The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-26
ORATORS NORTH AND SOUTH.
IBY WALLACE ?. REEnl

ture OF the North and the South did not
show wide difference in style. diction and
| methods.
II Is not difficult for student Of history
and human nature to give tho proper ex-
| PLANTATION.
The settlers Of the Northern States were
Puritans. or the descendants of Puritans
They held 1t to be sin to read Shake
speare, Addison and the great masters OF
imaginative literature.
These people never read novel; poem
or play. The Bible Josephus aud the
writings OF Cotton Mather and Jonathan
Edwards practically constituted their IL
braries.
South of the Potomac 1t was very diff
ferent. The descendants of the cavaliers
| appreciated what was known as the polite
literature Of their time. They read the
best works OF the Eizabethan era. and
while they were not whit the better for
their literary diversions. they at least
acquired style Of speaking and writing
which was very different from the stand
ard of the Praise-God Barobones element.
| The virglnlans and Carolinians stuck to
| the punch bowl OF their ancestors They
enjoyed cock fights and horse races, and
it was natural that they should differ
from their Northern cousins in speech and
in writing,
And yet. when the revolution soidihed
the people, there was not so much diff
ference.
In New England James Otis and Fisher
Ames doomed up as popular orators. Alex
ander Hamilton captured New York at
the age of II. Adams and Hancock. OF
course. made no reputation as orators, but
the same might be said of such South
erners as jefferson and Madison.
Still the South was in the lead and her
himself.
In later years the distinctions between
the sections have become more marked.
Take Webster and Calhoun for instance.
A writer in Lippincott's Magazine thus
describes their peculiarities in the great
| tariff debate OF 1888:
And yet ! was disappointed. Calhoun
did not equal my expectations. He lacked
some OF the graces of the orator. Neither
in voice nor gesture nor eocution could
he match his great rivals. nor yet Preston
or McDuffe.
His vigorous intellect. his deep convic-
tions, his terse language, commanded re-
spect and carried the hearers assent aud
sympathy, apologize, and not adapted to
his cast of mind.
His position was trying His attitude
was defiant. His cause was under the ban
CT public sentiment. He was supporting a
single State in antagonsm to her col
leagues, battling for the part against the
whole. for the lesser interest, apparently
against the greater"
Then Webster arose to reply and the
Lippincott writer says.
mo one can forget the scene when
Webster stepped into the arena in battle
array. His majestic presence, his massive
brow. his cavernous eyes, his sonorous
voice, his stately gesture, his grand ply
sique, would at once attract strangers
gaze. Calm, strong, self-poised, he always
reminded me Of line-of battle ship
swinging sluggishly at her anchor. her
ports all closed. and no sign OF life about
her dark and massive hull But when a
seyenty-four bore down upon her and
poured in broadside, instantly the drum
beat to quarters, the ports were opened
the guns run out. and weight of metal
thrown with a power and precision which
would crush any common foe. This was
the champion selected to meet Calhoun
and battle down his doctrine of State
rights.
His speech was complete in every eie-
ment, logical rhetorical and moral. II ex-
hausted the argument and justified the
eulogy of Stephens, that it was the habit
Of Daniel Webster to say everything that
could be said on his side OF the question,
and to say 1t better than anybody else
He possessed unquestionably a nationality
Of soul and he awaited himself of his
opportunity.
THE sentiment rose above the region of
party, and reached or seemed to reach,
the atmosphere OF pure patriotism. 1t Is
an advantage which the champion of the
majority always Yields.
He carried the audience with him, even
to an outburst Of applause. The Southern
doctrine was overtbrown; the cause of
state rights lay PROSTATE In the dust. and
the National champion ESQ 70 speak, rode
around the lists, bearing the consolidation
banner triuInphantly In his hand
few days later Calhoun forever
silenced Webster by quotation from one
Of that statesman's own speeches.
But Mr.. Webster was always ready to do
Justice to an opponent, and In his speech
in the senate. after Calhouns death. Ia
said
when last he addressed us from his
seat in the senate, his form still erect
with clear tones. with an impressive. nay
an imposing manner. who did not feel that
we might imagine We saw before us SEN
ator of Rome. while Rome yet survived
He had the basis OF all high character, un-
spotted integrity. II he had aspirations
they we're high and noble. There was
nothing grovelling, low or selfish that
came near the head or the heart OF Mr.
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