New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-21
Beauty Of Rlouuence.

Beauty Of Rloquence.
Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered q lecture
in the regular Lyceum course, at Concord,
last evening. He said:
II don't know of any kind of history OK.
cept the event of battle, to which the
people listen with more interest than to any
anecd0te OF eloquence, and the wise think
| it better than the battle. 1t is triumph of
pure power, and it has . beautiful and pro-
understand the means by which battle is
gained. They count the armies, the char
acter and advantages of the ground, so that
the result is often predicted by the observer
with great certainty before the charge is
sounded. Not 80 in court of law or in a
Legislature. Who knows before the debate
begins what the preparation and what the
means are for the combatants? The facts, the
reasoning, the logic, above all the senti-
ment, the flame, the passion, the continuous
energy of will which is presently to be let
loose on this bench of judges or on the mis-
cellaneous assembly gathered from the
streets-these are all invisible, unknown;
indeed. much power is to be anticipated
which is not yet called into existence, but
is TO be suggested ON the spot by the unex
pected turn things may take at the appear
for bias in the Judges or in the audience.
1t is eminently the art which fourishes-
the art of speech. The art Of elOquence is
that art which fourishes in free countries.
1t is an old prOverb that every people has
it's prophet, and every class OF people it's.
Our community runs through long scale
of mental power. from the highest refine
ment to saw age ignorance. There are not
only the wants of the intellectual, the
leaned, the poetic men and women to DO
met, but also the vast interests of prop
erty, public and private. The mining,
the manufacturing interests. trades. rail-
roads, all these must have their advocates
of each improvement and each interest.
Then the political questions which agitate
men, by nature or by habit, fit to discuss
aud deal with them and make them intelli-
g,ble and acceptable leaders Here is one
Of whom we had no note, but on q certain
occasion it appears that he has great vir-
tue, never suspected; that he can paint what
has occurred and what must occur with
such clearness to q company as though they
their thought he leads their will, and can
make them do gladly what an hour ago they
could not believe they would be led to do at
all. He makes them glad Or angry, or pen.
itent. at his pleasure; of course makes
friends and fills depending men with hope
and Joy.
But the power which so facinates and as
tOnishes the nation is talent which is
universal. All men are competitors in this
art. We have all attended meetings called
for some business in which no one had be.
forehand any great interest. Every speaker
rises unwillingly, and his speech is q bad
apology. But it is only the first plunge
which is formidable; q deep interest and
sympathy thaws the ice, l0osens the tongue,
will Oorrv tina Cnld and faarful vornov
into self possession and possession of the
audience. Go into an assembly we'll inter-
ested -sOme angry political meeting on the
sve of crisis. Then it appears that elo-
luence is as natural as swimming, an art
which all can learn, but so few do. 1t only
needs that they should be pushed forward
INTO deep water, without cork, and, after
struggling for few moments, they soon find
heir element. The most hard listed, Draw
~ labOrer sometimes turns out in public
to be fluent and effective orator.
He is filled with q certain creative heat
which, perhaps, comes to him only once in
lis life. Whenever there is grand eloquence
here is great accumulation of heat, which
Expands all the faculties into power. Every
nan may have that experience once. Those
whom we admire, the great orators, have
ONE habit of heat, or q certain control of
t, as ii their hand was on the organ stop,
md they could use it temporarily, and now
ct it on in it's full power. recollect that
Jennie Lind, when in this country, COM
'lained OF the halls, that they did rot give
Ter room enough for her voice, and she ex-
llted in an opportunity given her in great
alls. She even sometimes sang in halls
bove railroad depots. 1t is SO with
nen with this talent. They sometimes
md themselves cold while in private
ompany and pressed for words, but
i've them q commanding occasion,
nd they surprise by new and unlooked.for
overs. Before they were out OF place and
nfit as cannon in q parlor. To be sure.
here are specialties in this art. A good
dice has charm in speech as in song.
ometimes itself chains attention, indica-
ing rare sensibility, especially when
rained we'll, in all its powers. The voice
peaker's mind. Many people have no ear
3r music, but every one has an ear for
killful reading. Every one of us has at
ome time been victim of we'll trained
dice, perhaps been repealed once for all by
harsh, indicate speaker. The voice, IN
eed, is SO delicate, and indicates the state
mind so infinitely, that have heard an
minent preacher say that he learns from
ne first tones of his voice on Sunday morn
x whether he is to have successful day.
singer cares little for the words of a
ing. good singer will make any words
lorious. The same holds with the orator.
call bin In church a good reader who
IN weave poetry into any hymn in the
ymn book, thing which any orator can
But all this is the gymnastics, the edu-
.tlon OF eloquence, and not elOquence it.
III. 1t Is said that one of the best orators
his time was the late President John
uincy Adams. have heard that no man
.uld read the Bible with such powerful
feet as he. can easily believe it, though
never heard him speak but twice, and
len IN his old age, when his fine voice was
ucn broken, but the words he could
hat power might have been belonging to
In earlier manhood. If indignation
axes good verses, as Horace saws. It ia not
IS true that good indignation makes an
xcellent speech. In the early DAYS of this
an, some Of the audience will recall. Mr.,
dams was drawn while Senator
D.. was appointed professor of rhe-
TIC or Oratory in Harvard Col
ge. When he read his first lecture
lard him with delight but the hall was
DIVIDED with professors and by unusual
sltors. remember when entered COL
&c hearing of the coaches in which in
at Old Tune his friends came out from
oston to hear him. While still professor
was electe to the United States Senate
"a while there took such a course in the
dates OF that session as astonished and
ieved his friends in Boston. When on his
turn rom washington he resumed his
cures at Cambridge. his class attended
It the coaches from Boston did not come
a indeed many Of his past friends desert.
nun. In loV9 he was appointed minister
nussia. and resigned his charge at the
niverslty: His last lecture contains some