The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-16
English 0ratory.

kpeec0-lakl0C was IndTkcu DY eldOOT-
alton, artistic grouping of words and
effort, after the style of Johnson, to give
TO the sentences both rhythm and
resonance. An advocate of liberal
measures desired that the people should
be redeemed, regenerated and Olsen
thralled by the irresistible genius of
universal emancipation" The pulpit
was marked by the same character
istics. Sentences did not grow; they
were built reconstructed. l once
heard Lord Brougham speak for more
than two hours. He retained enough
of the departing style constantly to
recall it, but on that occasion. at least,
he had much of the simplicity and
directness adapted to didactic purposes.
The stately method may now be
deemed obsolete. The men do not
make speeches. They speak. Even
where using notes or full manuscript
there is the directnesS OF conversation,
of good newspaper LEADER rather
than the dignified and periphrastic pro-
lixity of former days. had 4 recent
opportunity o-note the characteristics
of !. number of prominent EngliShmen,
ali conscious that they not only spoke
to the crowd that filed the Guildhall--
noble assembly room in the city of
London-but to the English people.
The occasion was the jubilee of the
British emancipation of negro slaves,
and the foremost men of England APP
peared and threw rs much energy Is it
is .'in good form" in England to do
into their addresses.
The Prince of Wales-whO, by the
way, was received with good deal of
that English cheering" which consists
Of the rapid repetition of YAH Yah.'
standing for Hear! HearD presided,
and gave quite heightened speech
for a prince. 1t was carefully written
by whom L do not pretend to know
but was in good taste, in keeping with
his position, and marked by generous
appreciation of the good in other ma
tiOns, while modestly assuming. of
course. that Great Britain is the leader
of civilization. The illusions to the
United States were courteous, cordial
and Gignified, as, indeed. were those
of all the speakers. His royal highness
has very good voice, pleasant
enough manner, and-which is not
true of all Londoners-SpeakS English
intelligiDly. He was the only one to
.read, and, indeed, the only one to enter
into the history of the struggle. and
thus very appropriately introduced the
speakers. 1t was impossible to forget,
while noting the respectful attention
with which he was heard, the enor-
nous influence such man may WELD;
and it is pleasant to say to the readers
of the LedGcr that the future king of
England stands we'll in the metropolis,
and that the gOssiping stories regard
inc him to which we are treated, find
no credence in London. ''YOu get
.hem through adventurous actresses, ="
said an intelligent Englishman.
Earl Granville has been long in the
public service and is well entitled to be
heard by English people. Standing
upright, almost mOtionlesS, with hardly
an approach to gesture, and speaking
slowly, one has in him 4 good repre-
sentative of the .'eloquence" of the
House of Lords. Reporters must find
such speakers pleasant. There is no
difficulty in getting every word. The
least approach to any display of feeling
was received with the inevitable ''yah,
YAH" but such speech in New York,
for such an occasion, would have been
deemed intolerably tame. Neither
smile nor tear would it call forth. and
a Boston audience would have been rs
uEmoved by it as q company OF heather
gods.
More animated and elastic Sir Stat
ford NorthcOte interested the people,
but the same general tone of dignified
dizziness constantly raised the question,
Do these noblemen and gentlemen
show no more fire when appealing to a
constituency or laboring for a party
vote?
The Archbishop of Canterbury might
pass for al American minister of TWEEN
ty years ago, when it was the correct
thing to keep pretty long hair to be
brushed behind the ears and down TO
the coat-collar. He threw new elo
ment into the meeting by saying that
the resolution to which they were all
speaking indicated the subject of their
gratitude, namely, the emancipation at
a cost of twenty millions of British
money; but he hoped he would be par
doned by his royal highness and the
distinguished preceding speakers and
that great audience, il he reminded
them OF the object of their gratitude,
namely, the Divine Being. Consider
ing how innocent this proceeding was,
and that he is archbishop. one did not
see how any one could reasonably take
offence. Of course, he spoke in the
81 fntA inh .l-c
the average English clergyman, which
is little countenanced by effective speak.
ers like Canon Liddon, and is cOnspic-
nous by its absence from the utteranceS
of such men as John Bright and Charles
II. Sturgeon.
Next to his royal highness, the Earl
of Derby appeared to have most of the
favor of the meetinc, if one is to Judge
by the fervor of the Yah! yahm His
| history is remarkable. The son of a
great Tory, he is unpopular Liberal. 1t
was one of his fathers jokes that his
son had never had time to 10 Ok into his
Homer; he was too busy in the study of
blue books. Imagine well-to-do En-
glish farmer, in his Sunday clothes. set
up to repeat something he had care
fully learned by heart, and you have
no bad idea of Lord Derby, who speaks
IS if his mouth were too small for his
tongue, but who is undoubtedly mo st
painstaking master of details. The dis
regard of elegance of attire in the
| speakers was quite noticeable, and
many of the noble ladies present must
have wished for the better adjustment
of one nobleman'S necktie. TWAS .'pos-
itively shocking beside the high, Still,
roundabout, ,coat-Of-mail collar in
which the Prince of Wales gives the
cue to our young men. Elocution and
appearance of dress are both disre.