The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-04-06
MIsCELLANEOuS.
g s t'foln tho State Rights Republican.
vi = Olar HsisDIic M esa.

4OAS S9PGsSASS--Aioll5 Suloish specs
"A most striking popularity in our
statesmen and official dignitarles gen.
erally, is "a ,propensityato heavy, pro-
sv; speeches, sandf indefinitely long
official papers. This extreme pro.
H9ity ia iis q great fault, and one, too,
that should be- reforme altogether.
1twonld require but little thought
and attention on the part Of our pub.
l,c mento effect this, aad the people
should demand it Of them. Look at
thesvassi majority of our Executive
Messages, State and National; look
at the reports which proceed from
tbeYarious departments; what mon
rousaedocuments--how extremely
elaborate--how utterly regardless OF
all consideration for the reader The
information which is intended to be
conveyed to the masses Is these an.
nual cpistles is lost, and few, compar-
atiyely, arc better or wiser for their
emission The messages of our Presi-i
dents and Governors have long been
proyerbial for their prollxity. They
seem to be extremely given to mcon.
tinency of'words, and so singular is
itsfor any! one, to. pursue them, that
the.smans becomes quite famous for.
having achieved d thing so laborous.
Andslook at Congress-and many of
our State egislaturcs too. Day af-
ter dayfis spent in the mere war Of
words. The subject in debate is gen.
orally the last thing alluded to. The
press groans under tho thunder Of
defamation; type auffer-pancr and
ink suffer, while nothing useful, or
even ornamental is tho result. We
are4incIined to think it would be
good thing,7if in Congress the public
interests were con6ded to the ac-
knowledged leaders in tho expression
of$the sentiments deemed necessary
for5thcir support. BY such an ar
pangernent, tho electioncering might
besdone out of doors, and the ap-
pointed speakers make their address,
ossas expositions of the opinions Of
these twho were in favor of. or against
the matter under discussion.
s#Breyity has always been distin-
gushing characteristic Of great ora.
tcrs!s There are, Of course, exccp-
tions to this remark. On occasions,
when there is necessity for much
speaking, thcro arc some gifted intel
lccts that can, for hours, interest and
instruct. These, however, arc COM
paratively few, iin5number. BY far
the most effective speakers, tho most
practical, the most eloquent, are
those who come at once toithe point,
and they are eloquent, as much
through the intrinsic worth of what
thoy say, as their mere delivery.
Benjamin Franklin, who, in his
day, was one of the most effective
speakers in Congress, and the Con-
yention that framed our Constitution.
seldom spoke more than few min
ates, often limiting his remarks to
few illustrative anecdotes. When
the Convention was, at one time, agi-
tatcd almost to dissolution, he hushcd
the storm and brought its members
back to reason, by relating the sim.
pie fable Of the quarrel between the
body and its members. He curbel
Jeferson's Indignation at the liberty
that was taken with his draf. Of the
Declaration Of Independence, by re.
hitting story about o Philadelphia
halter and his sign. 1t is we'll known
that Nfirabcau hurled his thunder and
lightning with quickncss that rival.
ed the sudden storm; and yet he SCI.
dom spoke more than twenty min
utes. Some Of Ciccro's orations can
be read in less time. Dcmcs,hcncs
never consumed an hour in his most
elaborate display. Burke was the
most difuso Of his contemporaries;
but even his brilliant mind finally
ceased to interest, and he is said to
become, wearisomc. Walpolc, the
elder Pitt, and Fox, were powerful
from their condensation. They were
artists; they weighed the 1rarels of
their thoughts before they displayed
them to the world, and their value
was immeasurably increased by the
simple beauty of their setting.
e..s when We turn to some who alc
esteemed among tho most brilliant OF
our, own distinguished living orators,
we find too many Of them mere
speakers against time. Our Legis-
'fative bodies, both State and Nation.
al. and our Courts, are continually
injured in reputation and effective
ness, by the habit Of long speaking.
It retards the progress Of business,
and impairs the usefulness of the bo
dies in which it is indulgcd. 1t fa
stigues, except in extraordinary cases,
all who are compelled to listen. 1t
renders sense subscrvient to mere
sound, thus defeatinr tho sole object