The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-13
GREAT FEATs OF oRAToRY.
DIR. Lecher Has Broken the Record by
Speech Twelve Hours Long.
Pail Mall Gazette.

MAIL 0dISlISs
The extraordinary oratorical feat of Dr.
Lecher in the Austrian Parliament last
week, when he spoke for twelve hours with
scarcely any interruption, breaks the record
for long speeches. Hitherto the English
record was held by Mr. Spring Rice. In the
memorable debate upon O'ConnelPs meas
ure for the dissolution of the Union, Mr.
Spring Rice astonished and at the same
time wearied the House of Commons with a
speech of seven hours duration. 1t has
never been beaten in our Parliament since
England however, was far from being the
record holder, inasmuch Brother Jona-
than, as early as 1856, astonished the world
with speech from the lips OF Charles Sum-
ner lasting eleven mortal hours Mr. Sum-
ner attempted to obstruct the passage
through the Senate of the Kansas Nebraska
BILL. the adoption of which meant the in
clusion of those territories in the slave
states. Notwithstanding his oratorical eff
forts, the bill became law until the memoir
able war, six years later, when slavery was
effectualy swept away.
A distinction must here be made between
uninterrupted speeches and those that have
been extended over a number of days. I'm
der the latter category the resume of Lord
Chief Justice Cockburn in the sensational
Tichborne trial must take first place. 1t
lasted six days from 10 TO O'Clock. The
greater part of it, however. was read: In
the impeachment of Warren Hastings,
Burke spoke for three days. but with in
tervals of a whole night and morning. In
the Austrian Parliament the holder of the
record hitherto was Prof Brine, who, In
1861 spoke for five hours and took copious
torical powers going. The records estab-
lished in modern times are useful. If only
in refuting the assertions of Cormenin in his
"Livre des Orateurs," that the orations of
Demosthenes and Cicero were far too long
to have been delivered at one stretch. But
the orations for Ctesiphon and the second
and third Olynthic orations could not have
lasted more than three hours. 1t is, of
course, quite another question how it was
possible for the classic speaker to make
himself heard to the moving throng. The
two oratorical gems of the Great Roman
Dalectic were far from being extemporized
productions, while the so-called second
Philippe was never delivered, but commit
ted to manuscript and published.
Among the long sreakers of modern times
William Pitt and Daniel O'Connell stand al
most pre-eminent Fox and Sheridan were
seldom iong-winded. though Fox had great
MeaK yar tor eatcnlng the speaRseas eye
several long speeches to his account. but
they do not rank among his best Among
the orators of the French restoration and
Perier and Lamartine and Berryer have all
contributed long speeches. Foy. however,
carefully prepared beforehand. Casimir-
Perier. and above all Berryer the incompar-
able, spoke with the rush and the impulse
of a mountain stream. Theirs was the last
wndbag from that great period and pos
sessed such a magnetic power that his hear
ers forgot the thin piping voice in the eager
ness to follow the train of thought
The Spaniards call Emilio CASTELAR, the,
first orator OF the world" His speeches. i'm
the cause OF the freedom or the press and
of religion, generally lasted three hours
Franz Deak has two long addresses 10 his
credit. and also Tisza and Szilagyi. On the
other hand the German Reichstag and the
Prussian Abgeordnetenhaus have scarcely
anything to show I'm this direction
DR.. Lecher, who has broken the worlds
record. is a Nennese. and thirty-seyen
years old. He commenced his speech on be-
half of the Obstructionist party in an in
coherent rarnshackie way, but ended as
fresh as he began. with an Grafton that
for its form and contents was a perform
ance worthy TO rank with the greatest
rhetorical efforts of our time. His voice
is a high-pitched tenor he has an excep-
tioually strong physique. and he is an al
most untried member. 1t would have been
interesting after the close of the debate
20 have tested his physical condition with
the manometer, ergostat and the ergograph