St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-05
TIMID GREAT MEN.
Noted Orators and Public Men
Who Shivered Before Audi

Noted Orators and Public Men
Who Shivered Before Audi
enCeS.
1t has recently been stated by those
who knew him we'll that Mr.. Spurgeon
was still another example OF the fact
that public men often quake on the eve
OF their great successes. Though few
guessed it, he Was nervous in speaking.
and one result OF the disastrous panic at
the Surrey gardens in 1856 was that he
ever afterward dreaded excitement in
great audiences.
At the Free Trade hall in Manchester,
1917. the orator was in buOyant and
brilliant form. Yet before delivering
his address he had been attacked by
nervous sickness in the ante room, says
CasSelrs Journal
AS we Shave suggested, this curious
preliminary recOll seems to be fire.
quent characteristic of the efforts that
establish or Increase fame. Inquiry
shows that some form of timorousness
dogs distinction like its shadow. 1t may
have peculiar and even eccentric feat
ureS.
Edmund Yates has mentioned the case
OF distinguished living politician,
noted for his dash and aplomb while in
the house of commons, to whom on one
occasion Sir Henry Halford, the emf
nent physician, gave an account of a
railway accident. The narrator was
elaborate in his description, and it was
two much for his listeners nerve.
In the midst OF the story the doctor
had 10 break off. His friend was on the
point of fainting. Condition of mind
bordering on panic has often prevailed
up to the last moment with men VINO
have had to face critical audiences.
The late Lord Derby earned the title
of the ''Rupert of Debate'' from his
dashing alacrity, but he declared:
when | am going 10 speak my
man who is going to be hanged" He
never rose to speak without experience
ing a peculiar and very unpleasant
nervous tremor.
The same may be said Of Lord Lynd-
hurst. That eminent jurist and states
man was totally unable to free himself.
from the beginning to the end of bis
career. of trepidatiOn and nervous emo
ton when he got upon his legs to adj
dress either court or parliament.
Canning, too, told his friends that lie
knew beforehand, by disagreeable set
OF symptoms, when lie should win, and
nolu Tie ear OF the mouse, ana eXtOrt Inc
admiration even.of his adversaries. He
was always conscious of an ominous
chill of fear. 1t meant not failure, as
was his dread, but fine Grafton.
Emilio Castelar,, the silver tongued
Spanished Tribune, is simply miserable
on the eve of great speech. His I'M
rest and anxiety on such occasions are
characteristic feature of the man. ae
wanders distraught about the building
III which the CorteS is in session.
He ruSheS into the cafe to take glass
OF water; seems to be seized with
fever; fancies he will not know how to
put the words together. that he will be
laughed at or Kissed; not lucid idea of
his speech remains in his head-he has
confused and forgotten everything
until the moment when he looked
around upon the eXpectant faces and
delivers the first sentence OF his adj
dress.
Then words do not fail; they come to
his help in stately, sonorous order.
Then courage does not flag. He is a
statesman with mission, inspired and
earnest. Every item of timorousness
has evapOrateu.