The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-24

i Chesapeake by Great Britain seems to
! have aroused him to an unusual pitch
of eloquence. 1t sent him to congress
/ at the age of 29, where Clay put him
on the foreign committee. He soon be-
/ came leader of the war party Clay not
being on the floor. His first speech,
within six weeks, was for preparation
for war, and WIS veritaOle prodigy
in oratory, judged by its measure of
success, which was illogically excess
sive. But he was a young fellow with
a good face and head, and this, with
slant recognition. He was really
thought to be one OF those master
spirits who adorn an age. He ad-
vanced rapidly and reached the cabinet
and the vice presidency. Like Clay
and Webster, he had his eye fixed on
the first place and was literally alb
sOrbed with an ambition to reach it.
Every thing else was made subservient,
and in the matter of simple habits and
courtesy ne at least had the advantage
of his two great contemporaries. 1t is
singular that Calhoun, with his cor
rect habits. was not more OF a student
and more patient in t--.-ght. The rapid
ity of mis- progress blInded him as 10 MS
true position Like Webster. he did not
see the imDossibility of being president
Clay, Calhoun, Webster. and, a little
later, Douglass-it would seem that no
orator need apply
JACKSON IN c LAYS WAY.
For = quarter of a century Clay was
tyrannized by a hope of being the chief
executive lie was one OF the most pop
ular men in the world, and the beau ideal
of an orator. Such eloquence and such
responsive popularity were marVe. Gus. II
is not surprising that he believed himself
wanted TO be president, he would rather,
he said, be right. At one time he held
Ine presidency in his hand, 10 bestow 1t
where &c pleased except upon. himself,
and ne gave il to Adams. Jackson nursed
his wraIh and waited for a day of ven
geance. Clay went into the cabinet. At
the next election Adams was defeated and
Cay went back TO Ashland. Three rea-
sons, ii is thought, induced Jackson to
stand Tor another term. One was TO con-
tinue in power, another to defeat Gay.
and a third to pave the way for Van
Buren TO the exclusion OF Clay for years
later. The latter was undaunted by jack
son 5 prestige and rear-.ared in WASH
ington. then "a years OLE as a member of
the senate and a presidential candidate.
HIS reception al the capital was quite
enough 10 turn the strongest head and
though Clay had lived in an atmosphere
OF adulatiOn for a long time, he seems to
have lost his clearnesS of vision some
what. Many mistakes are set down TO
him. But the galleries were crowded to
hear him speak The witchery of his deep
bass voice was still irresistible. 1t did
not, however. win MIN the prize. His de-
feat was overwhelming. Jackson was too
much for him. Eight years later he lost
defeated on the Texas issue and in the
next race was beaten out OF the nOmin-
alton by Taylor. All these men figured
in the secOno war with England and none
more conspicuous than the eloquent
speaker of the house. and in contestins;
for the presidency Clay, the civilian, was
each tine set ASIDE.
DANIEL WEBSTER'S METHODS.
Webster divulges che secret force of his 7
oratory when he says that the eff ret Of a I
sentence depends uoon its meaning, and !
nCt upon it's language He reached this I
conclusion comparatively early in life, /
after critical study of sSyle lasting soma /
seven years. AZ . ne had about mas !
tered his method. Simplicity was his -
ject, and he found the way of getting at /
1t a very labOTiOus one. Webster was {
nearing 30, Calhoun. the same age, was [
preaching notification. and Hayne Wa
it. The capital fairly trembled /
with agitation. Among the politicians /
Webster's was the only cool head. HIS /
was that of absolute indiffer-
ence. And in this careless way he came
upon the scene as the defender of the
constitution. His powers came quickly
into play, and never before nor since, it
is believed, was Webster 50 comma ndtng.
That effort placed him in the front of all
others. He hoped that it might combine
with other things TO give him the presi-
dency. SO strong was his desire for this
place that it is thought to have shortened
his life. He accepted the state depart
ment from Fillmore with the view of an
election, and fully expected to be non;-
mated al the next convention. He died
that year. In the following campaign
Buchanan was the Democratic candidate.
DOUGLAS withdrew and gave him the
nom nation on a majority vote Douglas
Wa5 another of the orators VINO Black,
Sucnanan's attorney general, said had
been for years a working struggling can
1idate for. the presidency Douglas half
way admitted this by saying, Suppose I
am an aspirant?' He was rather under
sized. with massive head and deep-set
eyes. AS an orator he walked right into
the body of his subject. His mind was
But his ejaculation and
his eloquence were unavailing in his race
for the presidency.
Sumner and Everett should probably
not be mentioned in this conenction,
though Summers first fugitive slave
speech made him as distincfiveiy the rep
-ssentative of freedom as Calhoun had
been of slavery. Everett. whose keynote
was the education of the people, got a
vice presidential nomination. Conkling
WIS urged three times to go before the
of his party, and consented
1nce, only to be sorely disappointed. That
was when Ingersoll made his celebrated
speech for Blaine. AS an orator COnkiing
lad conviction. a vigorous mind and mu-
steal voice.-St. Louis GlObe-DemOcrat.