Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-15
THE POWER OF EpoQUENCE.
some OF the Marvels OF Oratory I'm An
cient and Modern Times.

Prom the Gen,lemAn's Masuzine
There is no gift 30 rare as that OF oratorv,
and Philip Of Mscedon did not estimate its
power whit too highly when he offered a
town Of 10000 inhabitants for one orator.
Where we can enumerate a long list OF masters
in every other art, we can count on our fingers
those who attained the highest success in pub
lie speaking. Greece can boast her three great
dramatic poets, besides her epic; but the man
tie Of Demosthenes lies where il fell. In like
manner Roman oratory, which is upheld by
Cicero alone. IL Is the orator who in
all ages has revolutionized the world
Demosthenes with his burning eloquence
reused the Athenian populace 20 rise
in arms against Philip; and the tyrant himself
bore an eloquent tribute 20 the influence Of the
great orator, for he said: Had been there he
would have persuaded me 70 take up arms
against myself" This-or what was equal 20
twas actually accomplished by Cicero. who
not only COMPOUNDED Cataline and silenced
Hortensius, but made the trembling Cesar
acquit the man he had determined to condemn.
With the great enchanters Of speech the same
experience occurs frequently. For half an
hour, said Warren Hastings in describing his
trial, Il looked up at the orator (Buri8) in .
revery OF wonder, and actually felt myself 20
be the most culpable man on earth"
man who has left 10 history but the simple
name OF Peter the Hermit reused thousands
kings and people-to engage in the crusades;
and two centuries later arose the
Solitary monk that shook the world.
to quote Montgomery line. referring 10 Luther.
Later still, and history was made by the defiant
tones Of the French Demosthenes, Mirabeau,
as he cried to the messenger OF the king,
''Slaye, go tell your master that we are here by
the will of the people, and that we will depart
only at the point OF the bayonetr' But for this
defiant interposition, the spirit Of the Tiers
Etat would have been broken, the national as
sembly would have been dispersed and the des-
potism would have continued 10 exercise its
fell sway.
AN ORATOR MADE. NOT BORN.
1t is encouraging 10 young speakers TO know
that there never has been, and never will be,
such thing as a born orator." There has
never vet been an instance of an orator becom-
ing famous who did not apply himself assidu-
ously to the cultivation of his art Many even
had TO overcome great physical infirmities
that rendered it almost hopeless for them 20
adopt the career of public speaker The best
known instance is that of Demosthenes who
passed some months in a subterranean cell,
shaving one side of his head so that he could
not appear in public. He there practiced with
pebbles in his mouth TO overcome a defect in
his speech and gesticulated beneath a sus-
pended sword to rid himself of an ungraceful
movement of the shoulder. Even then he was
Kissed from the bema in his early efforts but
he perseyered-the world knows with what sue
cess. When Robert Walpole first spoke in the
house he paused for want of words and con-
tnued only to stutter and stamnIer.
Curran was known at school as s'stuttering
Jack Curran, and in a debating society which
he Joined, as .'Orator Num-" Every one will
also readily recall Disraelis failure when he
rose to make his maiden speech. Cobden's first
effort was also a humiliating failure
But one should not conclude from these in
stances that every speaker who breaks down is
sure to blossom into fame subsequently. We
have been quoting the exceptions to the gen.
eral rule More frequently speakers mishaps
are like that of the earl of Rochester. My
lords" said he, on one occasion. "-I-I-I rise
this time, my lords. Ill divide nv dis
course into four branches" Here he came to
woeful pause; and then he added: MY lords,
If ever L rise again in this house, / give YOU
leave to cut me off root and branch forever"
NERVOUSNESS OF SPEAKERS.
Many of the best orators have, even to their
latest efforts, felt tremor on rising TO speak.
Erskine said that on his rising to plead for the
first time he should have sat down in confu-
sion had he not felt his children Juggling at his
gown. The earl of Derby, ';the Rupert of de-
bate, always knew when he was going to
| speak well by his nervousness on rising. This
was also a characteristic of Canning. At q
dinner given by the mayor of Liverpool he
was so nervous before being called on to speak
that he had twice to leave the room TO collect
| his thoughts.
This may have been. however. owing to the
comparative novelty of his position. Many an
orator outside his accustomed haunts is COM
pletely lost. Lord Eldon said he was always
somewhat nervous in speaking at the Gold
| smiths dinner though he could talk before
parliament as though he were addressing so
! many rows sof cabbage plants. Mr.. Gordon.
| speaking of Lord John Russell, said: ION the
boards of the house of commons Johnny is
one of the most subtle and dangerous of oppo-
nents; take him off these boards and / care
nothing for him." To few was il given as TO
O'Connell to succeed equally with all audiences.
| Before he entered the house he was declared
to be mere mob orator. but in 1880 he
was returned, and in 1881 he was recognized as
a leader. Whether in swaying a multitude ON
hillside, appealing to the more educated as
sembly in parliament or in persuading Jury
in a court house, he was equally at home.
PERSONAL. INFLUENCE on AN AUDIENCE.
Richard Lalor Shell was called the .'silver-
tongued" because of the magical influence he
exerted over the Irish people; but this was in
spite of diminutive stature, an ungraceful
action, and harsh voice that sometimes rose
into positive shrek. No doubt il was the
| earnestness and sincerity of the speaker that
appealed to the hearts of their listeners and
made them gauge the effect by their sympa-
| thies. The earnest speaker who has at heart
the cause he advocates will always stand a far
| greater chance than he who relies on his mere
/
"A fine speech is fine thing" said 0'Con-
| nell. but the verdict is the thing" This is Q
maxim which will be found lying at the root Of
| every reputation made by an orator. People
will always judge by effect and not by temper.
| airy sensations.
The orator secures but poor success who
makes people exclaim, 'What fine speechr'
but he is entirely successful who persuades
them to his thinking. This is what Fenelou
meant in his Dialogues of the Dead when
he represents Demosthenes as saying to Cicero,
Thou madest people say, How well he speaks,
but made them say, Let us march against
| Philip" That an orator will create no inn
preston who does not seem TO feel his words
\ is a certainty. The languid manner of Marcus
Callidius in accusing one of an attempt TO poi
son him was urged by Cicero as an argument in
/ proof of the falsity of the charge.
| HumOring HypochOndriacs.
| From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat
So many people are hypochondriacs that Z