my memories of eighty years-第69部分

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of　that　society；　and　they　were　in　a　high　state　of　indignation。　　The　more　radical　thought　that　Mr。　Choate's　speech　should　be　resented　at　once。　However；　those　who　appreciated　its　humor　averted　hostile　action；　but　Mr。　Choate　was　never　invited　to　an　Irish　banquet　again。

The　second　historical　occasion　was　when　the　Scotch　honored　their　patron　Saint；　St。　Andrew。　　The　attendance　was　greater　than　ever　before；　and　the　interest　more　intense　because　the　Earl　of　Aberdeen　was　present。　　The　earl　was　at　that　time　Governor…General　of　Canada；　but　to　the　Scotchmen　he　was　much　more　than　that；　because　he　was　the　chief　of　the　Clan　Gordon。　　The　earl　came　to　the　dinner　in　full　Highland　costume。　　Lady　Aberdeen　and　the　ladies　of　the　vice…regal　court　were　in　the　gallery。　　I　sat　next　to　the　earl　and　Choate　sat　next　to　me。　　Choate　said：　　〃Chauncey；　are　Aberdeen's　legs　bare？〃　I　looked　under　the　tabIe…cloth　and　discovered　that　they　were　naturally　so　because　of　his　costume。　　I　answered：　　〃Choate；　they　are。〃

I　thought　nothing　of　it　until　Choate　began　his　speech；　in　which　he　said：　　〃I　was　not　fully　informed　by　the　committee　of　the　importance　of　the　occasion。　　I　did　not　know　that　the　Earl　of　Aberdeen　was　to　be　here　as　a　guest　of　honor。　　I　was　especially　and　unfortunately　ignorant　that　he　was　coming　in　the　full　panoply　of　his　great　office　as　chief　of　Clan　Gordon。　　If　I　had　known　that　I　would　have　left　my　trousers　at　home。〃

Aberdeen　enjoyed　it；　the　ladies　in　the　gallery　were　amused；　but　the　Scotch　were　mad；　and　Choate　lost　invitations　to　future　Scotch　dinners。

Few　appreciate　the　lure　of　the　metropolis。　　It　attracts　the　successful　to　win　greater　success　with　its　larger　opportunities。　It　has　resistless　charm　with　the　ambitious　and　the　enterprising。　New　York；　with　its　suburbs；　which　are　really　a　part　of　itself；　is　the　largest　city　in　the　world。　　It　is　the　only　true　cosmopolitan　one。　　It　has　more　Irish　than　any　city　in　Ireland；　more　Germans　and　Italians　than　any　except　the　largest　cities　in　Germany　or　Italy。　　It　has　more　Southerners　than　are　gathered　in　any　place　in　any　Southern　State；　and　the　same　is　true　of　Westerners　and　those　from　the　Pacific　coast　and　New　England；　except　in　Chicago；　San　Francisco；　or　Boston。　　There　is　also　a　large　contingent　from　the　West　Indies；　South　America；　and　Canada。

The　people　who　make　up　the　guests　at　a　great　dinner　are　the　survival　of　the　fittest　of　these　various　settlers　in　New　York。　While　thousands　fail　and　go　back　home　or　drop　by　the　way；　these　men　have　made　their　way　by　superior　ability；　foresight；　and　adaptability　through　the　fierce　competitions　of　the　great　city。　They　are　unusually　keen…witted　and　alert。　　For　the　evening　of　the　banquet　they　leave　behind　their　business　and　its　cares　and　are　bent　on　being　entertained；　amused；　and　instructed。　　They　are　a　most　catholic　audience；　broad…minded；　hospitabIe；　and　friendly　to　ideas　whether　they　are　in　accord　with　them　or　not；　providing　they　are　well　presented。　　There　is　one　thing　they　will　not　submit　to；　and　that　is　being　bored。

These　functions　are　usually　over　by　midnight；　and　rarely　last　so　long；　while　out　in　the　country　and　in　other　towns；　it　is　no　unusual　thing　to　have　a　dinner　with　speeches　run　along　until　the　early　hours　of　the　next　morning。　　While　public　men；　politicians；　and　aspiring　orators　seek　their　opportunities　upon　this　platform　in　New　York；　few　succeed　and　many　fail。　　It　is　difficult　for　a　stranger　to　grasp　the　situation　and　adapt　himself　at　once　to　its　atmosphere。　　I　have　narrated　in　preceding　pages　some　remarkable　successes；　and　will　give　a　few　instances　of　very　able　and　distinguished　men　who　lost　touch　of　their　audiences。

One　of　the　ablest　men　in　the　Senate　was　Senator　John　T。　Morgan；　of　Alabama。　　I　was　fond　of　him　personally　and　admired　greatly　his　many　and　varied　talents。　　He　was　a　most　industrious　and　admirable　legislator；　and　a　debater　of　rare　influence。　　He　was　a　master　of　correct　and　scholarly　English；　and　one　of　the　very　few　who　never　went　to　the　reporters'　room　to　correct　his　speeches。　　As　they　were　always　perfect；　he　let　them　stand　as　they　were　delivered。

Senator　Morgan　was　a　great　card　on　a　famous　occasion　among　the　many　well…known　men　who　were　also　to　speak。　　Senator　Elihu　Root　presided　with　his　usual　distinction。　　Senator　Morgan　had　a　prepared　speech　which　he　read。　　It　was　unusually　long；　but　very　good。　　On　account　of　his　reputation　the　audience　was；　for　such　an　audience；　wonderfully　patient　and　frequent　and　enthusiastic　in　its　applause。　Mistaking　his　favorable　reception；　Senator　Morgan；　after　he　had　finished　the　manuscript；　started　in　for　an　extended　talk。　　After　the　hour　had　grown　to　nearly　two；　the　audience　became　impatient；　and　the　senator；　again　mistaking　its　temper；　thought　they　had　become　hostile　and　announced　that　at　many　times　and　many　places　he　had　been　met　with　opposition；　but　that　he　could　not　be　put　down　or　silenced。　　Mr。　Root　did　the　best　he　could　to　keep　the　peace；　but　the　audience；　who　were　anxious　to　hear　the　other　speakers；　gave　up　hope　and　began　to　leave；　with　the　result　that　midnight　saw　an　empty　hall　with　a　presiding　officer　and　an　orator。

At　another　great　political　dinner　I　sat　beside　Governor　Oglesby；　of　Illinois。　　He　was　famous　as　a　war　governor　and　as　a　speaker。　There　were　six　speakers　on　the　dais；　of　whom　I　was　one。　　Happily；　my　turn　came　early。　　The　governor　said　to　me：　　〃How　much　of　the　gospel　can　these　tenderfeet　stand？〃　　〃Well；　Governor；〃　I　answered；　there　are　six　speakers　to…night；　and　the　audience　will　not　allow　the　maximum　of　time　occupied　to　be　more　than　thirty　minutes。　　Any　one　who　exceeds　that　will　lose　his　crowd　and；　worse　than　that；　he　may　be　killed　by　the　eloquent　gentlemen　who　are　bursting　with　impatience　to　get　the　floor；　and　who　are　to　follow　him。〃

〃Why；〃　said　the　governor；　〃I　don't　see　how　any　one　can　get　started　in　thirty　minutes。〃

〃Well；〃　I　cautioned；　〃please　do　not　be　too　long。〃

When　the　midnight　hour　struck　the　hall　was　again　practically　empty；　the　governor　in　the　full　tide　of　his　speech；　which　evidently　would　require　about　three　hours；　and　the　chairman　declared　the　meeting　adjourned。

Senator　Foraker；　of　Ohio；　who　was　one　of　the　appointed　speakers；　told　me　the　next　morning　that　at　the　Fifth　Avenue　Hotel；　where　he　was　stopping；　he　was　just　getting　into　bed　when　the　governor　burst　into　his　room　and　fairly　shouted：　　〃Foraker；　no　wonder　New　York　is　almost　always　wrong。　　You　saw　to…night　that　it　would　not　listen　to　the　truth。　　Now　I　want　to　tell　you　what　I　intended　to　say。〃　　He　was　shouting　with　impassioned　eloquence；　his　voice　rising　until；　through　the　open　windows；　it　reached　Madison　Square　Park；　when　the　watchman　burst　in　and　said：　　〃Sir；　the　guests　in　this　hotel　will　not　stand　that　any　longer；　but　if　you　must　finish　your　speech　I　will　take　you　out　in　the　park。〃

During　Cleveland's　administration　one　of　the　New　York　banquets　became　a　national　affair。　　The　principal　speaker　was　the　secretary　of　the　interior；　Lucius　Q。　C。　Lamar；　who　afterwards　became　United　States　senator　and　justice　of　the　Supreme　Court。　　Mr。　Lamar　was　one　of　the　ablest　and　most　cultured　men　in　public　life；　and　a　fine　orator。　　I　was　called　upon　so　late　that　it　was　impossible　to　follow　any　longer　the　serious　discussions　of　the　evening；　and　what　the　management　and　the　audience　wanted　from　me　was　some　fun。

Lamar；　with　his　Johnsonian　periods　and　the　lofty　style　of　Edmund　Burke；　furnished　an　opportunity　for　a　little　pleasantry。　He　came　to　me；　when　I　had　finished；　in　great　alarm　and　said：　〃My　appearance　here　is　not　an　ordinary　one　and　does　not　permit　humor。　　I　am　secretary　of　the　interior；　and　the　representative　of　the　president　and　his　administration。　　My　speech　is　really　the　message　of　the　president　to　the　whole　country；　and　I　wish　you　would　remedy　any　impression　which　the　country　might　otherwise　receive　from　your　humor。〃

This　I　was　very　glad　to　do；　but　it　was　an　instance　of　which　I　have　met　many；　of　a　very　distinguished　and　brilliant　gentleman　taking　himself　too　seriously。　　At　another　rather　solemn　function　of　this　kind　I　performed　the　same　at　the　request　of　the　management；　but　with　another　protest　from　the　orator　and　his　enmity。

In　reminiscing；　after　he　retired　from　the　presidency；　Mr。　Cleveland　spoke　to　me　of　his　great　respect　and　admiration　for　Mr。　Lamar。　Cleveland's　speeches　were　always　short。　　His　talent　was　for　compression　and　concentration；　and　he　could　not　understand　the　necessity　for　an　effort　of　great　length。　　He　told　me　that　while　Justice　Lamar　was　secretary　of　the　interior　he　came　to　him　one　day　and　said：　　〃Mr。　President；　I　have　accepted　an　invitation　to　deliver　an　address　in　the　South；　and　as　your　administration　may　be　held　responsible　for　what　I　say；　I　wish　you　would　read　it　over　and　make　any　corrections　or　suggestions。〃

Mr。　Cleveland　said　the　speech　was　extraordinarily　long　though　very　good；　and　when　he　returned　it　to　Secretary　Lamar　he　said　to　him：　　〃That　speech　will　take　at　least　three　hours　to　deliver。　A　Northern　audience　would　never　submit　to　over　an　hour。　　Don't　you　think　you　had　better　cut　it　down？〃　　The　secretary　replied：　〃No；　Mr。　President；　a　Southern　audience　expects　three　hours；　and　would　be　better　satisfied　with　five。〃

Justice　Miller；　one　of　the　ablest　of　the　judges　of　the　Supreme　Cour