The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-25

tho public. and the old veteran made
no attempt to shine as an orator. The
pest known speech accredited to him
was made just before the battle OF
Baiena Vista. when his command was
almost surrounded by 10000 Mex.eans.
Soldiers" he called out as he rode /
along the ranks, Il intend to stand
here not only SO long as q man re-
mains. but long as a piecc of n
man is leftn'
Andrew Jackson's First Speech In
the uOuBc.
Andrew Jacksons first speech in
the House of Representatives was
against tho address which Congress-
had prepared for General Washington
at the close of his presidential career
jackson had just come up from Nash
vile to Philadelphia on horseback, a
distance of 500 miles, and II was his
hrst visit TO any centre OF civlliza-
ton. one who saw him at the time
described MIN as "a tall. lank, I'M
couth-iooking parsonage. with long
locks of hair hanging over his faco
and queue down his back tied In an
ceiskin. He wasn't at all abashed
In the presence OF his distinguished
colleagues. but rose to his feet and
expressed his convictions in regard to
the proposed address in some of tho
strangest idioms ever heard by mortal
man. Later JACKSON made n few
speeches in Congress In behalf OF GER
tain claims OF his State of Tennessee
growing out of Indian wars on her
territory. He satisfied his constituents.
and the following autumn they sent
him to the Senate. III the upper house
no spoke infrequentiy. lie often rose
TO his feet, according to records of
n m Sli IN
speak. lowing to the rage which was
sure to master him" Fire-eater that
he was, his rage made him speechless.
Although Martin Van Buren, had
the shrewdness. the astutcness and
the sagacity which arc so essential in
the makeup of great political lead
or. he was not an orator. James X
Polk in early lifo achieved n wide
popularity as a political speaker. ana
won the flatterinS title of the ma
poleon of the Stump" although it
was not easy to recognize the appro-
priateness of the designation. He was
a member of Congress for fourteen
years and seems to have been fro
quent and rather popular speaker.
Some of his best work in Congress was
shown in defending General Jackson
from the attacks of his political
enemies. In 1910 Polk and Harrison
were rival candidates for the COVER
norship OF Tennessee. They stumped
the State together. actually driving
in the same carriage and sleeping In
the same bed
Willard Fillmore delivered a speech
III the New York Legislature against
imprisonment for debt, which estab-
lished his reputation as telling
speaker at an early period of his
career In Congress he made many
effective speeches, and in his canvass
for the governorship and later for
the vice presidency he made good his
reputation as a political spellbinder.
Franklin Pierce was a fluent, grace
} full and polished speaker, and he was
| the possessor of particularly happy
knack of steering clear OF the heat
ana acrimony OF a political discussion.
James Buchanan was In the lower
4 house of Congress for ten years, and
I was regarded as an effective speaker.
! When he was thirtyninc years OF
! age, at a mass meeting held in the
Presbyterian Church at Hanover, ILL.,
to discuss war topics, Ulysses S. Grant
was called on for a speech. He rose
slowly. apparently suffering from
great embarrassment. and after sew
cral efforts, managed to choke out:
Boys. I can't make speech. never
made a speech in my life. But when
I the time comes to go to the frons
am ready to go with YOU" On few
subsequent OCCASIONS the great soldier
spoke briefly, but, with the possible
exception OF General Taylor. he was
the most silent man who ever reached
the presidency.
i Copyright, 1912. by the Associa ted
Literary Press)