The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-27

over a half century it may be, I have
had a hankering after the great Brit
iSh orators and statesmen, and nave
read freely and many times the prec-
ious records hat have reproduced
them for posterity-that posterity
that loves genuine ~eloquence and
seeks high thinking and profound in
sight into the historic and personal
2ecords Of the nations Of the past.
From the Greeks and Romans you can
find a great e to fascinate and in
Struct, and their still always
interest the cultured portions Of the
human family in all ages. | have read
no little the master productions of the
their study. 1hink Of it, hat now but
few of the more famous oratiOns OF
the British statesmen and orators are
read in our time save by the feWest
of the most cultured n Instructed.
The present British Minister at WASH
1ngtOn now, an eminent statesman.
who served in the great Cabinet OF
the illustrious William E. Gladstone,
and has written so charmingly and
sa~tisfyingly of him, in his recent essay
on hins published within four years
perhaps, and filling nearly one nun
dred pages in the very inviting vol
uTne in which IL appears, says that
among the famous British statesmen
and orators the efforts Of but two are
now read by the British people
Edmund Burke and Lord Macaulay.
In our own country you will find
many who have read more or less OF
the essays of these two very famous
and gifted men,. but o will f1nd put
few who know anything OF Macau-
lays speeches published in one Vol
ume or two. l have met but few who
ever knew of the speeches. But note
what the eminent British official at
Washington says. He also said that
in America the only speeches OF the
famous men Of the past VINO hour
ished in our land are now con
fined to those of Daniel Webster. Ih1s
is to a great extent true. You Will
rarely meet with any one who reads
Calhoun's or Clay's or any other lead
er's speeches in the past. but you Will
find many who know more or less OF
Webster's great efforts. l am no.
~overf7OWing with admiration OF the
"God-like Daniel" to whom person
ally I was introduced by Gov. William
A. Graham in 1916, not particularly
admiring his reputation in some par
ticulars, but / have thought for per-
hape a full half century that his ora
tons were the greatest III American
literature. I have found no occasion
to chang this estimate. With ad-
vancing years and q more careful
examination OF the greatest speeches
of Americans. I have been confirmed
in the safety and correctness of my
earlier impressions.
I come now to write briefly OF an
English statesman with whom L have
had some acquaintance for more nan
a half century through his fine
speeches. L refer to George Canning,
once a celebrated prime minister Of
Great Britain. He was indeed a fine
speaker, q very clear debater, a man
of letters and an author, mainly OF the
book once popular n much read
He went to the distinguished
tory school for boys at Elton, where
he ranked high as a writer of both
Greek and Latin verse. He studied
elegant literature with care, and when
not more than sixteen he became n
editor of a highly valued weekly pa
per Ter boys called the Microcolsm.
It's articles were much praised by even
older heads and even by writers OF
merit and distinction. He became
famous for his gifts as a public speak
er. He had a high place at Elton, II
after entering the school known as
Church at Oxford University,
he continued to attract, to win dis
tinction and to repar himself more
thoroughly for his future career. He
was but a little more than twenty-one
years old when he left Oxford and be-
came a lawyer. He was a Wing in his
in contradistinction to being a
Tory. He made his first effort
in oratory in 1874. He failed
to meet the expectations. of his
friends and admirers in the Parlia-
Later he became not only
highly successful, but most popular
a nd rl1nnJnnt aS q sneaker Tn 1877 |
projected the "Anti-Jacobin Re-
view He conducted it in conjunc-
ton with several distinguished men,
beFs of the Parliament. Mr.. Clifford,
a We'll known journalist, was the edi-
tor It was a brilliant, slashing, bold,
able, vehement publication and Of
Goodrich, D. D., of Yale College, then,
about 1850 and later, in his criticism
Of Mr Canning LAWS of his captrih1= !