Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-10-31

4
solitary exercise; made voyages that thew mipl
get access to the brst teachers: nr.r,i>ed b,fo,
looking glasses, and trained their voices by d,
ciamaiion. These arts or means are unk now
10 Tie ardent young American, who is launch
on the stormy ocean OF life, with no other inhf
ritance, than that OF infancy. ignorance. an
Indlgence, As he advances to ma,booa h
VIII gradually form his own manner. II wiI
commonly be an earnest 5ui inarti6cial. lis Al
ternate strains Of argument and passion vii
succeed each other rather by accident, than II
Inc order prescribed by systems of rhetoric
here will be fnlness Of matter without rxbaus
'ion, perhaps without the most skiliful dispos;
uon OF topics; and vigor and imp essiyencss Of
sce' connected with occasional inaccuracies
of language.
Such, in general, is the character of .hese
speeches. In connection with some Of the re ct.
marks, which we have made above. on the man.
hef oil reporting which prevails in this country.
we ough; not 10 omi, to state, that the speechcs
contained IN the volume before lis are under
$1,000 TO be given, without subsequent revision.
as they appeared originally in the National In
| 'ehlgencer, from The pen Of the reporter. Few
| orators In any county have ever been more me-
gl'gent OF fame than Mr.. CLAW Not one half
OF his speeches, We believe, have ever appeared
IN any form OF report, and those reported have
Amos. without exception been left by him 10
Inc uhrevlsed preparation Of the reporter. No
person who has had occasion to make such !,
course matter Of experience, will refuse to adj |
NIT, lha' II puts the reputation Of the sneaker
to the greatest test.
In casting the eye over the list of the sneecb.
es contained in the volume, we find them r.
comprehend a wide and varied range Of tones
hey are on the subj,c OF manufactures, on the
hhe oil tue ferd!do, on the charter of the Bank
VI 'he united States, on the augmentation of
Tue military force OF the country, on the in
crease OF inc navy, on the new army bill on the
emancipation Of South America, on internal u,
Improvement, on the Seminole war, on mis-. 6
sion TO South America, on the tariff. on the +,
opani'h treaty, another speech on the mission r
10 oo"th America, on internal Improvement, d
ara on American industry. The reader will K
perceive IN this catalogue, the greatest uucs- II
ions In our internal policy, in our foreign rea>
lon' ana IN our recent history On perus,np G,
VI: LAY speeches on any or all OF these p
uolec's and comparing them with those ar =,
is;conlemporaries IN Congress on the same or h.
incred topics, we presume il vii! be cberrfu,Iv i,
united, on ell hands, that he ranks second n m
Que IN The originality, power and versatility il,
MS intellect. In those physical qualities By 70
men the ability aud reputation of the or,,o, Oh
{ graduated, and IN that general rcputa,io, ~,
d parliamentary speaker, which is built ON N
'htcai standing, on intellectual ,a!en and ex m;
rna' gifts Nh. Clay would probably, NV = he
'se majority OF the American people +. al no
wed to have stood first on LLe roll. of the emf. Sr
We are not sure that such would be the dis
inion OF those who should estimate his char. ane
Ter as parliamentary speaker solely from tor
perusal OF the speeches contained n tie vo- lfu
ne before US. H. poict Of literary execution on
al finish, shy are TO, 10 be corsid gre
d as moGels. They LoulG be regarded IN
tee, as what II cy purport TO b., reports of Ne,
t chts, for the most par, unreyised hy III, saw
hor. Compared with Other speecbes an. the
'rlnS under the same .gcuns,aaces, ;hev in
'eai TO the fls' advantage. They ough. not cou
'e coh.r"S'ed WIN mat Class OF productions Fab
an' lent ~ modern orators, which owe their the
Iu''lts inish, their well comparted order TO
II '"ui"'s' correctness, and harmonious and
portion. not to The INSPIRATION of the forum ,ras
The ,'nates house, bot to tie leisure the wal,
" - - 'orota d! fIu,arch, both OF T. only
S ard OF Dcmosthen"s, ,ha' they ever refu and
20 spe'k keep on prcmediatiou, even th.
ugh 'he assembly loudly called on them. by z If
T., 70 defend their OWE measure 5; and we ms
by the Life OF Sheridan ,ha his ,mpromD errs
both OF wit and passion, passed throu ph have
rel editions in his study, before thy were pl.c,
rcd IN Parliament, and that he even mar were
down hetoreh nd the places for, Good Faby
/, NJ Speaker. Ofthi, kind Of preparation lonis
'raiions oi MIR Clay exhibit no trace We yic,o
quite sure;thal not one ofthem was written Ia,ior
re 1t was delivered, and we percei,eln the ac, a
te' part OF them no marks of subsequent famo
ion. ,,g I,
necessary consequence Of this that thew risen
ain lew single Passages likely 10 be quoted medi;
ointment specimens Of oratoricaI declama onIv
II deserves remark, that in the ora,ions P,cb,
{ greatest orators Of The modern world, sen, +,
passages which are selected as specimens vond
iie, as extracts for defamation. are e,,, own .
; ,,0 it"e' n'!ore or after de- garrs
Wv 'N"'"'' VI 'ne una "oor a mara, and red of
consequently e'ince not SO much he ,a. lars a,
80 .ne skui OF the writer men d
e. "' one wiz 'n'hH mat me apostro- Of his
hiial piety dropped unwri'tsn from the ceived
Sheridan, The inimitablr passage, : on ,bana
tachment o! Che colonies t. !hl mo,Hsr ale W.,
~, IN Burke speech OF Coucihaliar win py ,o