New-York tribune., 1875-02-15
THE LECTURE.

,r;rmnb of nnre mower and il has beautiful and
prodigious surprise IN it, For men can see anu un-
derstand the means by which battle is gained
They count the armies, they see the cannon anu
muskctry the cavalry, the character ana advantages
Of the ground so that the result is often preoicteu
by the observer with great certainty before tne
charge is sounded Not so in a court of law, or in
legislature. Who knows before the debate begins
what the preparation and what the means are Tor
the combatantsf The facts, the reasoning. the
logic above all the sentiment the flame, the passion
the continuous energy of will which Is pres
emily 10 be let loose on this bench of judges or on
this miscellaneous assembly gathered from the
streets-tbess are all invisible, unknown. Indeed,
much power is TO be expected which IS notyeU
called into existence but is TO be suggested on the
spot by the unexpected turn things may take at the
appearance of new evidence, or by an unloo&od-for
bias in the judges or in the audience.
1t is ernently the art which 1Ourishes; the art
of speech, the art of eloquence is that art which
Aourishes in free countries. 1t is an old proverb
that every people has its prophet and every class of
people its. Our community runs through long
scale OF mental power, from the highest refinement
10 savage ignorance. There not only the wants
of the Intellectual the learned, the poetic men and
women TO be met, bu; also the vast interests OF
property, public and private. The mining, the man.
ufacturng interests trade, railroads.&c. these must
have their advocates of each improvement and each
interest. Then there the political questions
which agtate millions. and which find or form
class of men, by nature habit fit to discuss and
IDEAL with them. and makes them intelligible ana
acceptable leaders. So with education, art, or PM
lanthropy. EloQuence shows the power, the posSi-
bihties of men. Here is one Of whom we took no
note, but a certain occasion it appears that he
has a great virtue, never before suspected; that he
hat las ed what
with such cleaIncss to a company as though they
saw IL done before their eyes. BY leading their
thought he leads their will, and can make them do
gladly what an hour ago they could not believe they
would be led 10 do at all He makes them glad or
hpgry or penitent, at his pleasure of course makes
friends. and fills despondlng men with hope and
10y. After Sheridans speech IN the trial of Warren
Hastings, Mr.. Pitt, the Prime Minister, moved
an adjournment. that tho house might recover
from the OvcrpOwering effect of SheTidans
oratory-the delight that sudden eloquence gives at
the moment is rich An old Greek orator once
said he had way to cure the dlstempers or mems
minds bv words The orator Is that physician,
whether he speak from the capitol or on cart; he
is the brncfIctOr that lifts men above themselves
and creates higher longing than he satlsiles he
orator. in short. is he whom every man Is seeking
when he goes into the courts, into the conventions.
into the popular asSembhes-thOugh often 1t has
been with disappointment. yet never giving over
the hOpc: lac iinds him. perhaps, in the Senate when
the forest has cast out some wild, heavy proved
bantllng, to snow the same energy In the court or
forum which he had learned IN driving the cattle 10
the hills IN scTamiling through thCkets IN the
Winter frost through the swamp in search of his
game. In the nobility Of his brow, in the majesty OF
his mict nature has marked her son and in his ar
titcial ana perhaps unworthy place In company sne
reminds you IF the lessons taught him III early days
by the torrent. in the gloom of the pine woods
where he wandered, the companion OF the wild
birds Or The hunter Of the deer. Or you may
tud bm in some lOwly bethel by the seaside,
whore tho hard-featured Scared, and wrnkled
hethO.isf
man. while he pours ont the abundant streams OF
lis thought through language all glitterlng and
fiery wild imagination. A man who never knew
lOOklDg-gid>s or critic; Il man whom college
course or patronage never made, whom praise can
not spoil; mdu who carries his audience by inius-
ing his sOul INTO them. VINO speaks by Inc ilght OF
being the person IN the assembly who has the most
90 say and makes the other speakers appear little
and cOwaTdly before bis face. For time he throws
all others into the shade, aud every listener gladly
consents to be nothing in his presence, surprised
and carried away IN the new Hood of his eoquence.
lie instructs OF be Is instructed for am thinking
of man VINO showed well tho power of man over
men that man is a mover to the extent of his
using and having tins power, and In contrast to the
efficiency be suggests our actual life and society
appears sleepingTOOm. Who can wonder az the
influence of elOqueuce on young and ardent minds
Uncommon boys follow uncommon men, and think
every one of remember when our first expert
enCe made us for q time the admirer or the wOr-
slipper of the first master of this art whom we hap
pened TO hear III the courthouse or III the caucus
HEIoIsM or THE TRUE ORATOR.
We reclcn the bar, the Senate, journalism and
the pulpit peaceful professions but you cannot es
cape the demand for courage in these and certainly
there is no true orator who is not hero HIS atti
tude in the rostrum OF the pulpit requires that he
counterbalance his oratory. lie is the challenger and
must answer all comors The orator must often
stand with forward foot in the attitude of the de-
fcnslve. His speech must be just ahead of the as
sembly ahead of the whole human race. Or.it is
perfuOus. His speech Is not TO DO distinct from ac
ton IL is the electricity OF action. IL is action
the generals word of command and the chart Of
battle IL action. He must feel that the speaker
he compromises himself his OratOry counts for
something nothing; il is the cry to the charge and
the fight, or lot him DO silent You 90 TO "a town
,neefing where the people are called TO some dis
aVreeab bic duty. such often occurred during the
war-on an occasion of new draft, for instance.
They go unwilling. They have spent their money
once or twice very freely they have sent their best
mon the young and ardent, those Of n martial tenn
perament VINO answered tie first draft or
the second. and It II not easy to SEQ who
silence and cOldneSS OF the assembly, after
the meeting has been called TO order and the puT-
pose stated. not very encouraging Then good
man rises in the cold aud malicious assembly, and
they say We'll. Sir, 1t would be prndenter TO DC
SILENT why not rest, Sir, your good record No
body doubts your power, but for the present bust
ness, we know all about it, and are tired OF beng
pushed INTO patriotism by people who stay at home"
But be, taking no counsel Of best things bat only OF
the inspiration Of his to-day's feelings surprises
them with his tiding', with his better knowledge.
his larger view, his steady gaze at the and fu
ture. Of which they had not thought, aud they are
interested like 80 many children. and he gains the
victory by propbesying where they expected rcpeti-
ton He knew they they were looking behind and
be was booking ahead and therefore it was right to
speak. Then the observers say, What godsend
Is this manner OF man to town. and what faculties
he has lie is put together like a Waltham watch,
or like locomotive just finished at the Tredegar
works"
THE INGREDIENTS OF ELOoUENcE.
No art indicates more universal health than elo-
suepce aud the special ingredients of this force
clear perception. memory, power Of statement, logic
imagination or the skin to clothe your thought. pas