Marshall County Republican., 1871-05-25
Eloquence.

This clectrhying GIFT, or rather acquired
power. is of great antiquity, perhaps as
early as man himself. The diversion of
il to evil was, DeThaps, by his Satanic
Majesty when be said to Eve: "Ye shall
not surely die, for God doth know, that
in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes
shall be opened; and ye shall be as gods.
k1owing good and evil"
Ii is not ihe result of studied gesture;
neither is 1t entirely gift OF nature. An
intuitive power that bursts forth sponta-
neously, without an effort on the part OF
man. ltis simply the art of being naiur-
al in speaking-tEe power of expressing
IN natural WY those emotions which
produce corresponding effect upon the
audience; or, Us Webster has it "the
power of expressing strong emotions with
fiuency and force" Rhetoric is the art
ofarranging discourse, logic of Judging,
and eloquence the power of address. Il
Is not coufined to the voice-a look.
a gesture, or even tear, sometimes
produces a greater effect, if natural, than
the power of speech. Suppose, for in
stance, the speaker raises bis arms, con
tracts his muscles, distoris his counter
ance, smiles, drops tear, or wrilhcs in
agony, with the studied intention Of pro-
ducing an effect; do you not think the
audience will detect the motive, and the
hearers be disguised, while the orator
will appear all affectation
True eloquence is not the studied acts
OF the speaker. The child, that ,iandles
on its mothers lap, whose tiny lips can
not lisp its mothers name, with the inno-
cent and steady look, calls forth the live
liest emotions from the mothers breast
The brilliant statesman may excite admir-.
alton, but the look of love or innocence
will break up and conquer the mos'
strong heart. While 1t is true that men
of great genius are born such, it is also
true that most men can by diligence and
industry, become eloquent in all eminent
degree, and that men Of genius canno'
succeed without labor.
We look over the pages OF hist ory, and
many years ago, it is related that GER
tain man with an impediment in his
! speech, endeavored to make some effort
in this direction. His friends sought Ia
persuade him from the attempt, as they
Qstl l..rf ra,1
be the result. Not to be thwarted, how
ever, in his purposes, the individual pen
severed ontil he reache d the top round in
the ladder. And to-day, while his bones
are mouldering into dust, the old Athen
ian yet stands the greatest orator in the
world.
Only few acquire this art, because they
will not endeayor to overcome the obsta
cles that lie their way.
In every act of man in The great drama
of life there IS motive. either good oil
evil, and the amount OF good or evil pro-
duceI, will be in proportion to the infu
ence he exer,s, and we undertake TO say
that there is no position in life where the
moral action of man is more controlled
than through the powers of speech, hence
uone should be recommended to cultivate
these powers, except such as are influenced
by the highest moral qualifications. To give
the bad the implements Of the orator is
but to put the sword in the hands of the
maniac, and then turn him loose on the
community; but in the possession of the
good 1t is commendable, and none can, in
the direction Of right, WELD Ii too ex
/ tensivelv.
| To be President Of the United States is
10 have reached the highest point of an
Americans ambition. The honors of an
Emperor's Crown satisfies Frenchman. /.
and no Englishman expects to live higher
than to have the gilded coronet of Queen
Victoria fall upon his brow, yet permit
US to say that to be eloquent In an emf
nent degree is 10 have reached the high
est niche IN the temple of fame.