Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-08-25
TALENTS FOR T

w "a aaA
cut, in an address lately, and, as he is a
distinguished thinker and speaker, some
of his points are worth consideration.
There are four ~canonical talents necessary
TO success-a talent for oratory, a talent
for reasoning, n for style and one for
delivery. These have been insisted on by
all writers from Quinctillian downwards,
as embracing the whole, because they are
the most Immediately culsirGtGbe talents.
But there are three or four other qualities
quite as necessary to all successful public
speaking, and yet seldom distinctly re-
allied:
l. A capacity for gro,eth. There are
plenty who, having given great promise
Of becoming distinguished orators, never
succeed, simply because they never grow.
He whose mind is growing will give his
audience, if they hear him often, the con-
seiousness Of growth in themselves, and
this will make them love and respect the
author Of this benefit. A gift Of improv.
ability is therefore cardinal. Such an Or
ator may make but little show OF promise
at FIRST, but his thoughts, fresh from him
self and living, will gather words, at first
perhaps confused, but by degrees clearer,
then adorned with illustration, and then
with conscious power, earnestness and
action, and greatness will follow the ora
tor. Almost all promising to become
great orators, d~isappoint, because
growing thought is the first basis af sue
cess. and not the habit Of glib delivery.
.. The power of indipiduGli:ing. Many
have great power Of thought, and their
friends wonder they never succeed as
speakers, when the cause is in the want Of
particularly of aim. The true orator
speaks with his eyes as much as he does
with his tongue. But where a mans
eyeballs roll all around without one per-
sonal piercing aim, the tongue alone, but
no the man, is eloquent. There is a tai
ent for exact and universal distribution Of
ideas, giving them point and aim, which
often far surpasses what are considered
great abstract talents in public speaking,
and produce effects and success that they
alone cannot, for it economies the use Of
ability, and retails it out in due and exact
proportion to the exigency of each case.
>. Having a great soul. This is the
next quality adduced by DR.. Bushnell, as
vital to oratorical success. A man may
have all the four ~canonical talents, and
yet have but a small soluble a mean
man. He may be u scholar, be a sincere,
right-hearted man at bottom, but narrow
and wanting manliness and downright
ness-s most uncomfortable man to listen
10, because ever striving by reason to
prove how conscientious he is. But a
man like Paul becomes great because he
dares much that others shrink from. His
serenity was as clear as the sky, and such
was the self-respect that his own large
soul gave him, that not even his piety nor
his humility, deep and sincere as they
were, ever made him lose his conscious
ness of greatness. Nothing could bring
him down.
Having thus exhibited the talents and
qualities necessary to all great public ora
tors, DR.. Bushnell exhibited three talents
necessary especially, but generally over
looked by these aiming to be pulpit ora
tors particularly, though in measure by all
speakers. He must, for instance, have
consciencs-,has will be a talent most po-
tent. His principles must not have to be
reasoned out by the understanding; if so,
they will have a tame, weak sound. There
is great difference in the timber Of the
conscience Of various men.
A talen, for faith in the invisible is also
a necessity :or the success of the pulpit
speaker. There are some men all anthra-
cite, but no fame. They trust to solid
understanding. But thus they are too
low ever to rise, and are like vessels that
take in ballast, and make that answer in
stead of a cargo. Others are too quick,
too much in a hurry, ever to be successful.
Steam and lightning never were inspired.
1t is when the speaker lifts up every sub
ject to the regions of the Unknown by
lofty faith tina: he becomes really eloquent.