Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-11


TIE LECTURE LAST EVENING. The Melo-
deon was veil filed last evening, upon the
occasion Of Prof Fowler's lecture. Hissub-
jeet, as has been announced, was The
Versatility Of American Eloquence.p We
can give only a short and disconnected alb
htract Of the speakers remarks. He said i
There are two departments Of the inner
life of man, The emotions and the suscepti-
bilities, which act powerfully, one upon the
other. Itis not, perhaps, more strange that
the judgment should be influenced by the
feelings, than that the feelings should be in
Auenced by the judgment. To elicit from
lae, cOmmiseratiOn for your uisfOrtunes,yOu
must first convince me of their reality
True you may move your audience to tears
By an effective appeal upon an abstract sub
jeet, but i is only because II has imagined
some scene like to reality, that you are
thus enabled to exercise this power over
them.
He must be the most effective orator, who
can address himself both to the reason and
to the passion of men-who can play upon
the emotions Of his hearers as we'll as appeal
to their intellect. Truth, in his hands, is
an omnipotent weapon,-the sword that
nothing has power to resist. Itis the pecu-
liarity Of American orators, that they have
united logical force and passionate force in
great perfection; and for this there has been
a natural cause. The defence of a new
country, of territory whose resources were
but few and feeble, required an orator who
could spur on its people to overcome all OBJ
staeles--wao could SO nerve the will and the
passions, that all things would seem possible.
Foreigners who have interested themselves
in the development of our intellectual re-
sources, haye thought that the faculties
which make warriors were wanting in this
coyurintry,--but our pluck has become sufi-
GENTLY manifest, and we have proven that
We Yankees can. solve ball and Da-boll with
equal facility. As a practical, or rather per
sonal illustration Of these remarks may be
cited-Patrisk Henry and James Otis, be-
fore the revolution, and Clay and Webster
after it. F. Z
Asa representative Of imagination and
passion, Henry Of Virginia, was a singular
speeimeu. with his swdrthy face. BLACK
locks, liquid eyes and moving voice. he was
an embodiment Of power The true orator
comes not Haunting the products Of his ora
/ torical workshop, but his thoughts flow ou
harmonious and with moving tones anG
touching utteranee, he appeals with wOrdi
OF truth to the intellects of those who lister
70 him.
such was Henry. He drew the material
of his elOquence from the mountains an'
from the fields; it came to him as if fresl
from the Creator, and thelightning and tn
thunder were caught from the storm clou'
and hurled, oftehtimes with terrible eHec
over the political world. His CLEANS Of pas
sion were sometimes warm and brilliant a
the summers sunlight, and at others wer
flashing, ike the storm atnightfali and tn
bolt that he flung was frequently Of . kin
to captiyats while it crushed its victim. TIL
most exquisite master Of the harp lneve
swept its chords more perfectly than di
Patrick Henry, Che passions Of the jur
whom he addressed. With an ar Of tn
deepest sincerity, he stole into their conf
dence and took magical possession Of the
! hearts; and then he hOisted his gallant
sails aud running down upon the enem!
delivered broadside that ovsreane then
Prof Fowler, then describing the memO
able Convention, called for she purpose !
! resistance against British aggression and II
2 citing the passage of Henry's speech endin
sIEnow not what course others Faay tax
but as for une,7giye me liberty OF give
death" proceeded . speak Of James Otis.