The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-24
A MASTER OF ENGLISH
AN APPRECIATION" OF GEN. HARRI-
O Is \ WRITER OF PROSE.
study Of Various Speeches and Papers
showing the Elegance and Force
of His Literary style.

George Perry Morris. in Boston Transcript.
An interesting theme for a chat around
the study fire the next time a group Of men
of letters and orators get together would
be: The Presidents of the first half Of the
Nations existence used better English than
the Presidents of the second half. 1t would
be difficult 10 produce state papers written
since $50 rivaling those Of Washington,
jefferson. Madison and the Adamses. And
the same may be said Of the relative purity
of the English Of the speeches Of the two
eras.
Those championing the eloquence and
composition OF the men Of the later era will
be sure 10 include the late President Har-
rison. of Indiana. in the list of recent execu-
tives most notable for felicity Of expression.
But one President OF the later era of our
history has surpassed him-the immortal
Lincoln, and only one other has approached
him. the modern chronicler of his own
proves as warrior. General Grant. Com
pared with President HarrisOn's epigram-
matte. imaginative. incisive, clear SEN
fences, surcharged often with moral passion
that made them glow and gave the lie TO
the popular concept OF him as a human ice
berg. the style of Mr.. Cleveland seems in
dubitabIy elephantine in tread and john
sonian In model.
1t was during the campaign Of 1883. when
day after day. he spoke 10 deputations visit
ing his home in Indianapolis on themes OF
national and partisan interest, that Mr.
Harrison first revealed 10 a critical public
his unrivaled power as a versatile, pithy.
suggestive, short-speech maker, who could
be trusted to avoid all sensationalism, all
verbiage, all speech for speech's sake. and
80 ~;~ht % tho ~narE Tafqr N~hop hp he
came President. in his Swings around the
circle he still further displayed this unique
rover. and since his retirement as Pres!-
dent, in his speeches for the god standard
in the campaign of 1886. in his address be-
fore the Union League Club OF Chicago in
1898, in which he set forth the obligations
of wealth" in his speech at the Ecumenical
missionary conference in New York in
April, 1900, and in his recent North Amer
lean Review articles he has confirmed the
impression made while President, that he
was master OF a crisp, live. informing, con-
vincing English style.
Perspicuity was. perhaps, the most strik-
ing element of his style. Readers or hear
ers never could be at a loss to Know what
he meant. The man was honest and frank.
often seemingly needlessly so in dealing
with minor officials and party colleagues,
and his forms OF expression took after him
ana TcUccleU MS character. But IN audi
tIon To clarity he had grace of expression,
an Imaginative quality not often found n
The writings OF public men. His analOgies
from life, his metaphors, were uncOnVen-
tional. and were. his own. Or, II cOnven-
ticnal, they We're the cOnventionalities Of
the Bible and Bunyan and other sources OF
English undefled.
ORIGIN OF HIS STYLE.
And this inevitably suggests the query as
to his models. and how his style was
formed. Doubtless the Harrison family.
like many another excellent English family
resident in Virginia. set store by its col
lection of works written in the golden age
OF English literature. and in the transfer
TO Ohio the Harrison family probably took
with them books and a taste formed on
excellent models. which taste was the
heritage OF subsequent generations. If no
other classic English literature was read
by President Harrison we may be sure he
yead the Bible. Internal evidence lying
on the surface of much that he wrote
would prove this. even did we not know
of his long career as student and teacher
of the Bible; and to it, like so many other
men OF affairs, he owed, we may safely
say, not only spiritual illumination, but a
large measure of his excellent English
style.
Recently he has proved that he had il
In him To be a trenchant critic. a %satirist,
a master OF subtle irony. Very deity has
he said his say on International and ma
"a EAN-A III A0o - ~
proved, and yet preserved a nOminally cor
rect attitude such as his own standard of
propriety dictated for an executive of the
Nation Appearing side by side with the
satire Of Mark Twain, the HarrisOnian
brand has excelled the Clemens brand just
because more restrained and subtle.
The perspicuity of his style perhaps it
Is needless to attempt TO illustrate and
prove. Most of his ellow-countrymen at
all oonversant with it would cOncede that
point without a moments debate. As to
the imaginative quality of his style. and
those elements which frequently gave color
and warmth 70 ii, it may be necessary TO
give proof before the point will be con-
coded
Take, for instance. his speech at the
Ecumenical Missionary Conference. where
as the leading Presbyterian layman of the
country and a convinced friend of foreign
missions TO non-Christian populations, he
served as presiding officer, his formal adj
dress opening the conference being the
notable address of a memorable meeting.
Facing warriOrS-Of a sOrt-what more
telling than his opening and closing para
graphs In which he began by reminding
them, with figures Of speech and incidents
born of his own creditable experience as
a participant in our civil war. that they
would have the arithmetic of missions.
the muster-rOll. the book increase. the pay
MASTER accounts presented at the con-
ference; that they would have as speakers
veterans az mission OutpOstS, who had
been b-eleasuered. and known the WEAKNESS
of those who loo. for succor.'
SOME ILLUSTRATIONS.
He closed by reminding them that one Of
the great blessings Of the conference would
be that it would give the soldiers on the
picket line, the detached groups. a view
of the army as a whole. "A view of the
whole army" he said, lis a good thing;
the heart Is strengthened by an enlarged
comradeship- 1t gives promise that the
TANKS will be covered and a reserve organ
lied. After days in the bush the sense
81 numbers is lost. IL greatly strength
es the soldier and quickens his pace when
ne A~dvanceS 10 battle il a glance TO right
or ~ reveals many Pennons and a mar
snaleuxnost. moving under one great leader.
10 exec6te a single battle plan"
ReferrffX 10 the doctrine OF divine Eather-
hood and human brotherhood. better nm
utrstood to-t4y than ever before. Mr.. Har-
rison said of it~jn this speech:
1T was not evolved, but revealed Tho
natural luan lives TO be ministered unto
lie lays his imposts upon others. He buvs
slaves that they may fan him 10 sleen.
bring him the Jeweled cup. dance before
him and die in the arena for his sport
Into such "a world came a King not 10 bs