Morning journal and courier., 1885-04-17

Rev. pr. William M. Taylor Of New
 York Lectures Before Many Coming
 Preaehers-He Talks on s'The Es-
 sentials Of Eloquence."
 Dr. William M. Taylor, of New York, lectured in the Marquand chapel yesterday afternoon upon "The Essentials of Flo quence." Eloquence is the utterance of con- victions or emotions in such a way as to pro- duce corresponding convictions or emotions in others. It existed long before it could be analysed or rules could be found for its ex- ercise. There were orators even before it could be made subject of study. Judah knew nothing of logic or rhetoric, yet he pleaded with such pathos in his intercession for Benjamin that the heart of Joseph was moved We must not, however, suppose that analysis is not important, as 1t Is ln re- ality of great practical service. The essen tials of eloQuence are manner, matter and spirit. The first is the substance treated of; the second comprises style, illustration and all those elements included under rhetoric and the details which pertain to eloeution; the last is in the man himself and lifts the other two up for its own purposes and runs them into the mould of the occasion, 1t car ries enthusiasm, conviction and sympathy or all those who hear It is the most important of all the three essentials.
 The DTOOI or 8 Glluk 1S III 1b5 POW0A oAA we must seek for the essentials of eloquence in those powers which assist in the gaining of the object desired. The essentials are of value to the student of oratory when he uses them automatically, as matter ot course, let ting them shape themselves and flow sponta- neously In the matter and manner the stu dent must be trained thoroughly, for when he becomes lost in his purpose to carry con vction with him and thinks of himself in any form he begins to founder and to fail. We spell rightly if we spell automatically, but when we hesitate we always miss the word.
 Manner is to the matter powder IS to the shot, and the spirit is the spark that lgnltes the powder and sends the charge with resist less impact against the mark. Anatomy can not analyze eloquence; science cannot pro duce it; all that we can do is to foster, nour- ish and direct it. It is that in the man which sees the occasion for utterance and in spires him to that utterance. Eloquence in the orator corresponds to genius in the poet T.l origin both are special endowments from God. Where the gift exists it can be culti- vated, but it cannot be imparted. A genius for eloquence shows itself in the earliest years as IS we'll illustrated by Webster's cap tured woodchuck.
 Life must precede organization, but organ ization will not produce life. Training will not make the orator, but will only manipulate and utilize the latent genius.
 Good character is fundamental requisite for the orator. We can abstract the picture or statue from the artist, but we cannot sep arate the speaker from his words. The paint ing is judged work of art and stands on it's own merits, while the oration is judged by the character of the orator. If there are grounds for believing that the speaker is in sincere, there is no effect and the production is only admired as performance, not yielded to as force. The "accent of conviction" carries great power with it. In this way is shown the connection of ethics and logic with eloquence.
 Then, too, the cause must be worthy of exercise If the cause is great, the orator sees it and carries everyone with him on the full tide of his impassioned utterance. The orator evokes from his hearers that which was latent in them and makes the very dumb to speak.
 Every great war makes it's own generals. The eras of reformation and revolution are made illustrious by men whom they them selves have discovered and developed. These men forget themselves in their cause, and with the power of their own convictions raise their hearers to their own standpoint
 Orators must have positive conviction of the truth of the case and speak out that which cannot be repressed. These constitute the very germs of earnestness. If you have no settled conviction in regard to the matter in hand keep silent until you do have con victions Conviction is the most infectious of all things in the world; but wait for an earnest, sincere and deep conviction of the truth; then let it forth. The genius of elo quence will bear you on and speech will gather thunder as it runs and the spirit will give a vastness and power to the subject which cannot be resisted.
 The occasion is of itself sometimes elo- quent; the truth is seen and felt before the speaker opens his lips This feeling grows 1rin nd Yri fn fho sion, or rather the occasion raises him. If the audience is in sympathy it carries him on and stirs him up to higher flights; respon- siveness bears him up and he gets from the audience 'fin vapor what he pours back in flood" and the audience gives it back again with interest. If the audience is antagonis- tic the speaker watches his opportunity, struggles and gathers force, which he throws at them at the right time with power that is sure to win. By any audience the orator is stimulated to his highest possibilities
 The application of these principles to the pulpit is briefly summed up as follows: Make the most of early training; the time pose and speak automatically, but according to rule. Though this is a paradox it may be, and often is, true. Carry the spirit of the master and earnest conviction of the truth The end of a theological institu- tion is to fit young men to take the fullest possible advantages of the orato1ical oppor- tunities in future life and prepare them for any emergency. Go into the cause whole heartedly- It is the cause which above all others demands advocacy. America thirty years hence will be what the pulpits make it.
 If the cause is preached with all the gifts that are in the ministry; if they merge themselves entirely in the gospel and go for ward with the word of God, great will be the result. Preach the gospel not for what it will do for you, but for what it has done for you and will do for others. We are debtors to God, to Christ and to the church; to those who came before us, and to the land that will come after us. This afternoon Dr. Fay Tor will speak upon "The heroic spirit in the Christian ministry"