The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-20

~ NV AN@o&& NiC YEAH o4N ~
was "befo de wah." Hon. Romulus
NJ. Saunders. Of Raleigh. was represent
Ing that congressional district, and
.oly. for he was a strong. rugged a
He was no doubt the ablest debater and
b in North Carolina
among democrats Hon. A. w Venable
was far beyond him in accomplishments.
in wide reading and general knowledge.
and in eloQuence. but Saunders was
more thar his peer In vigor and mental
Drawn and q resolute. ~pertinacious will.
His opponent for reelection was Henry
Watkins Miller, a Virginian. an Uni
versity of North Carolina alumnus, a
very able lawyer. a writer of superior
gifts. a lecturer of fame in his adopted
suate, and beyond doubt then the
strongest debater in the Wing party
III North Carolina. General Saunders
Was probably twenty years the senior
Of Mr.. Miller. He was more ready
than Miller. We knew the latter per-
sonally we'll from 1s46 to his death
about 1862. He required time to pre-
pare for = debate or for a speech In
l SlsE iii III W Sk0Oy
his case and he was indeed tremendous
fl argument. He often m~anoeuvred to
have the case postponed for argument
Until the next day. Give Miller ample
time for a political canvass and no mar
IN the state would get a victory over
ever received in a discussion was by
Miller. This writer ascertained that in
1852. Mr.. Venable would speak at OK
ford and DUN himself for re-elec-
ton. We found out what his main
treme or point would be. We got a
friend to join us in a letter to Mr.. Mil
Ter about two weeks in advance. telling
him what was to come off, and asking
him to come prepared for a speech in
reply. This he did. and he wrote it,
and it was afterwards published by the
Whig National Committee in Congress
and o 1000 copies were distributed free
1t was a masterpiece and the o
Guiding paragraphs were the most felic-
itous, eloquent and impressive We ever
read from his pen.
Well he was to meet the democratic
Boanerges. He was exceedingly we'll
rad in history, in governmental poll
cies, in politics generally. He had
studied political history as a statesman,
as a philosopher, as a man of science.
He was familiar with what newspapers.
congressional and parliamentary reports
and books had taught as TO govern
ments and political changes. He had
= very keen. dark, penetrating eye, a
long face, features strongly marked, a
head not Of Websterlan m*ssiveness
and dome-like grandeur, but we'll de-
:"1oped. He had a grand voice-deep,
full, rich, resonant. sonorous. 1t per-
haps lacked f1exibility He had not so
fi,e a voice as the Incompatible Badger,
the supreme genius of the North Car
nlina- Nor was he Badgers equal in
dramatic qualities. The late venerable
MIR. Edward J. Hale. of FAYETTEVILLE,
III old e held that Badger was the
greatest actor he had ever known. He
was in no sense STACEY or with the
nIaurmism or pronunciation Of actors
He spoke the best English-pure and
eltgant-we ever heard in extempore
speech or conversation. But Mr.. Miller
had voice. manner, solidity. solemnity
and earnestness that were profoundly
impressive and c~aotivating. He was
master. as we a intimated. of an ad-
mirable written style-lucid. virile.
and sometimes eloquent. He often
wrote and committed his finest wrought
passages to memory. a custom not in
frequent now among speakers. n de-
l;vered them with the ardor and fire of
extemporaneous effort. In the argu-
m~entative portions he of course did not
write, but confined himself to the pure
Nv impassioned and rhetorical. He was
very %caustic. biting sometimes. Inc in
cumulative reasoning very forceful and
impressive. He met men in debate. but
We do not think he ever had a drawn
hattie with any n
In the canvass with General Saund-
efs, which was extremely able n in
trnsely exciting. Miller established his
SUPREMACY in political learning. in
mental resources. in mastery of the
tnnics or principles in hand, in high
eicouence, in power Of close argumen-
tation and in happy replication. 1t was
Il war of political giants. Saunders
started with a thousand majority per-
hans and came near being beaten. Be-
fore he left Washington he and several
of his democratic friends in the house
were talking about the approaching
conpaign. One said that he expected
~ return with 5000 majority. another
with 2 900 and so on. Saunders said
lie thought he would be elected by 200
or more. When he returned to Wash
Iligton after the election. some OF his
same friends rallied him upon The close
shave he made-some $50 majority or
less. The old political war horse" was
equal to the occasion: Gentlemen" he
said. II did get back here. but had you
run against the man ] did. YOU would
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