Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-03-22
EARNEsTNEss IN oRAToRY.

When kossuth was IN this country, peo-
pie talked of nothing but his magnetism
His oratory certainly was wonderful, so
wonderful, indeed, that cold, passionless
men shed tears when be spoke at the Must
cal Fund Hall, though the day after, they
vowed themselves opposed to the interven-
ton which he sought We have known
nearly similar effects to be produced by
John Mitchell. But the only magnetism
which we have recognized in either speaker,
is the power Of an earnest conviction. No
man ever heard Kossuth speak without feel
ing that the soul of the great Magyar was
in all be said that he believed in it as he
believed in his life; that he was ready to
do all he urged his hearers to do. An ora
tor of this kind always communicates some
thing of his own enthusiasm to the audi
ence. And the want of this earnestness is
the great defect Of modern eloquence
This is, noticeable, both at the bar and in
the pulpit. How often do what are called
elegant speakers lose their case, when COM
|paratiVely plain spoken advocate on the
other side Sips it; and this, not because
his evidence is stronger, bot because he has
succeeded in convincing the jury that he
really belives his client 10 the right! It'll
the fault of being eloquent 'by rule and
line,' of being a rhetorician, that it gives
an air of artfciality and, insincerity to the
orator. Everett could never produce the
effects that Webster or Clay did, simply
from this fact, though more correct and
more finished than either Not Sunday
passes that critical observer cannot see
how the influence of the pulpit is impaired
by the apparent want of earnestness in
preachers. The use of written sermons,
though to be recommended on many ac-
counts, has the very serious disadvantage,
that it is almost impossible for speaker to
discourse from the manuscript aud yet re.
tain an air of earnestness. The most effec.
tive pulpit orators in all ages have been
those who either spoke extemporanously, OF
seemed to do 50, or when their sermons
were committed to memory. Much of the
power of the early Methodists over their au.
dience is attributable to the earnestness Of
their belief in what they said. ''
We do not wish to be understood as re-
commencing extemporaneous oratory, il
the sense in which that phrase is generally
understood-for DO man can make speech,
without having prepared himself directly
for it, or being SO perfectly conversant with
the subject as to be able to discourse from q
full mind Demosthenes always carefully
wrote out his orations, learned them by
heart, and pronounced them with every aid
of intonation and gesture.
Even Chatham never rose to speak, ex.
cept rare occasions, until, he had turned the
subject over and over again in his mind
and the exceptions were when he was rous
ed by some mighty stake, when he was
thoroughly master of the subject, and when
be was called on to reply in debate. Pat
rick Henry indolent as be seemed, as he
lounged about or idly angled, was contin.
ually thinking of his cases. Perhaps the
most favorable condition for oratory are just
when the speaker rises with his mind full
of his subject, his thoughts clearly arranged
and few salient and striking passages de-
termined on, but the general tone and Ian.
guage left to take color from the occasion.
Such an orator has always an air of earnest
ness. The pulpit, especially, might profit
by cultivating, to a greater degree, this
style of speaking.-PAi1adelphia Ledger.