The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-24

OF office holding. The young men OF the
present generation can hardl realize tho
extent OF his popularity nor how great
was his fame. The older generation
alone remembers him. and 1t does seem
strange that ma II who lad such extra
ordinary giftsiSand such widespread pop
,llirity should now be almost forgottten.
Il Others who heard Van Buren, bear q, Wit
ness to the fact that in wi and hunor
he was almost without5a rival at the bar
or n8the stump. An example cited oy
one ofahis biographers illustra ties the en-
dcncy Of his mind sins this direction. AT
All carly period ofsfhls icRreerfat sthe par
of New y oryDct y,t9w whence u he e had re-
moved from Al5anyg1le argued tile weak
side of a ass before the general term li
of the Supreme co1rt. He had not pro
ceeded far In the argument Of his flrst
point when the presiding judge tIdmoln1tds)
said ITO him: MIR Van Buren,. we can
not see THAT there Is anything in#yolulEr5
first point" Van Buren, answered '"l'l1e sl
L Will go to the next point" He had ar
gled hut a short time when the presiding
Judge said, "NIr.5Van Buren,, five under
stand you correctly there don't appear to
he anything in your second point an.
Buren, replied, .Then ! will take up llys
next point. Judge fIIdmonds soon INT er-s
.rupted him with the same rem rk he had.
Van Buren, said, b'.T'hen vii waste no
further time on my third point, and will
at once argue my fourth point ";55#, Thus
lie went Through scriatim with his diff
ferent points, the presiding judge saying
III, rcspcct to each. There is nothing
In it.n When Van Buren, finished the ar.
gument of his last point Judge lSdmonus
after a whispered consultation with his
associate judges, said. MIR. Van Buren,,
Ia, ae11 hat ypn
cannot perceive that. there is anything
In any of your points" Said Van Buren,
throwing down his papers on the table,
II never could see anything in any Of
them; but as your honors are SO much
better lawyers than l am 1 did not knew!
but you might"
q Nye was also n man Of infinite jest, but
his humor was seasoned wit Il shreWd
common sense, and his Gift for telling
Illustration never failed him. Al OF MS his
speeches were full Of droll illustrations;
his wit was caustic yet delightful, and
word that he was to speak always drew a
crowd His brilliant intellect was OBJ.
secured, however, and he died utterly UNI
conscious of what he was or what his!
victories had been.
Orators Of Days Of 81.
The greatest campaign orators Of the
decade preceding the Civil War We're
William II. rs Seward. Stephen A. Douglas
and AIhra ham Lincoln Seward was never
a very popular stump speaker, hut nc
was always an impressive one especl-
ally effective Iii his appeals to intellectual
audiences. Doug las, -ons the other hand,
was at his best When q elivering a I'M
.promptu speech I before n mixed assem-
blagc.if He was a small man like Seward
and Benton once said of him that ne
could never be President because his
coat tails came 100 near the ground yet
no orator of his time seemed OF such Inn
posing stature as Douglas did when IN
the fury and passion Of one Of his stump
addresses, and Blaine asserts tina Z no was,
In some respects, perhaps III most inc
{abest campaigner the Democratic party
has produced u Certain 1t Is thai none
surpassed the Little Giant In personal In
tfucnce over the masses of the people,
nor did any inspire more devoted friend
ship Only once Was Douglas worst cd on
the stump and4.tllat was when, IN g ne
summer OF {, 1885,! he met Abraha ~ n
coin in IA series oftjointF debates the prize
contested for being the scatfin the Federal
Senate then held by Douglas. Lincoln's
work In these debates gave him rank as
the most successful Of American stump
speakers for his arguments nos only
served to crystalize the struggling Gle.
ments in the party which he represented,
so as TO enable 1t three years later TO
enter upon a atlonal canvass with every
promise OF success, but they also served
to make him the canuidate Of his party.
The spirit in which LINCOLN joined ms
fateful meeting with Douglas is bost Illus
3trated by an anecdote related long saller--
ward by Leonard SWEET.
81 believe, Abe, you can beat Douglas
for the Senate. You can carry the sLegls-
latureff you make the best use Of your
opportunity.' said SWEET to LINCOLN OF
the eve Of the first debate.
mo, SI4er1 cant beat him for the Sen
ate, hut Ill make him beat himself for
the, Presidency!
In tho course of the Joint debate nc
asked Douglas what would become OF
popular sovereignty II the bred Scott de'
cislon was accepted az law. Douglas re-
piled that the Territorial legislatures
could hold Slavery back, IL NOT by pro
5hibition, at least by restriction and I'm
pediment, Douglas had to mako that
answer TO placate the Free Soil Dem
ocrats of Illinois. 1t assured his re-elec
ton to the Senate. But 1t also q lienatet
| the slaves tate Democracy from him a. ~
thereby pracluded any chance lie nigh
Otherwise have had for the Presdentlat
nomination OF tho united Democracy "
| 1850
."But,' pursued Mr. SWEET lat the mo
ment when Lincoln said he would max
Douglas heat himself for the Presidency,
| he had 10 more idea OF being nominate
and elected to that Office than he had Q
being crowned Emperor OF China!
After the Civil War me n new gen