The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-11-10
FOR Tbs ENQUIRER.
~~<~S~I~<~
Tbs iialnbum. -Series Cd.
No. II.
ON FORENSIC ELoQUENcE.

WE have been juit gratiied by very elegant
publication the Speeches of the celebrated
irifh advocate John p. Curran. Their merit
will no doubt fecure to them an exteniive
and rapid circulation in America; nor would
it be matter of furprif., if they foon produce a
nrking effect on the American bar. Wherever
genius exits it will be very apt either to kinde
into emulation, on the peruial of thefe fpeeches,
or TO be difmayed at the elevation and grandeur
of the orator, aud fink down, under the com
PARTON, into defpondercy and defpair. ihould
be forty if either effect produced in its full
extent by this fine collection. fhould be forty
that Jingle man OF genius ihould have his en-
terprife damped, much lefs extinguiihed, BY a
companion with MIR. Curran; or that he ihould
aiiume him as the ftandard offoren6c cloquence
and form hinfelf on the models which that ora
ter has flrnifhed. Let me not be undcrftood as
wiihing to detrac from the merits OF Mr. Cur
ran. believe may venture to fay, that there
are few readers who offer to his genius, homage
more fincere and fervent than do. have read
his fpeeches not only with admiration and de-
light, but with anlazemcnt AT the powers of the
human mind. He has Affected my heart with
every emotion, with every PATTON which can
touch and enfiame the bofom of man and /
have followed, in flent wonder, the eagle fights
OF Lis genius, Until have LOFT fight OF the cart
ofmyfelf, OF every thing but the divine pheno-
nlenon who was leading the way.-Yet when
came back to terra frina again, have retained
few no iHlpreiiions promotive OF the orators
principal purpoie have retained no impref-
hon but OF the richly variegated entertainments
ofhyle and figure; OF the bright, the heavenly
viGions of fancy with which had been rapt and
entranccd. Ihavc laid down the fpeech filed
with aftonifhment at the powers of Mr.. Curran,
butnot thinking, fcarcely once, either of his
client or of his cauie.
do not fay that Mr.. Curran's fpeecbes con-
tain no argument, for that would be untrue
They do contain argument which is ftrong and
in itfelf, very often, conclu'ive and irrcGfiole.
but then it is covered with All enrelobc 10 magni-
Hcent that the argument is ecIipied, loft and for
gotten. Fake any one of his fpeeches, that,
for intance, in which he defends Mr.. Rowan I;
take off the rich and flowing attire in which it is
arrayed, and Hercules of an argument, with
ais mufcles of Drawn & his refitlefs club, itands
difclofed to your view. Cover it again with the
apparel of the orator, it feems Hercules no
more his mulcles are hidden under robe of
Tyrian dye, his very club begins to bud aud
bloom, and becomes fuddenly metamorphoied
into branch of laurel.
II is to be remembered that thefe fpeeches
were addrefied to juries; juries too fuppoied
10 be previou Y. uufavorable to the cauies which
he advocated. Now it is not to be expected of
iuries (and much lels of prejudiced ones that i'll
their receis they will take the pains to analife
an advocates fpcech, 20 as to draw all its force
Together. Turies generally poficfs not this che
niical apparatus of the mind, by which the eff
fential argument can be extracted and concen-
trated; or if they pofie1s it, they choofe not to
undergo the labour of the procefs. They hittn
to the prifoner's couniil with too much diftrnlt
and diinciinaton 70 receive any impreflion from
the fpeech which they can refift at the time of
its delivery. They are to be convinced by
main force and aeainlt their will. They are to
be bona tand and foot by the cords of argu-
raent, and deprived or ali power of refiitance.
The fDeaL.er who does this the moi efeGtually,
will furniih the beit model for the imitation Of
orr youth bat that fpeaker is, III my opinion,
not H1r. Cnrran.
would not be undcrfood as fcel1ing to baniih
every thing Ike ornament from the bar, and to
introduce argument alone argument dry, rigid
and auRtre. This, indeed, may do with court,
but with izries thi1k II viii ieidom 90. Win
the latter, .ran mar have ioms talent to AVA
ken, inteTeft ard aG1ufe, or his argument viii be
loft and the qucition t6 only between the low
eft and the higheh admfIible degree in which
This talent may be exercifed. Even the ounces
Of the protection are 70 perfectly convinced OF
the necefity of theft auxiliary powers, that we
find them all prddiing fone trick OF attitude,
lcok, voice, or gellure to attract the eye and at
.ention ofthe Jury. The1c indeed are generally
flch arts as man of hyperion genius would dif-
dain.-Yet thefe, with the arts which men of
genius themfelyes practice to produce the fame
cfetf, prove the general, and may add uni
verral imprcnion, that jurles require fomething
befide pure argument to dipe their latitude, to
engage their affections, TO fix their attention i'm
movably on the fpeaker, to difpofe them to re-
ceive his arguments with avdity and with eff
feet Let the fpeal.cr therefore captivate them
with all the jaft graces and embellishments Of
oratory but let him not captiVate them merely
for the fake Of making captiyes; let him turn
their captivity 70 the advantage of his client by
giving Them fuch flbrick Of argument as no
preyioully exiting prejudice on their part, nor
powers on that of his autagonif ihal be able to
overturn.
contend that 10 f2eech addrefied to jury
whatever ornaments an orator may admit, argH-
,aent Rouid be Predominant. II mould have made
an inprefion on the mind of the Jury 10 para
mount, 70 clear, 70 diftinct and 10 ieep, that
when they retire, tie argument alone ihall iAyo-
unfairly recur to them--ihali haunt them
haIi fafen on theirrecolle6tion with finch mpor-
tunisy that they fiall be unable TO get nd otit
fIall bear upon them with a force 10 ftrong That
they ihail be unable 70 render verdict aeainft
it. But this is not the character of Mr.. Cur
rams Gpeechcs. in them fancy, not argument,
is predominant coniequently, when the jury
retire, II is not the argument which Involuntary
rccnrs and faiteus on them with importantly ;
,~. 1,,,4 81. Ls1ufifui s,yhj hilton mi