ever forget the electric enthusiasm a,
duced by lngersoll's advocacy of "a
Inc at the Cincinnati convention of
"