Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-23
LINCOLN AS AN ORATOR.
Mr.. Bryan's Remarks Subjected to the
Light of History.
indianapolis News.

VI
Indianapolis News.
In his tribute to Lincoln Mr.. Bryan lays
great stress on oratory as an element in
the career Of the war president. The case
il thus put:
the nations chief executive in its most
crucial period has 90 overshadowed his
fame as an orator hat his merits as a
public speaker nave not been sufficiently
emphasized. When 1t is remembered that
his nomination was directly due to the
prominence which he won upon the stump;
that in the most remarkable series of de-
bates known to history he held his own
against one of the most brilliant orators
America has produced, and that to his
speeches, more than to the arguments of
any other one man, OF in fact OF all other
public men combined, was due the success
OF his p~arty-when all these facts are
borne in mind 1t will appear plain even to
the casual observer that too little attention
has been given to the extraordinary power
which he exercised as a speaker"
Mr.. Bryan further says that without a
military career to dazzle the eye or ex-
cite the imagination" and with no public
service to make his name familiar, Lin
coins elevation to the presidency would
have been impossible without his oratory."
1t is natural that the orator should mag
/ nifty his art, natural that men should praise
Lincoln for those qualities which they
themselves most admire. Yet we think that
IL Mr. Bryan had heard Lincoln speak he
would nave ranke him very low as an
orator. He was an effective public speaker,
a close reasoner, a logical debater, but OF
oratory he was almost wholly suiltless.
Those who heard him deliver his Gettys-
burg address, which has gone into the
school books as an almost perfect piece Of
English. were in no way impressed by
| either the manner of the speaker or the
matter OF his address. His great Cooper
union speech. which did impress the eoun-
try profoundly, was In exhaustive legal ar
gument.
OF course. Il is true that the great de
bate with Senator Douglas brought Mr..
Linooin's name conspicuously before the
public. People learned TO their surprise
that there was an obscure mar out in H.
linois strong enough to vanquish one OF the
ablest and best known debaters In the ma
ton. And when men read the lincoln
speeches they were impressed by them. not
as exhibitions of oratory. but as affording
proof that the man who made them was
master Of the subject with which he dealt,
the possessor OF a powerful mind and the
representative Of the thought which was
soon 10 become dominant in the country.
We. should say that the comparatively feW
speeches that Lincoln made-and how few
they are as compared with those made by
our public men tOday--contributed little 10
his success beyond Introducing him to the
country. They made him known to men
who might not otherwise have heard OF
him at all, and made him known as a mar
OF solid attainments, OF deep conviction
and of substantial character. The truth il
that the orator has never won great favor
at the hands OF the American people. The
careers OF Webster, Clay. Blaine and OF
Mr.. Bryan himself prove this Mr.. Lincoln
does not belong In this class