The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-03

| unexpected me COMBAT was terrific, ana
| Henry came of with paudits, in spite OF
| his Judgment. Monroe helped him little
though it was practically ! single handed
| battle for Henry However strong all ele-
| ment his speech may have been in mar
| shaling the forces Of the revolution, 1t was
| now just as potent as he could make 1t
! in fighting the plan of government the
| revolution evolved. That plan, we know,
/ provided for a president. The power COR
| ferred on the president was to Henry an
horrent. So the greatest gift Of the people
could never, in the nature of things, HAY e
| fallen TO him. II can not with patience,
he cried, think of this idea. Away with
your president We shall have a king.
!! The army shall salute him monarch. What
will then become CT you and your rigbts?"
Such convictions and such dauntless arser-
tion of them would not likely line Il man
with presidential possibilities. 1t Is not in
this view that Henry is referred to as an
orator, but because he was one OF the
first instrumentalities that hurried events
onward and gave them the impetuosity OF
u storm. The sentiment of liberty or death
was filled with meaning. 1t was a bare
faced truth. That is why it was electrical.
In the story that Henry helped brew were
the clash of arms and the groans of dying
men. The republic with its presidency
followed. So the oratory of Henry in con-
nection with the presidency is not amiss.
reach after it.
Another man OF that time In the cate
cory of orators was Hamilton. An inscrip.
lion on a Boston monument. recitng the
versatility of his genius, has for Its first
wcrd orator" Hamilton was some ten
years younger than Henry. and not hit
Ike him. He was a Federalist from the
start. and as leader was In line for the
presidency, even after the stretch OF re-
publican succession, for he would have
tnvh been but hJtle ii any past his prime.
AS things turned out, 1t was imlo.sIoie;
oil course. that Hamilton should be presi-
dent. The words introducing the constiiu-
ZION, so savagely assailed by Henry, were
MS. AS an orator he is described as sts-
tanned and irpassioned, considering the
logical more than the rhetorical He Is
hNened TO the younger FIT. which seems
not an altogether apt parallel, though
both, no doubt. spoke with authority. r4,-
leyrand told Buchanan that he was the
greatest American, and he was not sure
he was behind any man known in Europe
so any Inspiration OF Hamilton, however
hish was perfectly legitimate and had i,e
been able by Cancellation with Adams, 10
hold the Federal party intact. there Is no
hood reason why he might not have been
the leader Of The party. AS an antasOnist
Jefferson considered himself colossus and
ranked him above Washington and Adams |
Beside his record MS an orator and STATS !
man. Hamilton had some thing in a mill
taly way. Ho WAS appointed second in
commend OF the provisional troops 10 fight
inc French and on the death OF Washing
ton was advanced TO the head OF the army
Nothing YVES reasonably beyond his reach.
But Adams had protested against his MIL
tary appointment, though he made 1t at the
request OF Washington, and when the presr-
deniiai campaign opened Hamilton ASA lea
Adams. IL was u fatal biDw and wreckel |
the hopes OF both, Hamilton aid not live |
20 see another election. Henry and Ham |
ilton, altogether different, were typical or |
atols OF the revolutionary period. Both |
were brilliant men. The presidents vera
chosen from the more sober class,
When Hamilton died Clay was younc
man OF ~ Long before that. it seems. he
believed he had the oratorlcal talent. and |
began 10 cultivate IL. His method was to
read something, fix it in his mind. and 90
OIL to himself aud speak it, Many another
young man has, no doubt, done the same
'hihs and then thought upon 1t at maturity
Us so much time wasted. Clay seriously
considered MS early declaimng To treas I
ana cornstalAs, horses and cattle as '.prac-
icing me art OF arts, and says he was
mus nted TO II for the impulses that shaped
MS destiny, Nobody seems To know iust
VINO We're his models. though one of MA
pest piosraphers hits upon Demasthenes.
ihat' however, IL a pratty safe eutss In
general way and is like as not true Call
noun too, Is said to have been Demosthe-
rem Tho weight, the good sense. Of {
lays speeches is supposed 10 have coms
aryeiy from Franklin. The effulRenee WAS (,
n himself. From his entrance into pals I
ies ne was eioqnent and Il was his eio-
luence that advanced him. For twslva
ears ne chainpioned Jefferson and his mil r
cy 10 the bent OF all his faculties. his Z
Dung mind in an ideaiistic state. fonnJ !
iotning tangible that surpassed Jefferson,s ]
latesmanship. The conditions leading IN 1
ne war OF 1872 gave Clay an opportunity.
ie was then speaker of the house and gave
is soice for war. His oratorywas one ~ | h
lies nost'- )
ABOUT this time Calhoun came to The q
ont at ono hound through he medium q, I
sncsch' The searching Of The chesapesso !,
ur2at Britain seems To hive d. su,ed !,
m to an unusual FITCH of eloaueace. 7, Al
mi him TO congress at the age ~ % al
nere Gay nut him - the foreign crm- ~
'''ee' lie soon became leader of the war m