, 1864-04-16

and deccitlully is to abuse the reasoning
faculties, to dcrange and weaken them in
other words, to dispose the mind to insanity
and irIbeci!ity. We may compare right
reasoning and false reasdning-that is, the
reason which subscrvts the honest conric-
tions and the reason which serves the low
motive Of reputation for sIhartness-to
civilized warfare on the one hand and saw
age warfare on the other. Civilized warfare,
which | SUPP osc to be an approach towards
the noble AIT of debate between nations, such
as would be exercised in a congress of ma
tions--l say, civilized warfare, to which |
compare right reasoning, trains and disci-
plines, and is the result Of training and
discipline; it involves civil engineering,
geometry, and all the branches Of mathe-
matical science; and hence its processes are
logical, and its results mathematical demon
strations, grand and certain. So it is with
honest and correct reasoning: it trains and
discplines, and is trained and disciplined
into what it is; and proceeding according
to grand fist principles and mathematical
rules-Of relationship, comparison, contrast,
correspondence, deduction and induction, it
arrives at the grand and mighty results aimed
at. On the other hand savage wa,fayc dls-
regards all laws OF mathematical or correct
reasoning, and rcsorts to low cunning and
trCachery, to the arts OF the CANISTER, which
honor Fate aud Fortune more than they do
Divine Providence, and luck and chance
more than artistic design and scientific eX'
actitude, 50 that it fails altogether Of certain
and great results. So it is with that kind
Of argument which "makes the worse ap-
pear the better rea on" which makes black
white" by an ingenious transposition and
confusion Of IDEAS, u serpentine, subtle, eva
siye back.way Of arriving at conclusions.
And which is the most effective! Civilized
warfare and correct and honest reasoning.
or savage warfare and false and dece tful
reasoning! Which, if they engage with
each other, is sure TO come off victorious!
Upon the brow of whichwould every men,
Der Of this Lyceum hasten to place the
wreath Of triumph, won by honorable and
diIect methods, by noble motives and noble
actions in worthy cause! There eau be but
one answer to these questions. And let me
say that he who in debate reasons honestly
and fairly is triumphant. even though he be
upon the wrong and defeated side OF the
question, because he il for the truth and
the right all the time, and il that triumrhs
he trIumphs, by the very means Of proving
him TO have been in errur.
What training and discipline, what self.
knowledge, seit.command, selfabnegation.
and self.ceation we see in all this hi
umph embraces all these grand achieye
ments, and anything called triumph that
does not embrace them is ignoninious de.
feat. Let US briefly consider these elements
Il noble victory in their proper order IL
has been remarked that the noblcst victory
a man can gain is victory over himself; and
the wise man says, he that hath rule over
his own spirit is greater than he that taGcth
city" The man Of selfcommand is mas
ter Of the position, master Of his temper,
master Of his thoughts, :naster Of his nerves,
master Of his tongue, master Of his language.
master Of his subject, mnsterof his audience.
And this mastership is achieved by the dis
cipEnc Of debate, if debate bc conducted in
the right spirit. Probably every ono of us
has experienced that certain trepidation
which the greatest men have exper enced
when they have risen in their places, or
mounted the rostrum, or ascended the sacred
desk, for the first time, to address an audi.
once. Probably We have felt it here, in this
unprc.entious Lyceum, in this rudimcut Of
atOwn especinllywhen we have been favored
with the rare presence Of q few ladies'. But
the training and discipline Of debate have
given us command over our nerves, and
without growing impudent, or less modest
than we were, We have grown bolder, frccr,
stronger, in the use Of our faculties, aud in
the effect We are able to produce on others.
And who Of us, af.er replacing difidence
with confidence, has not sometimes felt the
irritation Of opposition, and the danger ol
losing his temper in debate. were It not
that debate itself trains and disciplines, and
that tho selfdisciplnc and self.control tha,
give self.conddence, cearheadcdness, and
command Of language, confer also dispas.
sionatc coolncss and philCsophic ind ifcr.
ence to all except truth and the feelings
Of others? Again: Before We ever de.
Dated, or, rs the infant orator has il, spoke
in public on the STAGE we were ignorant
Of our abilities because we had never tried
then. never developed them. Con-
sciousness Of this is probably the cause Of
the difliderec and timid;ty Of which |
spoke moment ago. Now, the practice
Of debate has given us knowledge Of
what we can do; it has conferred upon us
that inestimable gift, self knowledge, and