my memories of eighty years-第78章

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ey　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　Court　at　that　time；　was　the　principal　speaker　on　another　occasion。　　He　was　ponderous　to　a　degree；　and　almost　equalled　in　the　emphasis　of　his　utterances；　what　was　once　said　of　Daniel　Webster；　that　every　word　weighed　twelve　pounds。　　I　followed　him。　　The　Attorney…　General　of　the　United　States；　who　went　back　to　Washington　the　next　day　with　Justice　Miller；　told　me　that　as　soon　as　they　had　got　on　the　train　the　justice　commenced　to　complain　that　I　had　wholly　misunderstood　his　speech；　and　that　no　exaggeration　of　interpretation　would　warrant　what　I　said。　　The　judge　saw　no　humor　in　my　little　effort　to　relieve　the　situation；　and　took　it　as　a　reply　of　opposing　counsel。　　He　said　that　the　justice　took　it　up　from　another　phase　after　leaving　Philadelphia；　and　resumed　his　explanation　from　another　angle　as　to　what　he　meant　after　they　reached　Baltimore。　When　the　train　arrived　at　its　destination　and　they　separated　in　the　Washington　station；　the　justice　turned　to　the　attorney…general　and　said：　　〃Damn　Depew！　　Good…night。〃

Such　are　the　perils　of　one　who　good…naturedly　yields　to　the　importunities　of　a　committee　of　management　who　fear　the　failure　with　their　audience　of　their　entertainment。

The　great　dinners　of　New　York　are　the　Chamber　of　Commerce；　which　is　a　national　function；　as　were　also　for　a　long　time；　during　the　presidency　of　Mr。　Choate；　those　of　the　New　England　Society。　　The　annual　banquets　of　the　Irish；　Scotch；　English；　Welsh；　Holland；　St。　Nicholas；　and　the　French；　are　also　most　interesting；　and　sometimes　by　reason　of　the　presence　of　a　national　or　international　figure；　assume　great　importance。　　The　dinner　which　the　Pilgrims　Society　tenders　to　the　British　ambassador　gives　him　an　opportunity；　without　the　formalities　and　conventions　of　his　office；　of　speaking　his　mind　both　to　the　United　States　and　to　his　own　people。

The　annual　banquets　of　the　State　societies　are　now　assuming　greater　importance。　　Each　State　has　thousands　of　men　who　have　been　or　still　are　citizens；　but　who　live　in　New　York。　　Those　dinners　attract　the　leading　politicians　of　their　several　States。　　It　is　a　platform　for　the　ambitious　to　be　president　and　sometimes　succeeds。

Garfield　made　a　great　impression　at　one　of　these　State　dinners；　so　did　Foraker；　and　at　the　last　dinner　of　the　Ohio　Society　the　star　was　Senator　Warren　G。　Harding。　　On　one　occasion；　when　McKinley　and　Garfield　were　present；　in　the　course　of　my　speech　I　made　a　remark　which　has　since　been　adopted　as　a　sort　of　motto　by　the　Buckeye　State。　　Ohio；　I　think；　has　passed　Virginia　as　a　mother　of　presidents。　　It　is　remarkable　that　the　candidates　of　both　great　parties　are　now　of　that　State。　　I　said　in　the　closing　of　my　speech；　alluding　to　the　distinguished　guests　and　their　prospects：　　〃Some　men　have　greatness　thrust　upon　them；　some　are　born　great；　and　some　are　born　in　Ohio。〃

One　of　the　greatest　effects　produced　by　a　speech　was　by　Henry　Ward　Beecher　at　an　annual　dinner　of　the　Friendly　Sons　of　St。　Patrick。　　At　the　time；　the　Home　Rule　question　was　more　than　ordinarily　acute　and　Fenianism　was　rabid。　　While　Mr。　Beech