Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-06-09
SOME NOTED SPEECHES
Made by Oratorical Giants OF
the Republican Party.
DEBATE OF LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS

DEBATE EOFLINCOLN AND DOUGLAS
'Hiaok jack Logan's vehcmen. Eio-
quen~e- ingersoii's Championship of
Blaine The Celebrated Nominating
Convention Of 1850 Whore Conkling
shone and Garfield Won.
The success or failure Of the various
candidates at the coming national nom
mating conventions will depend in large
degree npon the eloquence Of the gentle
men who present their names for con
~idaration, yet il must be admitted at
the start that since 1875 the most mag
niicent oratorical efforts have been
made on behalf Of those who failed to
secure the banner Of party leadership
lngersnll in 1875 and Frye in 1850 cham
pioned Blaine, and in tine latter year
Roscoe Conkling hattled 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 inludicious
speeches have knocked the foundations
from beneath carefully arranged pro-
grammes aud irnpclled the delegates al
most to Tumble over each other in their
eagerness 10 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 n certain
asplrant when one Of his ardent sup
porters from Texas cried out. What
are we here for if not for the offices?"
And asaiu. the consequences Of DR..
BurcharC's Rum, Runanism and Re-
bellion" are matters Of permanent his
tory
These are but two among the many
blunders " public speaking Tom Cor
win made famous one when opposing
the declaration Of war against Mexico.
and Tom Marshall absolutely fed rather
than reply 10 the fierce invective show
cred upon him hy Harry Of the West"
But to the self poised. thoroughly in
formed and earnest orator there come
trlnmphs which for the moment are
greater than any achieved by the mon
arch whose power is absolute for life or
death. or by the warrior who rides VIC
tnrious over field red with the blood
OF slaughtered foemen The true orator
mere existence. He sways the minds
and impulses Of his hearers. He is the
ruler of their hearts and intellects
Like Antony he can tear down con-
spiracy at the moment Of its culmina-
non, or like Luther he can compel the
world to accept a new creed.
| was a mere lad when, for the first
and last time. saw Stephen a. Doug
las. He was then making his famous
campaign against Abraham Lincoln, and
the speech heard was delivered at Chi
cago in the presence Of at least 5000
people. The orator threw his head back,
inflated his mighty lungs to their full
capacity and talked slowly. As conse-
quence, every word reached the ears Of
the most distant listener in solemn, state
ly cadence, forceful with dignity and
power Then followed the immortal
Rail Splitter" a contrast in every way
to the Little Giant" His tall. ungainly
form. his mournful face and cavernous
eyes attracted attention where the solid
frame and Roman massiveness of his
competitor had demanded Difference
Douglas voice had roared forth like the
boom Of minute guns; that of Lincoln
seemed as mellow as the sweet and sill
very tones of a bugle call, and each in
turn moved the vast audience by the
magic Of his genius.
Those were the glorious old days Of
Joint debates in the west, and | re-
member with even more distinctness
than the Lincoln Douglas controversy,
the verbal duel waged in the campaign
Of 1864 by John A. Logan and T. Lyle
Dickey The former was fresh from the
scene Of war. with all the glories Of a
victorious general clustered about his
brow. "The slogan Of the iron hearted
Logan had sounded on many stricken
field. and the Republicans of Illinois
swore by him then, as they continued to
do until the hour Of his lamented death.
He spoke as he had fought. He regarded
grammatic rules as little as he had pre-
viously reverenced the book of tactics,
but he had won on the battlefield and
he won on the stump, for he hit straight
from the shoulder, and his tremendous
earnestness overcame all opposition.
Yet it was restful and charming, though
not convincing. after one Of BLACK
Jacks" sledge hammer speeches to drink
in the graceful, scholarly and often sar-
castle remarks of Dickey. He welded
the delicate but piercing blade Of Saladin,
while Logan's weapon was the big two
handed sword Of Richard the Lion
Hearted.
However, the political speeches that
are to live In the history Of the Repub
lican party were yet to be delivered, and
as have before noted they have been
made on behalf of the vanquished and
not Of the victors. Who that witnessed
it can ever forget the electric enthusiasm
produced by Ingersoll's advocacy OF
Blaine at the Cincinnati convention OF
1S767 Who" asked some one near the
reporters table, ''is that Illinois man,
lngersollT A Chicago scribe answered,
Hes Peoria lawyer who doesn't BE-
Iieve In God and who can talk like an
angel" "Gosh!" was all the comment
made BY this unknown victim to the
power Of eloquence.
Again Republican nominating con
vention, and again a struggle OF giants
time, 1850; place. Chicago. 80 vlvidiy