Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-24
Patrick Henry as an Orator.

Patrick Henry rs an Orator.
But il is when viewed as an orator and
mouthpiece Of the revolution that We find
the chief secret of Patrick Henry's power,
and his strongest claim upon the remem-
brance of history. Patriot and statesman
he was, but other men OF the revolution
were as patriotic AS he, and other names
stand above his In the ranks of statesman.
| ship. But as an orator he stands supreme,
and lowers above all others. Here he
plays no secondary part. 4 know there
| were other great orators and speakers In
that struggle who richly deserve To rank
| with the best and greatest ever produced in
any land or age. There at its opening was
James Otis, whose speech In 1861 against
the writs OF assistance was pronounced q
| flame of fire; there, from New England,
also WAS John Adams, the great debater
| and colossus of the declaration on the
| floor Of the Congress of lS16; there
was the silver tongued Richard Henry
Lee, from has own Virginia, who was not
inapily or unworthily called the Cicero OF
| America; and there were Rutledge and
Pendleton and Mason, and score Of ora
| tors from all sections OF the country Ia
make up the great array. But SO i'm
( mensely did Patrick Henry surpass them
| all that their fame has been overshalowed
and dwaried by his colossal reputation,
and he seems 10 stand out alone on the
historic page.
We cannot analyze and criticise the
parts and powers of such al orator as he
| was. No lines or rules OF school or art
are adequate to bound or measure him.
Lesser orators can be largely made by
study, and can be judged by the rules and
standards OF their art. But the truly
| great orator is God-creaied and sent, and
is above all rules and criticism he sweeps
! all criticism away in a great rush and
! food OF nature, and men can only look
| up wonderingly 10 admire and adore.
| so il was eminently with Patrick
| Henry. lie was great prodigy Of natu
raj eloqucnce He knew absolutely moth.
| ing of cloquenee as an art; II Is probable
that he never looked AT single rule OF
rhetoric in his life What Daniel Web
ster has so well and wisely said of true
eloquence was peculiarly true of him.
| His eloquence did indeed come from the
man and the occasion, and was like the
outbreaking Of fountain from the earth,
or the bursting forth of volcanic fires with
spontaneous, original, native force" II
did not come from far. Neither labor
nor learning had toiled for IL, and its
conceptions swiftly outran all the deduc'
tons OF logic. Ii was great and sub.
lime force, heaven sent for the good OF
men Nor is this any wild exaggeratlon
of speech or panegyric. Happily We are
not left here 10 any vague tradition, for,
besides the concurrent testimony OF many
others, Jefferson, most competent au.
thority, who heard him often, has said
that she spoke rs Homer wrote, +" and
that his eloquence was sublime beyond
description" John Randolph, too, the
keen and eloquent Nirginian of the sue.
ceeding generation, who must have heard
him frequently In his youth, has lett the
striking and epigrammatic eulogy: lie
was Shakespeare and Garrick combined. "
| What more Ii needed on this point when
such judges exali his geaius to the height
Of Homer and Shakespeare
Coming closer 10 his style and method.
We see that Ii was distinguished for y
bold and rapid generalization and vivid
imagery; selling upon the strsng and sa-
lient points OF the subject with nm iron
logic and grasp. and illuminating II with
the splendid light of his Imagination. His
speeches were generally short. No audi.
ence could long endure such rapt aud
terrible tension. His personal presence
was in full keeping with the peculiar
] character OF his cioquence. The Tall,
spare form, the nervous lines CT his face,
the stern knit brows, the fiery and soul
penetrating eyes and the striking and ma.
jestic attitude-all these well comportcd
with the thrilling. aweinspiring and sub
| lime effect OF his speeches. But this
stern, severe man, 50 full OF lofty serious
ness and passionate fire, had IN his com.
position vein OF richest humor and could
| relax into passages OF such Infinite droiI.
cry and ridicule rs would set his audience
| Ina roar A notable instance OF tins was
| the oft.quoted speech 10 jury, alter the
| revolution where he so efteciually laughed
John Hook, the beef claimant, out OF
court. His voice, too, had an indescriba.
! BILE charm and power, and fingered and
| haunted the memory long after its won.
derful cmiences had died away upon
/ the ear.
Blu, he needed contact with his audience
! TO fire his genius and give this grace aud
| majesty 10 his person. Demosttenes, In
,he calm of his study, could light his
mind within, but Henry needed the great
| debate ard the high war Of words u wake
/ up MS itGullts w tiatit ihtit1A pi"g Jus.
az many great commanders have needed
the roar and thunder oil battle 10 bring out
their genius. SO, too, he was fired by the
danger Of the conflict. The true orator IL
always brave as we'll as honest, and no
! genuine eloquence ever yet came from The
| lips Of coward or a demagogue. Patrick
| Henry was as courageous and as real q
hero Of the revolution as Israel Putnam
or Anthony Wayne.-From Receh Zen
teanid Address, by Chariss b. Nay. at
| kalamazoo, Much.