The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-02
BRYAN IS no O D
ALL AMERICAN HEROES
FAMOUS AT AN EARLIER AGE.
Boy Orator Suffers in Comparison
with Hamilton, Jefferson, Webster
or Eloquent Patrick Henry.

New York Herald.
While the selection of the young states
man from Nebraska is without exact paral-
lei in the history of presidential nomina-
tons, Mr.. Bryan is by no means extraordi-
narily young, as judged by the careers of
many of the men who have exercised the
most potent influence in the affairs of the
Republic.
Were Mr.. BRYAN to be elected President
he would become chief magistrate at
thirty-seyen, ten years younger than was
Grant when chosen to the same Office. The
latter was. as every one knows, the young
est of American Presidents. But, on the
other hand, the Boy orator of the Platte
is late in achieving national renown as
compared with many other of our fore
most men. 1t is, indeed, a curious fact
that the Republic, in its formative period,
was practically dominated by young men.
All the chief figures of the revolutionary
period, with the exception of Washington,
John Adams and two or three others. were
much younger than Mr.. Bryan is now.
AS an example of youthful precocity, the
career of Alexander Hamilton was UNI
doubtedly the most remarkable among
those of all the young men of eminence
whom this country has produced. Hamil-
ton was practically a famous man-as fa-
nous as Mr.. Bryan the day after his great
speech at Chicago-at twenty-five. 1t was
in that year that he entered Congress. ana
from that time on he was one of the most
powerful figures of the time. AT thirty he
was d leading member of the constitutional
convention of 17S7, which drafted what Mr..
Gladstone calls the most remarkable docucc
ment ever struck off from the brain OF
man." 1t was Hamilton VINO. more than
any other man, gave his impress upon that
wonderful and il was ne who
saved this country from being given a gov
eminent of the loose and. decentralzed
character which the school of Jefferson de-
sired.
IN CABINET AT TH1RTY-TWo.
1t was natural, therefore. that Hamilton
should be called by Washington as the
first Secretary Of the Treasury and given
charge of the shaping of the Nations cur
rency. He was then thirty-two. and at
thirty-three he sent to Congress his first
report on the public credit" which ranks
as one of the great State papers of this
Nation and is part of the foundation OF our
form of government.
After Hamilton, Jefferson probably takes
rank in the matter of youthful pre-emi-
nence. The latter was only thirtv-three
when his almost inspired pen wrote the
Declaration of Independence. But JEFFERSON
was already nationally known some time
before this and next to Washington. and
despite his age, was the most prominent
citizen of Virginia. He was Governor of
that State at the age of thirty-slE-
Madison. fanailiarly known as the Father
of the Constitution. entered Congress when
he was twenty-eight and Immediately took
a leading rank in the councils of the young
Nation. When he began the making of the
national charter he was only thirty-siX,
and it was at this age that he made his
contributions, along with Hamilton and
Others. to the celebrated Federalist.
Monroe. of whose notable doctrine as re-
CARDS foreign Intervention on this continent
we have heard very much in the last year,
was three years younger than Madison,
even when he was chosen to the Cont
mental Congress. He was a United States
Senator at thirty-two and our minister to
France at thirty-six.
Yet more remarkable and almost equal to
that of Hamilton, was the career of John
Jay. Although the name of jay is less
many of his eompatriots, yet it is doubt
full if any man of the times exercised SO
entered the Continental Congress at TWEEN
ty-nine and was a member of the commit
tee, appointed for that purpose, which
drafted the famous Address to the People
CT Great Britain"
Retiring from Congress, he took a LEADING
part in the formation of the government
of New York State. and was a member of
the constitutional convention at thirty-two.
He became. the first chief Justice of New
YorlIs Supreme Court in the same year,
and was likewise a member of the commit
tee 1T safety. which for a time exercised die
tatDrial power. owing to the anarchial condi-
tim of affairs at that time. Jay was a
znember of the commission which went to
Paris to arrange the treaty of peace, at
t~birty-six. and at thirty-eight. with Frank
lin. Adams and others, he signed the doc
ument which recognized the new Republic
as an independent nation.
Coming down to what might be called the
second heroic period of American politics.
we find that almost all of its dominant
characters-Calhoun and Jefferson, Webster
and Clay, Benton and Fillmore-won their
political spurs at a very early age. After
having made his name known to all the
people of the country as a fighter at TWEEN
ty-nine. Jackson then turned lawyer, was a
which framed the government of Tennessee.
He was chosen United States Senator at
thirty and Judge of the Tennessee Supreme
Court at thirty-one, which latter position
he held for several years.
MODERN HEROIC PERIOD.
Jackson's lifelong antagonist, Calhoun.
entered Congress at twenty-nine and won
a prominent position so quickly that at
thirty-ive he was chosen Secretary of
War. At the same age that Jackson was
made Senator from Tennessee Clay. known
to his generation by the affectionate title
of THE Mill Boy of the Slashes,' was
made Senator from Kentucky. Serving for
but a very short time, he was chosen to
the lower branch of Congress, and at thir-
ty-four was elected Speaker of the House
of Representatives. At thirty-seven he was
a member of the Client Commission.
Daniel Webster had already achieved
fame as a lawyer when at thirty-one he
was chosen to Congress. He was only thir-
ty-five when his famous argument in the
Dartmouth College case placed him at the
head of the American bar. Willard Fillmore.
at thirty-SiX, had been twice elected to
Congress, at thirty-SeVen William Fl. Sew
ard was put in nominationsfor Governor of
New York, and when ~twentypine James
Buchanan was Congressman from fennsyl-
vania.
Garfield was elected to Congress at
thirty-one. fter having been made major
general for his gallantry and brilliant
achievements on the field of battle. Blaine
entered Congress at thirty-three and was
made speaker a few years later, and Ros-
coe Conkling entered at thirty.
1t would be easy to extend the list. It is
worth noting. too. that of two of our great
military figures Winfield Scott was made
brigadier general of the United States
army at ~thirty-fiVe. George Bancroft. in
spite of all his faults still our foremost his
torian, made himself famous at thirty by
the publication of the first v0iume of his,
History of the United states.
1t is rather remarkable, too, and worthy
of record in view of Mr.. Bryan's electric
achievements at Chicago, that three out of
the four or five greatest speeches ever de-
livered on American soil came from the lips
of men younger than the present Demo-
cratic nominee.
All things considered. Patrick Henrv's
famous speech before the Virginia House of
Burgesses is familiar above that of any
other example of American oratory. When
the Virginian uttered his thrilling words.
'Tarquin and Caesar each had his Brutus.
Charles I his Cromrell and George H.
there being Interrupted by cries of Treas
on, he was only twenty-nine.
IL HING CHANGES oRT Mt