Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-10-16

philosophy advanced, all simultaneous
ly with the awakening Of the eloquenc
of Greece.
AT no period in tho worlds histor.
has the spirit and power Of oratoricn
eloquence been so brilliantly portrayed
as when Cicero shook the Roman senate
chamber, and Dcmosthencs bestirrcd th'
world with his clarion voice.
The spirit and power Of eloquence il
not only felt under the swelling tones o
oratoricai display; there is eloquence ir
the last whispered words Of tho dyinl
great, as they meet the relentless mes
senger. Listen to Goethe, as his poetic
soul struck off this "mortal coil" and
plumed itself for its upward fight. He
opened his eyes 10 the near da wning o
eternity's morn, and whispered "Let tie
light enter" How fraugh, with elo.
quent meaning the dying words Of the
atheist and tyrant, 80! Ishall not pAol.
ly dh." Conceive, il you can, Of aught
more POLITICALLY eloquent than the whis.
pers Of dying Keats, 81 am gone; the
clod is not heavy; ! feel the daisesgrow.
ing orer me-" The spirit OF Webster
fingered on angel wings 10 whisper
through clay lips his proudest eloquence
"A volume to his memory-in three
words: 81 STILL LIVE"
"How well he fell asleep!
Like acme proud river wild ming 10 the sea,
Calmly, gradually, silently and deep,
Life joined eternity"
His monument is his deeds:
"Nothhg can cover his high fame but Heaven ;
No pyramid sci of his memory
But the eternal substance Of his greatness"
There is eloquence in the glowing i'm /.
agery and bold ideal Of the poet. He
holds power 10 sway the passions,
than which no greater exists. He is no
common man, and possesses no common
power, whose soul is otiuned in happy
harmony with oil the music and beauty
Of nature. To the poet,
The meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep Tor tears"
And why should he not be eloquent?-
He bathes his heart in beauty, lifts his
eyes to the golden light of Heaven, and
drinks in the spr, Of the universe; wan.
ders at eve by fairy stream and fountain,
When he sees naught bu' beauty
Where he hears the voice of that A Almighty One
In every breeze that blows and wave that mur.
murs;'
then retires, with all the eloquence OF
nature in his soul. breathing concep.
tions, within the secret chambers Of his
own soul, commences with them there
till they take shape and order; then Civ.
ing flow TO thought, an irresistible cur
rent Of beautiful conceptions and gol.
den thoughts carries US on, most willing
captivcs, to the realms Of the bright ide.
al. True poetry exercises power most
potent in swayins the passions, enlarg.
ing and beaulifyng the ideal; thus fulfil
ling the great missions Of eloquence.-
Compare Milton and Moore: while Mil.
tonic vers is all that is noble, beautiful,
and sublime, that Of Moore, though
dropping and languishing under load
Of beauty, insults the understanding and
niocks the heart by attempting to please
every sense at the same time; it enervates
Imagination, seduces taste and vitiates
morality. We are forced to the conclu.
sion, while reading some OF his and
much OF other poetry Of the present day,
that the so. called poet, as we'll as the
lover,
"May bestride the gossamer
That wantons in the idle summer air,
And yet not fall, so very light is vanity"
There is an eloquence in silent
thought; when awakened genius retires
within the secret chambers Of the soul,
and communes with reason and with
destiny. Look into the dark cave Of
ancient time; see the orator Of that age,
who afterwards made the whole world
roll in the grandeur Of his eloquence,
with head and face half shaven, wrapped
in the silent solitariness Of that subter.
ranean cavern, dedicated to silent
thought; deep, imperturbable thought,
earth. penetrating, and heaven scaling
thought. He came forth, knocked at the
gates Of Rome, appeared before the
world and made earth vocal with the
long s.suppressed, but now bursting elo.
quence OF silent thought. ~.
This is enough: this has eternized the
echo Of earth's voices which have chan.
ted so long and loudly his laulations.--
In later day this has distinguished The
noble Kossuth from most mankind.
There is eloquence, too, in music,
touching tender eloquence. The love oi
music is the noblest passion mankind is
heir 10, its undisputed supremacy has
been acknowledged since the morning
stars sang together at the jubilee Of new.
born worlds, and will be ged
till the people Of the nations of The
whole earth, in choir which no man can
mum Der, shall join angelic hosts ard all
raise their swelIing chorus, making Hea.
ven's arches ring with the glad halle!u.
jahs Of their jubilant anthems. Music
'twould almost recreata life among dry
bones, clo.he with beauty and make
them dance again. When softer strains
of richer, melting melody fall softly on
the listning ear, it fills the soul with rap
,urous delight and sends thrill Of esta.
cy through every nerveof joy.
stood on the rocky shore Of ocean
the waves ran high with rage, .dashins
wildly and fesrfuIly agains. rough. ragg
ed rocks; fierce lightning stabbed .h'