The native American., 1838-02-03

Yours, &c.
.yau,taru, 1888. The CHANGER.
CHANCES AT CONGRESS.
No. H.
Eloquence- IN the Capif6l-.fn Incl
dent-IHe Senate Chamber-.n Passage al
firms.
Eloquence is the medium through which ge
MUS and learning more strikingly impart the
deep communings to the heart and ear. 1t i:
indeed an art of character exquisitely perfect
and more thoroughly allied to nature than any
other agent of intellectual power. Judging from
its effects, think it can be safely ranked among
mean by which the mass is enkindled to deeds o
heroic revolution, or soothed to forbearance ii
the first glorious outbreak from bondage into the
ripe and effulgent noon of freedom. The ele
ments with which it accomplshes its purpose.
are rare in their construction-the marvellous
enthusiasm of the speaker is carried to the heart.
of his auditors-at one moment the ewes arr
kindling with fire, at another melting with pity
1t is the moral magic of the human tongue, whis
pering to the soul and radiating every interstice
of that seat of feeling with its vvfying rays. Il
is the poetry of the mind and heart made evident
to the commonest of mankind. The harp, in the
days of chivalry, sounding amid the soft blandish
ments Of knighdy love, the libaton of wine and
the jar Of arms, usurped the sway of eloquence.
and the tinglng wire with the bard's enthusiasm,
kindled those festive assemblies to all the wild
emotions incident to an ardent and vivid age. The
minstresy of the old bardic tribes performed the
historic part of patriotic and brilliant eloquence,
and while recording the deeds of heroes, it served
as the instrument to convey the rude impromptu
effusions of the poet. Sounding along the front
ranks of an army, while the banners s'fouted the
pale blue Skies, it cast spell over the warriors
heart and nerved him to deeds worthy of the in
spring song.
But music only for time held dominion over
the peculiar province of the orator. It's numbers
were confused and sometimes unintellgible-it
accomplished every thing, but paused at the thre-
shold of instruction. The philosophy of the bard
was wild, sparkling and transient; the deed of
one chief was forgotten in the more deadly COM
Udt VI dilOtfCl-LOPillCo tHiOWH dTOuHtl, TIE III
strument Of song walked its melody to continued
novelties, and the fingers that swept the chords
stopped not to teach the people lessons of wisdom
and religion. Every thing was swept along by
the impulse Of the wildering strain. The voice
Of the minstrel, and the heroic or anorous SYM
phony Of his graceful harp broke forth like the
music Of syrens, amid the voluptuous and martial
musings of the time. Knights spurred on to the
tournament, where love reigned mistress of the
lists; or dashed their steeds upon the battle field
where victory or death paraded with their nod
ding plumes. When chivalry, in all its exterior
glory and interior charm, faded away-not when
the Dauphiness of France sunk behind the
horizon, but at a much earlier day-and the stern
assembling of men commenced to form consttu-
tons for the people and crowns for the ambitious
few, then the music of the harp was hushed, and
the voice of the statesman, clothed with wisdom,
was poured upon the ear of men with new and
startling power. Ispeak now Of the eloquence of
comparatively modern times, not referring to
those ancient and splendid epochs when Athens
and Rome, the one from her single hill, the other
from It's seven, held joint empire over mind and
matter, and eloluence AMI poetry, music and
sculpture, each speaking to the senses. command
ed, what was joyfully conceded the worsbip of
the cloud-envellopea nations. Subsequent 10.
and atthe period of, forming the English magma
charta, the tide Of manly AMI stirring elocution
commenced its now--onward and onward ;,s
mellow waves were borne, surging on the vast
shores of the human mind, and bearing on ito
surface the Hastings of every faculty to which
man is incident until in later days, elevated on
its waves we find Pitt, Burke and Sheridan.
those master spirits, controlling the ebbing and
flooding of the passions ofman. On their should