American Legal Orators and Oratory in the Mary Harris trial.
633
Never did the
Colonel Breckinridge, by the unanimous
feeling of a noble heart burst into higher
consent of those who heard both, was
strains of indignant and burning elo quence, and with the story of a wronged
far and away the best. Not bitter or vindictive, as so many prosecuting
woman's sufferings and misery win a
speeches are, it was a masterpiece of
more complete and popular victory than did he on this occasion. These two speeches were epoch-making in their
interposed the plea of insanity and this was torn to pieces with rare skill by
persuasive eloquence.
The defense had
brilliancy and are enough of themselves
Breckinridge.
to forever secure the fame of Voorhees as one of the very greatest jury orators of America. He was a great Bible reader and he turned his knowledge of that book to many uses. His speeches were
little touches of poetic sentiment which add greatly to its charm. Referring to Buford's birthplace, he said that it was
colored by its beauties and instinct with its poetry. He was widely read and_in his general style resembled somewhat the famous Kentuckian, Tom Marshall. Though he served long and brilliantly in
Congress and was the idol of popular assemblies he nevertheless shone bright
est at the bar. His talents as well as his ambitions were such as to fit him to fascinate juries and to exult in the shift ing uncertainties of the legal battle. Colonel Breckinridge, though more widely known as a political orator, was a great power at the bar. Senator Beck, who knew him well, once said of him
The speech abounds in
"so fair that it seemed that God created
it with a smile and the smile became crystallized in the landscape." His mind seemed the very mint of invention in fashioning beautiful and polished sen tences. Like Crittenden, he was persua sion personified, and few, indeed, have been the orators who could wreak a more potent spell over the mind of the
listener than he.
Vice-President Sher
man, taking leave of his associates in the House, referred to Colonel Breckin ridge as the greatest natural orator he
had ever heard.
It is an interesting
fact, however, that Breckinridge did not possess such a wonderful natural talent
for oratory as this remark would indi
that had he devoted himself entirely to the law he would easily have ranked at the head of the American bar. It has
cate. In his early days he was sur passed by John Young Brown and other
also been remarked of him that no matter what the occasion, or who the speakers, his speech was always the most
that improve with time, and as he grew older the power and beauty of his voice became the wonder of the day. Never was enunciation so clear, limpid and free from effort. While his voice never
eloquent. Possibly he encountered as many of the great lawyers of America in his day as any other man, and in nearly all such cases he was successful. If accounts of the trials in contempo rary newspapers are to be trusted, his speeches were as a rule the best. In
the trial of Buford for the murder of
men of his years.
He was of the kind
sounded loud to those nearest him, it was
nevertheless clear and distinct to those who were farther removed. One of Breckinridge’s former friends, Ed C. Marshall, figured as a star in the great Kalloch murder trial, one of the
Judge Elliot of the Kentucky Court of
causes célébres of the Pacific Coast. His
Appeals, he was opposed by Curtis of
speech in this case was favorably com
Massachusetts, who conducted the de fense. Both made great speeches, but
pared to the masterpieces of Curran and Grattan.
It glitters like a diamond.
