The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-25
ALL ABOUT ORATORY.
BILL NYE SAYS THAT DEMosTHENEs
RESEMBLED HIM.
The Duties of Great Orators-Patrick
Henry's Language and its Re
suIts-sOme Big Times
in Old Athens.
IOripinal1

[originaLl
Twenty centuries ago last Christmas there
was born in Attica near Athens, the father Of
oratorJ, the greatest orator Of whom history
has told US. His name was Demosthenes.
Had he lived until this spring he would have
been 2,270 years old but he did not live. De-
mosthenes has crossed the mysterious river.
he has gone TO that bourne whence no trav-
eler returns
Most Of you, no doubt, have heard about
it. On those who may not have heard it,
the announcement will fall with sickening
thud.
This sketch is not intended to cast gloom
over your hearts. 1t was designed to cheer
those who read it and make them glad they
could read.
Therefore would have been glad if could
have spared them the pain which this sudden
breaking of the news of the death of Demos
themes will bring. But it could not be
avoided. We should remember the transi-
tory nature of life, and when we are tempted
to boast of our health and strength and
wealth, let US remember the sudden and
early death of Demosthenes.
Demosthenes was not born an orator. He
struggled hard and failed many times He
was homely and he stammered in his speech,
but before his death they came to him for
hundreds of miles to get him TO open their
county fairs and jerk the bird of freedom
bald headed on the Fourth of July.
When Demosthenes' father died he left fif-
teen talents TO be divided between Demosthe-
mes and his sister. A talent is equal to about
$1,000. I often wish that had been born q
little more talented
Demothenes had a short breath, hesitat-
ing speech, and his manners were very IN
graceful. To remedy his stammering he
filed his mouth full of pebbles and howled
his sentiments at the angry sea However,
Plutarch says that Demosthenes made
gloomy fizzle of his first speech. This did not
discourage HIM. He finally became the
smoothest orator in that country, and it was
no uncommon thing for him to fill the First
Baptist church of Athens full. There are now
sixty Of his orations extant, part of them writ
ten by Demosthenes and part of them written
by his private secretary.
When he started in, he was gentle, mild
and quiet In his manner; but later on, carry
ing his audience with him, he at last became
enthusiastic. He Numbered, he roared, he
whooped, he howled, he Jared the windows,
he sawed the air, he split the horizon with his
clarion notes, he tipped over the table, kicked
the big base viol over the chief fiddlers head.
- Oh, Demosthenes was business when he got
started It win be a long time before we see
another off-hand speaker like Demosthenes,
and for one have never been the same man
q since learned of his death.
"Sueh was the first of orators," says Lord
Brougham cat the head of all the mighty
8 masters of speech, the alteration of ages has
consscrated his place, and the loss of the noble
instrument with which he forged and
launched his thunders is sure to maintain it
rnapproachable forever
have always been great admirer of the
oratory of Demosthenes, and those who have
heard both Of us think there is a certain de-
gree of similarity in our style.
.~-A not only did admire Demosthenes as
y, but as a man, and though am no
w. Ut feel as though would be will
ing to 4 subscription list for the purpose
Of doink e square thing by his Borrowing
wife If she ) left in want, as I understand
that sheis.
must now leave Demosthenes and pass on
rapidly to speak of Patrick Henry. Mr..
Henry was the man who wanted liberty or
death He preferred liberty though. If he
couldn't have liberty he wanted to die, but he
was in no great rush about it. He would
like liberty if there was plenty of it, but If
the British had no liberty tospare he yearned
for death. When the tyrant asked him what
style of death he wanted he said that he
would rather die of extreme old age. He was
willing to wait, he said. He didn't want TO
20 unprepared, and he thought it would take
him eighty or ninety years more to prepare,
so that when he was ushered into another
world he wouldn't be ashamed of himself
One hundred and ten years ago Patrick
Henry said: 'Sir, our chains are forged.
Their clanking may be heard on the plains of
Boston. The war is inevitable, and let it
come repeat it, sir, let it comeT'
In the spring of 1860 1 used almost the same
language. So did Horace Greeley. There
were four or five of us who got our heads to-
esther and decided that the war was inevita-
bic and consented to let it come.
Then it came. Whenever there is large
inevitable conflict loafing around waiting for
permission to come it devOlves on the great
statesman and bald-headed Iiterdti of the
nation to avoid all delay. 1t was so with
Patrick Henry. He permitted the land to be
deluged in gore, and then he retired. 1t is
the duty of the great orator to howl for war
and then hold some other mans coat while he
fights. BILL NYE.
HUDSON, Wis, March g.