my memories of eighty years-第57部分

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ous；　and　platitudinous　speeches。　　If　they　ever　had　possessed　humor　they　were　afraid　of　it。　The　crowd；　however；　would　invariably　desert　the　statesman　for　the　speaker　who　could　give　them　amusement　with　instruction。　　The　elder　statesmen　said　by　way　of　advice：　　〃While　the　people　want　to　be　amused；　they　have　no　faith　in　a　man　or　woman　with　wit　or　anecdote。　　When　it　comes　to　the　election　of　men　to　conduct　public　affairs；　they　invariably　prefer　serious　men。〃　　There　is　no　doubt　that　a　reputation　for　wit　has　seriously　impaired　the　prospects　of　many　of　the　ablest　men　in　the　country。

The　only　exception　to　this　rule　was　Abraham　Lincoln。　　But　when　he　ran　for　president　the　first　time　he　was　comparatively　unknown　outside　his　State　of　Illinois。　　The　campaign　managers　in　their　literature　put　forward　only　his　serious　speeches；　which　were　very　remarkable；　especially　the　one　he　delivered　in　Cooper　Union；　New　York；　which　deeply　impressed　the　thoughtful　men　of　the　East。　He　could　safely　tell　stories　and　jokes　after　he　had　demonstrated　his　greatness　as　president。　　Then　the　people　regarded　his　story…telling　as　the　necessary　relief　and　relaxation　of　an　overburdened　and　overworked　public　servant。　　But　before　he　had　demonstrated　his　genius　as　an　executive；　they　would　probably　have　regarded　these　same　traits　as　evidences　of　frivolity；　unfitting　the　possessor　for　great　and　grave　responsibilities。

I　had　a　very　interesting　talk　on　the　subject　with　General　Garfield；　when　he　was　running　for　president。　　He　very　kindly　said　to　me：　〃You　have　every　qualification　for　success　in　public　life；　you　might　get　anywhere　and　to　the　highest　places　except　for　your　humor。　I　know　its　great　value　to　a　speaker　before　an　audience；　but　it　is　dangerous　at　the　polls。　　When　I　began　in　politics；　soon　after　graduation；　I　found　I　had　a　keen　sense　of　humor；　and　that　made　me　the　most　sought…after　of　all　our　neighborhood　speakers；　but　I　also　soon　discovered　it　was　seriously　impairing　the　public　opinion　of　me　for　responsible　positions；　so　I　decided　to　cut　it　out。　　It　was　very　difficult；　but　I　have　succeeded　so　thoroughly　that　I　can　no　longer　tell　a　story　or　appreciate　the　point　of　one　when　it　is　told　to　me。　　Had　I　followed　my　natural　bent　I　should　not　now　be　the　candidate　of　my　party　for　President　of　the　United　States。〃

The　reason　so　few　men　are　humorists　is　that　they　are　very　shy　of　humor。　　My　own　observations　in　studying　the　lives　and　works　of　our　public　men　demonstrate　how　thoroughly　committed　to　this　idea　they　have　been。　　There　is　not　a　joke；　nor　a　mot；　nor　a　scintilla　of　humor　irradiating　the　Revolutionary　statesmen。　　There　is　a　stilted　dignity　about　their　utterances　which　shows　that　they　were　always　posing　in　heroic　attitudes。　　If　they　lived　and　moved　in　family；　social；　and　club　life；　as　we　understand　it；　the　gloom　of　their　companionship　accounts　for　the　enjoyment　which　their　contemporaries　took　in　the　three　hours'　sermons　then　common　from　the　pulpit。

As　we　leave　the　period　of　Washington；　Hamilton；　Jefferson；　and　the　Adamses；　we　find　no　humor　in　the　next　generation。　　The　only　relief　from　the　tedium　of　argument　and　exhaustless　logic　is　found　in　the　savage　sarcasm　of　John　Randolph；　which　was　neither　wit　nor　humor。

A　witty　illustration　or　an　apt　story　will　accomplish　more　than　columns　of　argument。　　The　old…time　audience　demanded　a　speech　of　not　less　than　two　hours'　duration　and　expected　three。　　The　audience　of　to…day　grows　restive　after　the　first　hour；　and　is　better　pleased　with　forty　minutes。　　It　prefers　epigrams　to　arguments　and　humor　to　rhetoric。　　It　is　still　true；　however；　that　the　press　presents　to　readers　from　a　speaker　who　indulges　in　humor　only　the　funny　part　of　his　effort；　and　he　is　in　serious　danger　of　receiving　no　credit　for　ability　in　the　discussion　of　great　questions；　no　matter　how　conspicuous　that　ability　may　be。　　The　question　is　always　presented　to　a　frequent　speaker　whether　he　shall　win　the　applause　of　the　audience　and　lose　the　flattering　opinion　of　the　critics；　or　bore　his　audience　and　be　complimented　by　readers　for　wisdom。

When　I　look　back　over　sixty…five　years　on　the　platform　in　public　speaking；　and　the　success　of　different　methods　before　audiences；　political；　literary；　business；　or　a　legislative　committee；　or　a　legislature　itself；　and　especially　when　I　consider　my　own　pleasure　in　the　efforts；　the　results　and　compensations　have　been　far　greater　than　the　attainment　of　any　office。　　For；　after　all；　a　man　might　be　dull　and　a　bore　to　himself　and　others　for　a　lifetime　and　have　the　reputation　of　being　a　serious　thinker　and　a　solid　citizen；　and　yet　never　reach　the　presidency。

It　was　always　a　delight　to　listen　to　George　W。　Curtis。　　He　was　a　finished　orator　of　the　classic　type；　but　not　of　the　Demosthenian　order。　　His　fine　personal　appearance；　his　well…modulated　and　far…reaching　voice；　and　his　refined　manner　at　once　won　the　favor　of　his　audience。　　He　was　a　splendid　type　of　the　scholar　in　politics。　In　preparing　a　speech　he　took　as　much　pains　as　he　did　with　a　volume　which　he　was　about　to　publish。

I　accepted　under　great　pressure　the　invitation　to　deliver　the　oration　at　the　unveiling　of　the　Bartholdi　Statue　of　Liberty　in　New　York　harbor；　because　the　time　was　so　short；　only　a　few　days。　Mr。　Curtis　said　to　me　afterwards：　　〃I　was　very　much　surprised　that　you　accepted　that　invitation。　　I　declined　it　because　there　was　only　a　month　left　before　the　unveiling。　　I　invariably　refuse　an　invitation　for　an　important　address　unless　I　can　have　three　months。　　I　take　one　month　to　look　up　authorities　and　carefully　prepare　it　and　then　lay　it　on　the　shelf　for　a　month。　　During　that　period；　while　you　are　paying　no　attention　to　the　matter；　your　mind　is　unconsciously　at　work　upon　it。　　When　you　resume　correcting　your　manuscript　you　find　that　in　many　things　about　which　you　thought　well　you　have　changed　your　mind。　　Leisurely　corrections　and　additions　will　perfect　the　address。〃

As　my　orations　and　speeches　have　always　been　the　by…product　of　spare　evenings　and　Sundays　taken　from　an　intensely　active　and　busy　life；　if　I　had　followed　any　of　these　examples　my　twelve　volumes　of　speeches　would　never　have　seen　the　light　of　day。

One　of　the　greatest　orators　of　his　generation；　and　I　might　say　of　ours；　was　Robert　G。　Ingersoll。　　I　was　privileged　to　meet　Colonel　Ingersoll　many　times；　and　on　several　occasions　to　be　a　speaker　on　the　same　platform。　　The　zenith　of　his　fame　was　reached　by　his　〃plumed…knight〃　speech；　nominating　James　G。　Blaine　for　president　at　the　national　Republican　convention　in　1876。　　It　was　the　testimony　of　all　the　delegates　that　if　the　vote　could　have　been　taken　immediately　at　the　conclusion　of　the　speech；　Mr。　Blaine　would　have　been　elected。

Colonel　Ingersoll　carried　off　the　oratorical　honors　that　campaign　in　a　series　of　speeches；　covering　the　whole　country。　　I　say　a　series　of　speeches；　he　really　had　but　one；　which　was　the　most　effective　campaign　address　I　ever　heard；　but　which　he　delivered　over　and　over　again；　and　every　time　with　phenomenal　success；　a　success　the　like　of　which　I　have　never　known。　　He　delivered　it　to　an　immense　audience　in　New　York；　and　swept　them　off　their　feet。　He　repeated　this　triumph　the　next　day　at　an　open…air　meeting　in　Wall　Street；　and　again　the　next　day　at　a　great　gathering　in　New　Jersey。　　The　newspapers　printed　the　speech　in　full　every　day　after　its　delivery；　as　if　it　had　been　a　new　and　first　utterance　of　the　great　orator。

I　spoke　with　him　several　times　when　he　was　one　of　the　speakers　after　an　important　dinner。　　It　was　a　rare　treat　to　hear　him。　　The　effort　apparently　was　impromptu；　and　that　added　to　its　effect　upon　his　auditors。　　That　it　was　thoroughly　prepared　I　found　by　hearing　it　several　times；　always　unchanged　and　always　producing　the　same　thrilling　effect。

He　spoke　one　night　at　Cooper　Institute　at　a　celebration　by　the　colored　people　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　proclamation　emancipating　them　from　slavery。　　As　usual　he　was　master　of　the　occasion　and　of　his　audience。　　He　was　then　delivering　a　series　of　addresses　attacking　the　Bible。　　His　mind　was　full　of　that　subject；　and　apparently　he　could　not　help　assailing　the　faith　of　the　negroes　by　asking；　if　there　was　a　God　of　justice　and　mercy；　why　did　he　leave　them　so　long　in　slavery　or　permit　them　ever　to　be　slaves。

To　an　emotional　audience　like　the　one　before　him　it　was　a　most　dangerous　attack　upon　faith。　　I　was　so　fond　of　the　colonel　and　such　an　intense　admirer　of　him；　I　hated　to　controvert　him；　but　felt　it　was　necessary　to　do　so。　　The　religious　fervor　which　is　so　intense　with　the　colored　people；　made　it　comparatively　easy　to　restore　their　faith；　if　it　had　been　weakened；　and　to　bring　them　to　a　recognition　of　the　fact　that　their　blessings　had　all　come　from　God。

Probably　the　most　brilliant　speaker　of　the　period　immediateIy　preceding　the　Civil　War　was　Thomas　Corwin；　of　Ohio。　　We　have　on　the　platform　in　these　times　no　speaker　of　his　type。　　He　had　remarkable　influence　whenever　he　participated　in　debate　in　the　House　of　Representatives。　　On　the　stump　or　hustings　he　would　draw　audiences　away　from　Henry　Clay　or　any　of　the　famous　speakers　of　the　time。　　I　sometimes　wonder　if　our　more　experienced　and　more　generally　educated　audiences　of　to…day　would　be　swayed　by　Corwin's　methods。　　He　had　to　the　highest　degree　every　element　of　ef