Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1880 — Ar Forebode of GI [ARTICLE]

Ar Forebode of GI

Scribner’* Magazine. The man is more Interesting than any of the parts he has been called to play; but we come to understand the man better by seeing how he shapes and molds these parts. As an orator, his conspicuous merits, beside his striking countenance, dignified action, and a voice full, rich, and admirably modulated, are fertility and readiness. He seems to have always at command an inexhaustible store of ideas, reasons, illustrations, whatever bo the Mubleot whieh he is required t<> deal with. Of all great English speakers, probably no one, not even William Pitt, has been so independent of preparation. Even Fox, swift and rushing as he wife, was great only in reply, when his feelings were heated by the atmosphere of battle, whereas Mr. Gladstone is just as animated and forcible in an opening, or In a purely ornamental and uncontentlous narangge, os In the midst of parliamentary strife. Of the many anecdotes that are currentjllustrating his wonderful power of rising to an occasion, one may lie given which has the merit of being true. On the afternoon when he was to make an important motion in the House of Commoiis, a friend, happening to call on him between two and three o’clock found him just sitting down to make some notes of the coming speech. He laid aside his pen ana talked fora while, then jotted down a few heads on paper, went down to the House before four o’clock, found himself drawn into a parliamentary controversy of a very trying nature, in which he had to repel so many questions and attacks that it was past six before he rose to make his great speech, He then discovered that, as he had left his eyeglasses at home, his notes were practically useless, put them quietly back Into his coat-pocket, and delivered with no aid to his memory, and upon that one hour’s preparation, a powerful argument interspersed with passages of wonderful passion and pathos, whieh lasted for three hours, and will always rank amongst his finest efforts, \