my memories of eighty years-第58节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ces　of　to…day　would　be　swayed　by　Corwin's　methods。　　He　had　to　the　highest　degree　every　element　of　effective　speech。　　He　could　put　his　audience　in　tears　or　hilarious　laughter；　or　arouse。cheers。　　He　told　more　stories　and　told　them　better　than　any　one　else；　and　indulged　freely　in　what　is　called　Fourth　of　July　exaggeration。　　He　would　relieve　a　logical　presentation　which　was　superb　and　unanswerable　by　a　rhetorical　flight　of　fancy；　or　by　infectious　humor。　　Near　the　close　of　his　life　he　spoke　near　New　York；　and　his　great　reputation　drew　to　the　meeting　the　representatives　of　the　metropolitan　press。　　He　swept　the　audience　off　their　feet；　but　the　comment　of　the　journals　was　very　critical　and　unfavorable；　both　of　the　speech　and　the　orator。　　It　was　an　illustration　of　what　I　have　often　met　with：　　of　a　speech　which　was　exactly　the　right　thing　for　the　occasion　and　crowd；　but　lost　its　effect　in　publication。　　Corwin's　humor　barred　his　path　to　great　office；　and　he　saw　many　ordinary　men　advance　ahead　of　him。

The　most　potent　factor　in　the　destruction　of　his　enemies　and　buttressing　his　own　cause　was　his　inimitable　wit　and　humor。　　In　broad　statesmanship；　solid　requirements；　and　effective　eloquence；　he　stood　above　the　successful　mediocrity　of　his　timethe　Buchanans　and　the　Polks；　the　Franklin　Pierces　and　the　Winfield　Scottslike　a　star　of　the　first　magnitude　above　the　Milky　Way。　　But　in　later　years　he　thought　the　failure　to　reach　the　supreme　recognition　to　which　he　was　entitled　was　due　to　his　humor　having　created　the　impression　in　the　minds　of　his　countrymen　that　he　was　not　a　serious　person。

Wayne　MacVeagh　was　a　very　interesting　and　original　speaker。　　He　had　a　finished　and　cultured　style　and　a　very　attractive　delivery。　He　was　past　master　of　sarcasm　as　well　as　of　burning　eloquence　on　patriotic　themes。　　When　I　was　a　freshman　at　Yale　he　was　a　senior。　I　heard　him　very　often　at　our　debating　society；　the　Linonian；　where　he　gave　promise　of　his　future　success。　　His　father…in…law　was　Simon　Cameron；　secretary　of　war；　and　he　was　one　of　the　party　which　went　with　Mr。　Lincoln　to　Gettysburg　and　heard　Lincoln's　famous　address。　　He　told　me　that　it　did　not　produce　much　impression　at　the　time；　and　it　was　long　after　before　the　country　woke　up　to　its　surpassing　excellence；　and　he　did　not　believe　the　story　still　current　that　Mr。　Lincoln　wrote　it　on　an　envelope　while　on　the　train　to　Gettysburg。

MacVeagh　became　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　American　bar　and　was　at　one　time　attorney…general　of　the　United　States。　　He　was　successful　as　a　diplomat　as　minister　to　Turkey　and　to　Italy。

I　heard　him　on　many　occasions　and　spoke　with　him　on　many　after…dinner　platforms。　　As　an　after…dinner　speaker　he　was　always　at　his　best　if　some　one　attacked　him；　because　he　had　a　very　quick　temper。　　He　got　off　on　me　a　witticism　which　had　considerable　vogue　at　the　time。　When　I　was　elected　president　of　the　New　York　Central　Railroad；　the　Yale　Association　of　New　York　gave　me　a　dinner。　　It　was　largely　attended　by　distinguished　Yale　graduates　from　different　parts　of　the　country。　　MacVeagh　was　one　of　the　speakers。　　In　the　course　of　his　speech　he　said：　　〃I　was　alarmed　when　I　found　that　our　friend　Chauncey　had　been　elected　president　of　the　most　unpopular　railroad　there　is　in　the　country。　　But　rest　assured；　my　friends；　that　he　will　change　the　situation；　and　before　his　administration　is　closed　make　it　the　most　popular　of　our　railroad　corporations；　because　he　will　bring　the　stock　within　the　reach　of　the　poorest　citizen　of　the　land。〃　　The　stock　was　then　at　the　lowest　point　in　its　history　on　account　of　its　life…and…death　fight　with　the　West　Shore　Railroad；　and　so；　of　course；　the　reverse　of　my　friend　MacVeagh's　prediction　was　not　difficult。

One　of　the　greatest　and　most　remarkable　orators　of　his　time　was　Henry　Ward　Beecher。　　I　never　met　his　equal　in　readiness　and　versatility。　　His　vitality　was　infectious。　　He　was　a　big；　healthy；　vigorous　man　with　the　physique　of　an　athlete；　and　his　intellectual　fire　and　vigor　corresponded　with　his　physical　strength。　　There　seemed　to　be　no　limit　to　his　ideas；　anecdotes；　illustrations；　and　incidents。　　He　had　a　fervid　imagination　and　wonderful　power　of　assimilation　and　reproduction　and　the　most　observant　of　eyes。　　He　was　drawing　material　constantly　from　the　forests；　the　flowers；　the　gardens；　and　the　domestic　animals　in　the　fields　and　in　the　house；　and　using　them　most　effectively　in　his　sermons　and　speeches。　An　intimate　friend　of　mine；　a　country　doctor　and　great　admirer　of　Mr。　Beecher；　became　a　subscriber　to　the　weekly　paper　in　which　was　printed　his　Sunday　sermon；　and　carefully　guarded　a　file　of　them　which　he　made。　　He　not　only　wanted　to　read　the　sermons　of　his　favorite　preacher；　but　he　believed　him　to　have　infinite　variety；　and　was　constantly　examining　the　efforts　of　his　idol　to　see　if　he　could　not　find　an　illustration；　anecdote；　or　idea　repeated。

Mr。　Beecher　seemed　to　be　teeming　with　ideas　all　the　time；　almost　to　the　point　of　bursting。　　While　most　orators　are　relying　upon　their　libraries　and　their　commonplace　book；　and　their　friends　for　material；　he　apparently　found　more　in　every　twenty…four　hours　than　he　could　use。　　His　sermons　every　Sunday　appeared　in　the　press。　He　lectured　frequently；　several　times　a　week　he　delivered　after…dinner　speeches；　and　during　such　intervals　as　he　had　he　made　popular　addresses；　spoke　at　meetings　on　municipal　and　general　reform；　and　on　patriotic　occasions。　　One　of　the　most　effective；　and　for　the　time　one　of　the　most　eloquent　addresses　I　ever　heard　in　my　life　was　the　one　he　delivered　at　the　funeral　of　Horace　Greeley。

When　the　sentiment　in　England　in　favor　of　the　the　South　in　our　Civil　War　seemed　to　be　growing　to　a　point　where　Great　Britain　might　recognize　the　Southern　Confederacy；　Mr。　Lincoln　asked　Mr。　Beecher　to　go　over　and　present　the　Union　side。　　Those　speeches　of　Mr。　Beecher；　a　stranger　in　a　strange　country；　to　hostile　audiences；　were　probably　as　extraordinary　an　evidence　of　oratorical　power　as　was　ever　known。　　He　captured　audiences；　he　overcame　the　hostility　of　persistent　disturbers　of　the　meetings；　and　with　his　ready　wit　overwhelmed　the　heckler。

At　one　of　the　great　meetings；　when　the　sentiment　was　rapidly　changing　from　hostility　to　favor；　a　man　arose　and　asked　Mr。　Beecher：　〃If　you　people　of　the　North　are　so　strong　and　your　cause　is　so　good；　why　after　all　these　years　of　fighting　have　you　not　licked　the　South？〃　　Mr。　Beecher's　instant　and　most　audacious　reply　was：　〃If　the　Southerners　were　Englishmen　we　would　have　licked　them。〃　With　the　English　love　of　fair　play；　the　retort　was　accepted　with　cheers。

While　other　orators　were　preparing；　he　seemed　to　be　seeking　occasions　for　talking　and　drawing　from　an　overflowing　reservoir。　Frequently　he　would　spend　an　hour　with　a　crowd　of　admirers；　just　talking　to　them　on　any　subject　which　might　be　uppermost　in　his　mind。　　I　knew　an　authoress　who　was　always　present　at　these　gatherings；　who　took　copious　notes　and　reproduced　them　with　great　fidelity。　　There　were　circles　of　Beecher　worshippers　in　many　towns　and　in　many　States。　　This　authoress　used　to　come　to　New　Haven　in　my　senior　year　at　Yale；　and　in　a　circle　of　Beecher　admirers；　which　I　was　permitted　to　attend；　would　reproduce　these　informal　talks　of　Mr。　Beecher。　　He　was　the　most　ready　orator；　and　with　his　almost　feminine　sympathies　and　emotional　nature　would　add　immensely　to　his　formal　speech　by　ideas　which　would　occur　to　him　in　the　heat　of　delivery；　or　with　comment　upon　conversations　which　he　had　heard　on　the　way　to　church　or　meeting。

I　happened　to　be　on　a　train　with　him　on　an　all…day　journey；　and　he　never　ceased　talking　in　the　most　interesting　and　effective　way；　and　pouring　out　from　his　rich　and　inexhaustible　stores　with　remarkable　lucidity　and　eloquence　his　views　upon　current　topics；　as　well　as　upon　recent　literature；　art；　and　world　movements。

Beecher's　famous　trial　on　charges　made　by　Theodore　Tilton　against　him　on　relations　with　Tilton's　wife　engrossed　the　attention　of　the　world。　　The　charge　was　a　shock　to　the　religious　and　moral　sense　of　countless　millions　of　people。　　When　the　trial　was　over　the　public　was　practically　convinced　of　Mr。　Beecher's　innocence。　　The　jury；　however；　disagreed；　a　few　holding　out　against　him。　　The　case　was　never　again　brought　to　trial。　　The　trial　lasted　six　months。

One　evening　when　I　was　in　Peekskill　I　went　from　our　old　homestead　into　the　crowded　part　of　the　village；　to　be　with　old　friends。　I　saw　there　a　large　crowd　and　also　the　village　military　and　fire　companies。　　I　asked　what　it　was　all　about；　and　was　informed　that　the　whole　town　was　going　out　to　Mr。　Beecher's　house；　which　was　about　one　and　one…half　miles　from　the　village；　to　join　in　a　demonstration　for　his　vindication。　　I　took　step　with　one　of　the　companies　to　which　I　belonged　when　I　was　a　boy；　and　marched　out　with　the　crowd。

The　president　of　the　village　and　leading　citizens；　one　after　another；　mounted　the　platform；　which　was　the　piazza　of　Mr。　Beecher's　house；　and　expressed　their　confidence　in　him　and　the　confidence　of　his　neighbors；　the　villagers。　　Then　Mr。　Beecher　said　to　me：　〃You　were　born　in　this　town　and　are　known　all　over　the　country。　If　you　feel　like　saying　something　it　would　travel　far。〃　　Of　course；　I　was　very　glad　of　the　opportunity　because　I　believed　in　him。　In