The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-25

be ndorsed by every man who heard the
Little Giant on the stump Thomas H..
Benton used to say that Douglas could
never be President because his coat-tails
came too near the ground but there was
never q democrat who seemed Of such i'm
posing stature as Douglas did when he
was in the midst of th- fury and passion
and fascination of one of his stump
addresses. He was no taller than John H..
Fellows, but his checks were swarthy and
sometimes flushed, and his eyes, at least
during a speech, seemed as large and
impressive as those OF Webster, Indeed,
Douglas never met his superior in any
party until his old-time friend and fellow
townsman, Lincoln, caused him to lower
his colors.
Perhaps the most successful stump
speaking campaign conducted by any man
was that carried on by Lincoln in the
summer Of 1858. Before that he had gain
ed some repute as a speaker and political
leader in Illinois, but was not held at his
true worth except by the keener intel
lects Of his party In 1853, however, LIN
coin saw that his time had come. "A sena-
tor was to be elected In Illinois, ana
Douglas was a candidate to succeed him
self Lincoln, Il was understood, would
be the candidate In case the whig party
won. He therefore challenged Douglas to
a Joint debate. When Douglas read the
challenge he displayed great annoyance,
which his friends did not share, for they
said: "He has given you your opportu-
nifty" Douglas turned sad, anxious
face upon them and replied: you do
not know this man. / do not court such
a battle, / assure you, and yet l cannot
avoid It,"
Then followed a series of joint debates.
seven in all. which have become historic.
and made Lincoln, man until then al
I.rF Iaa n
own state, a commanding national figure.
His strategy and wisdom made him Doug
las master at every point. Douglas won
the senatorship, but the admissions Lin
coin compelled him 10 make on the stump
rent his party In twain and cost him the
presidency. Later Lincoln made two other
stump speeches, and these clinched his
grip upon the presidential nomination OF
the newly created republican party. He
delivered one in Chicago. beginning with
the sentence, "A house divided against it.
self cannot stand" and then TO show the
east what manner Of man he was, visited
New York, and I'm Cooper Union made a
political address remarkable for us digni-
~. breadth and foresight. He had, too,
sense of humor, but such tact in the use
of II that he made 1t his servant and not
his master. Moreover an aptitude Tor
homely, yet powerful illustrations and
lucidlty Of expression surpassed by no
other man OF his time, enable MIN 10
take the most abstract theory and put
II before his hearers so clearly that even
the dullest were able TO understand IT,
The stump had its highest excmplifica-
ton in the career of Lincoln.
Seward, on the other hand, was never a
popular stump speaker lie was polished,
deliberate, impressive. but his speeches
appealed always to the intellect, and lack
ed the charm OF apparent spontaneity.
A clever orator must also be a clever
actor, for while a speech may be the re-
suit of grinding toll, TO be wholly eff
fectlve 1t must appear to be extemporan-
eous This art Seward was never able to
conquer, and his speeches in the Senate
were always happier effects than his ha-
on the stump. Still. he owed
much OF the success Of his political career
to the fact that he followed that custom,
which, for many years, was inexorable
in the United States for those ambitious
for public honors. the custom of address,
ing their fellow-citizens from the stump.
William M. Eyarts gained his first repute
as n powerful speaker on the stump early
in the sos, and other noted campaign ora
tors Of that period were owen Lovejoy.
Caleb b. Smith, Henry Winter Davis and
George william Curtis. Lovejoy's oratory
was Of the rough and ready kind, popular
with the prairie audiences OF his time.
while Smith was long regarded as one Of