Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-09-28


"Occupet extrenum scab'es
f" 81 paulum sumn,o decessit, vergit ad mum
- male 81 mandate lequeris,
"Aut dorrnitabo, aut ridebo. -
IIoRAcE.
Which friend has been kind enough 10 render:
"May the plague seize an indifferent speaker.
can orator is every thing or nothing.
"Ifhe do not deliver himself handsomeE' lie may
q. pect his audience, and me with the rest, to
"laugh or sleep"
An opinion seems 10 prevail, among the sell
illuminated politicians OF the day,thaf nothing
but their supremacy is wanting 10 explode ior-
mer theories; o,erlurn existing constitutions
and exhibit, like former French philosophers.
not less proscrip,ive than themselves, Com
pIete political regeneration
or this number Mr.. M'Dufhe appears 10 be-
one, a, least, if we may Judge from The boldnrss
with which he adopts new theories, however
dangerous; aud discsrds The old, however ve
nerated. Many corroboraing facts occur IN
support or,his opinion, but ,h' new theory Of
intellect is sufficient for my purpose.
| I, was formerly believed that statesman
should possess an intellect OF the "brighies' or
der" But we have seen that this has been plain
ly denied
1t wa, formerly b,lievcd that Aibnhc The Cid,
The handler, or King Len. originated nom
minds Of the "brigh,est order" Bu recent dis
cove cries have shown that this opinion Is de
lusion, anu that Writer, even Bacon. exhibits
an intellect inferior 10 The man OF action
1t was Imerly supposed and maintained, by
no less an authority Than Lord Coke, that II was
the duty ofevery man to uphold the honor, and
contribute TO the advan. ement Of his profession.
But Mr.. M'DufFie, unwilling, it would St EN-, TO
IL, ch,J ir,l,. paln n a
of country, and based on the strongest ahec>
tons of the heart, is the first to proclaim the
degradaten of his profession, and surrender the
long conceded supremacy of the gown, IL the
| recent preteusions of the sword.
II was formerly believed, OH the authority OF
Cicero, Qu,nlilian, and all antiquity, that ora
tory requires genius Of the first order, and ma
ny arts 10 render i, complete. But Mr. D'Dui-
he, in opposition to names appearing so low
OH his seal Of intellect, fearessly asserts that
oratory exhibits only capacities OF an inferior
grade; leaving il TO be inferred that il is an easy
and common attainment.
But before the OF ator is thus degraded, he
has right TO ask that his diies and the faculties
# the mind which he is called 10 exercise,
| should be first considered
What are the duties Of the Christian Orator?
ii is his, 10 communicate the message oil
peace, hope, and immortality; 10 defend the
system on which our happiness is embarked; 10
dry up the fountains Of discord and of hate, aud
spread harIhony throughout society; to open
the vista of fuluriry, remove the gloom and de.
spondency Of doubt, md present, for our sup
port and consolation, The realities OF another
world. Without his exer,ions, liberation and
meekness would be unknown; force would iris
umph over weakness, and the spirit Of revenge
expel the spirit Of forgiveness, while unbrdled
passion, and unnatural appetite, would cause
the earth once more TO blush at their poutions.
Is there nothing in these duties to excite the
strongest emotions Of the soul, and require the
highest eHors Of the mind?
Shall we enter The sanctuary of justice? On
one hand, we see men Of capacious minds, dis
tingui.hed alike in literature and law. To COM
prehend the extent, and explore the depths, of
the legal science, they have devoted their days
to study, and their nights TO meditation; and
having passed the ordeal Of long profe s,ional
probation, have been raised 10 the summit. On
the oMer-the advocates Of the Citizen, and the
Counsellors Of The Cour.. 10 them, unit ,dly,
innocence appeals for refuge, and justice for
her demands. In the Advocate, liberty finds
her sentinel and protector, weakness her sup
port, and tru b her shield: To the Judge, firm
anu '"iS"'eHe", JusuSe anu fiSht Wdkt hVT
peaceable appeal: And by the joint abors Of The
bar and Of the bench the bands of society are
preserved The leas, interesting Of the causes
which they are called on 10 consider ana decide,
may involve the personal rights Of individuals,
the last stay OF the orphan, and the security Of
landed title. Causes, more important, may
strike at the existence Of civil liberty, and i'm
part beauty or d,formily, sodily or weakness,
to the social edl6ce. States have been convus-
ed, and the foundations Of Government, shaken,
by THEN decisions: and no mind can compre-
bend the magnitude of those results, which may
follow the train Of thought exhibited by sim
gle advocate before Court of Justice. And
are these the men who possess-are these the
duties that demand-inlrIlects only of an infe.
rior order?
From the duties Of the orator, let us direc,
our attention to The faculties which he is called
to exert
Whatever may be the sphere in which the
orator may move, he will be required to exert
to the utmost, erery faculty of the mind; and
his distinction will be in proportion to the lib
erallty with which ma ture has endowed him