The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-06-15
CASTELARs FINE TALENTS.
SPANS Great Statesman De-
scribed by a Friend.
'r.ie RAW. Henry NJ. Field, who Knew
him Wen, says He Was Ever the
stanch Friend OF Americans and
American Institutions-His Won
dsrnssl czaserioaI Powers.
IN. Y. sum-

ehere is probably no mnn In this country
20 well qualified to describe the character
and personality OF senior Castelar,, the
dead leader of the Republican party In
Spain, as DIR. Henry NJ. Field. A per-
sonal acquaintance, begun many years
ago, was kept up by a long correspo1-
dence. DR.. Field loved the great Spaniard
as man and admired him as q states
man. He regards CASTELAR, as one of the
great men Of the generation, and says Of
him:
''My acquaintance with CASTELAR, begsn
after his second return to Spain, when he
was a member of the Cortes from Madrid.
My first view of him was disappointing,
as he had not the figure which We are
accustomed to associate with grand
orator. He was short, thickset and broad.
shouldered. with the neck and breast Of a
bull He was bald. and his domelike head
seemed massive in its proportions. His
voice was low and pleasant. his manner
deliberate. This was the orator in,repose.
but when stirred to the depths of feeling
tn great speech he ma de differsnt i'm
preston. l heard him make such a
speech in Decem Der. 1884, after the revolt
of that year, of which he had disapproyed.
He had been accused by sthe Monarchists
of supporting the rebellion and by his
.ownIassocistes of lukewarmness in failing
to support it. He mace this speech to ex-
plain his position.
y "I shall never forget the impression he
made then. StAs the fire kindled within
him his voios rose. The words came fas-
ter and faster till the stream became a
torrent and: the breeze swelled to war
a tempest. sf1is gestures answered to his
voice; his right arm. quivoring as though
with electricity. pointed wherever he
!. wilied, that the lightning should strike.
y At times he used gesture had never
Y asen in any other speaker. He would
4 clasp his hands or, double his fists, raise
I. them above his head and then throw them
violently out in front OF him as though
he had taken red-hot ball out Of his
fiery brain to dash It at his enemies.
His ofatory was not all thunder and
lightning. There were flashes of wit,
touches OF pathos and strains of humor.
With the hand of a master he touched
evary note In the scale of human feeling.
[ understood Spanish but imperfectly,
speech In my life. 1t was impossible not
to feel the power and enthusiasm OF the
man behind the words. 1t was human
finger that touched us as well as a human
voice that thrilled us.
AS a talker Castslar was no less gifted
than as speaker. He was one of the
most brilliant ,conversatIonists l ever
met, and / recall many pleasant hours
PASSED in his very modest Madrid house
when he ran on from one subject to an
other-books, art, music, literature HIS
tory, men, nations-eyery topic that can
attract the intellectual man. The first
time met him he spoke In eloquent
terms of his admiration for our own
country. From this the talk ranged
naturally 60 the cause of liberty and Its
advancement in all parts of the world.
As he talked on and on he became more
enthusiastic, and kept moving closer TO
me as We sat together on divan, and
finally he took hold of the lapals of my
coat at the climax Of some point he had
been leading up to and shook me violent
ly, as though to force the truth home to
me in such a way that could never for
get 1t.
Similarly in walking along the street,
have known b i'm to pause and deliver a
regular speech, with all the infections
and gestures that he employed in the
chamber. IL was simply the innate en-
thusiasm of the man which carried him
entirely out of himself. That was the
basis of his wonderful power as an orator.
CASTELAR, WAS born at Cadiz in 1892 He
came naturally by his liberal principles.
!. His father had been forced to leave the
country to escape sentence of death
for participating in liberal movements.
ssahke CanoSas. Sagasta, and Costello. this
3youth who was to become the tribune OF
abe people had to make his own way In
sthe world. He early displayed his intel.
Aectual powers, and by the time he was Is
6shads written two novels. Then, with
= what assistance his relatives were able tc
give to him and his own earnings from