Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-01-12
Fran an Eastern Prinr.
oNLoNC SPEECHES.

The Princes of GJecian and Roman e.
Io1nencs we're Demos,henes and Cicero
The orators Of the former were nervous,
full OF energy and FIRE, end remarkable
for heir bVevity. The language OF Cice-
10 was more embelli>hed and ditiuse, and
The Sncieu, critjcs censured him Cor tu4
Bsslloi,y OF Nords ard spinning GU his o.
fa'ioas 10 : tedious length. Yet most Of
the oraiiuus loi Cicero, as iheY now ap.
pear in print, Gil only thirteen OF fourteen
uaagto pages. and we're abou. ihret quar-
tiers Fl an hour, perhaps, 10 the deilre y.
His long Philippe sgsiast Ma K Anthony
was o ever spoken, nor ir,euded 20 be spo-
ken. Exce.len, as lbs, and with all his
enchanting powers of cra'o.y, !, Is quss.
iioosble ghe,h.r Cicero himself could
have Delivered il before : Roman audience
wi'hou, giving them WEAKNESS from is
pro.ixisg.
The immortal Chatham, whose elo-
cnenee shook The British seaa e. was ia
med no, FIR the length bat foC The IRE
SIS bic force of his spseches; which
lodging ee.-1I ,Iac ptlU.Ss LOPi~s. were
commonly mol mere than for y or Ally
m IN es lo.sg & sometimes much shcTErr.
Bot Il his be IN lamented that the BTi-
;ish esa;ora of the present age, rejecting
The models of Greece and Rome aud ibe
example CT sheir own Ilu,tious Chathsm
have Iebs5cd 10 be prOIix a.her than for.
cibie. In Z ,dsiey's AoRuai Register, 1900
il is remarked 4, There IS nothing more
preposieeaUs than 10 seek the fame 81
eloquence ~ PrclixI'y. Grand ideas, con
yincing tIuths, sarm and gencTgus SEMI
meats, are qgokiY communicated fronl
mind 10 minc wish Inc swifipess Of bgh,.
hing. The orslIons of GRAHAM would
fcae iheir chsfms and effect by di!ation
The tifne is certainly net fac distant.
when all speakers in Parliament, who pos.
sess SQUAD taste end judgment, will be as
s.GdiOUs Of b,eyi'Y as most OF our pfesent
orators arc Of diEreion.''
Iinl IL ,hess srietarss are pertinest ano
applicable, as 1; psspsets the orators q:
Great Bfuain, they sve more em,nendy
50 IN references 10 some OF the pubic
speakers Of cur own county. The Uni
ted STATES aTe more remarkable ior long
speeches ;han sny ether portion, perhaps
Of ne modern or ancient world. We
have reed 81 speeches at he bar Eve or
six hours long and speeches IN con
gFsss hea y ct he same length. Merry
defend rs from this new kind Of inunda-
tion
I must confess hat ! have bta little
be.ter opinion Of these long congressional
speeches han have Of he long prayers
ofths Old Pharisecs; IS canso. help sUs.
psciiDg ghat Che one as veil as he o her,
- coamsrly intended "a catch The ep
llsuse II men. II it be so, the speakers
are undsr an ePegious mistake for did
'LeS express themselves conc sely, piibfly
and always home 20 the purpose, he eI.
i,6t you'd be vastly greater and their
own honor as orators propnriionably high
e., thsa any lhSt hey can acquire ron
wuc drawn hsraggue 5labori0U attempts
a. Gll z bu bel Win what might be ctOwd d
ia na, shell. But allowing their movies
% be pure and patnouc, sill they woiuis
y roiss the mark. They ley GA iR'olle>
----.--~---.
tHEERY GRkTTsN, the rival Of Flood
and Use NOS, conspicuous member Of The
Ifish House of Commons. He was, IN
hit msridisnt The greatest orator (proba-
bis on earth. Evsn now, Wi he ca and
ps,a.ysed IS he is bg the stroke IL age,
.hste IS not single member Of cur coo~
lress, perhaps, whose speeches viii e0.
dg,e q comparison vfh lis. 10 find any
rhing he parallel We must look Into be
Debates m The Vugnia & invention, OF
those Of The glorious congress Of H76, in
ihs feryor ola fcyoluioaafy epoch, park
Imgswish light and glowing w'ib hes'.
[Wbg.