New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-03
SKETCHES OF LECTURES
ElOGuerce aud 0ratOry.
BY REV. DR.. BErHUNR.

lore the members OF the Brooklyn Institute de.
lvered last evening by Rev. DR.. BErHUNE, upon the
subject OF Eloquence and Ora,ory. In commencing,
be remarked that the methods Of beneficial sway over
Others by educston, multiiOrm OF ono Of these
methods are TO treat and it ia one OF creat
power, and one especially adapted to tue oxgencies
of our political condition, our sociol character and
popular tastes-one which has the fr1cs scope, and
which capable Of being raised to hiyl state Of cult
walton. kloquence, or the ert Of public speakiug
trampod down and saed by the ron-shod foot Of des
potc governments, developed tself fret only among
the free States Of antiquity No: under o. the OH
entail depots was it found II lived scarcely anywhere
except under the influence Of democratic Athens And
ct Rome after the Republic had merged from the
srchy, and judgment and law administered in the
forum, the orator controlled the city whose legions
were conquering the world, And now although there
never better occasions Of honorable and impor
liant influence offered for the man who speaks for his
country good than sInona u, there is branch of
education 80 neglected in this country. Our young
people must be taught the talent Of public spealing by
cBaseirt If taught at ALL leyOnd their natvc inspira
lion. A. il is by Of the human voice that the
lecturers Of this viii attempt to spread
before you some Thoughts. and, perchancc, some
instruction il may not BE- improper 81 this time
40 enter into the secret of that power which
rpeokcr might use the word orator bu. mean
now to speak Of one who processes more or less quail
hcatons for speaking in public. We can readily under
stand that oratorcal eoqucnce must have had great
effect at time when there were fewer books and
when there mode Of discussing state questions
but in ornl debate when in fact tho voice the
sole channel Of communication between mind snl
mind One who had the ant Of speaking well, pos
sessed almost the monopoly of mental influence. We
live and act in circumstance ccnoiny widely different
The fire impelled printing press, like incZbausblc
volcano. pours forth constant Eruption OF books
while pamphlets fly round thick the flakes of
ashes which enveoped tho ruins of Pompe and the
newspaper has come to he necessary 20 the exist
ence OF the people as Of old the morning and
evening loaf Applause Every one who thinks
and even every one who thinks he thinhs must vrie;
and then itches till it is published. And indeed
must soon have an invention-it may now be on It's
WAY to Washington-which will save the labor either
of thinking or writing [Lsughter.l II is well that
we have the privilege OF reading wha choose; for
were c Obliged to read all that the scTibblers have
written, and sleeping on the bookshelves, it
would be an infection more intolerablc that the organ
grinders ia our streets. Epstlo-writers repeat tue
Ihemes OF better poets good DR.. Watts did psams-
common and uncommon, proper and improper. Take
for instance Carlyes Suicidal RHle.' The rule itself
is thought he stole from Montsignel The sncients
,erye US in our dsy wonderfully well If solomon
sighed for the great number of books in hs day how
very tired would he be were he alive now
But notwithstanding these petty vexations We are
most fortunate in living Never were the paths OF
science so easy OF now-never such opporunl'
ies of surveying There arc giants in these
dave breaking up through passages Of truth ana uni
yersa mind is stirred by their mighty teaching. The
&c mac Ia for v..oHH FIR
evil Aud If it be potent for evil, is ne much more
potent for good truth II lhsu The prcss can
not be restricted without hindorDe Right far more thsn
wrong.
We boldly assert that the power Of the public speak
er has not diminished since the time Of the anccnts.
Nav that power is magnihed by the very PTess
itself The Lord has put His invaluable stamp
upon the efficiency OF the public speaker, by
commanding 1.-THE Gospel 70 be preached TO all nations
unto tho end of the world" Though the Scriptures
are within the reach of they must be proclaimed
sy the public speaker in the audience OF The people,
or religion is neglected and corrupted. Though our
Hhrarics are stored with volumes law, and sd
dresses on jurisprudence the orator must plead before
the Jury and the bench or justice becomes moeAery
And though phianthropists have settled on their
schemes and their modes OF operation the orator must
thrill the heart OF the community charity is cold.
nent in times of peace. We, when crisis comes they
sh 10 the halls of debate and clsnior for speak
10 them. Philosophers historians critics, and reform
.r Law nside their pens ana Listen the voice of the
orator.
There is nothing got up Tor money for fame or 10"
utility but the originator seeks notoriey or success IN
the lecture room The Ango-Saxonis not more char
scterzcd by his satHs every festive occsson than
by his propensity 10 speak after the feast Now al
these instances " public speaking are not cited oy
me as displays Of eoqucnce but they serve 10 show
that men are more fond Of listening % public ora
tory than reading speeches o. addresses ana eonse
ouently the power Of the orator is greater now than an
former times. 1t was a saying OF pemeirus thd What
The sword was in war that was ooquencc IN the S"'e
|, was so in Atca. when reIcles governed icI iory
wears, Giving his Stste the wldes, rule ana msnes'
,plepdor mainly by his ms 10 rhetoric lie thun
behring's and hghtnings OF which won i'F
linn the epithet Of Olympisn. IA our own land, TIE
man Of rower is the orator. The military hero may
obtain high civil Office from biz graceful eountrym1n
hut whatever be his virtues good scpsc he cannot
bimsef sneak or write a. the orator he must call an
orator 20 his help who standing be ide h,s chSir VIII
soon leave him only the t.tle Of his osce Great Cap
tsins especially those distinguished IN state s-ldTs
have been men Of eloquence--ss IN re Gaze o. Narus
Cromwell Napoleon. ana Napoleon oonlleToT-'oI
there were few men in Grcst britain wis could put
more into few words than WELLINGTON. And there
are passages in the messages Of Andrew JACKSON that
viii bear perusiug, Tor lofty energy and noble ps'hos
not surpassed by any writings Sacred, record
Applause
And q, this very hour every heart responds TO the
clear. calm words of WAsHNGroN, commenting the
LOYALTY of all Americans their only sovere n under
God-the Constitution Of ;ae United states which,
NAV Cod preserve, and coniound ell traitors Jap
plausel
But 1t must be remembered tass we csnno, trace The
eject OF eloQuence the fruits o. genius IN rs
other forms The dextrou statesman 'rp' his loin-
ness upon measures which he originated and carried
into prominent action. The name OF the philosopher
goes with the bold hypo,heses which ne demonstrates