Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-01-06


Stephens, Esqa
I have been asked by your committee
10 read a paper upon the influence o.
oratory in the nineteenth century
sbaIi conhnc myself TO b. iulucncc 90
tbe United States, as that affords a hsid
lar too broad TO be covered in the
limits allotted to this paper.
Emerson says, "Eiuqucncc IS the
,o,ger TO translate a truth into language
perfectly iuicihgiblc To those To whom
Won speak" a French philosopher says
IN ciduuencc. That the piodigias which
n often works iu the hands oi % single
man upon an entire nation, arc,pcfhaps'
tbc most shining testimony % me 81
pcrionty Of one man over another.
EMERSON also expresses similar opinion
whoa he says that cloqucncc is the ap.
propiatc organ OF the highest personal
energy, and in his essay ON cluqutncc
he SAYS that Courage is an Incl pen
mic attribute OF the orator There IS
NO true orator who b not hero. fiis
,uitudc on the platform requires that
be cuuntcrbalancc his auditory. lie -
challenger, and must answer all
romprs. The orator must ever stand
vitb forward loot. IN the attitude Of
,Jy5nrinr. Ills speech must be just
ahead OF the assembly, ahead OF tie
,.bYIc human race. ul it b. supc.lluuus.
II. srgrch ~ not 10 be distinguished
nom action; Il Is the electricity 1i action.
IL is action a. Co., gen rails Wu OF
command or chart of battle rs action.
Thc definition oi oIoqucucc familiar
TO every school boy given by Daniel
Webster in hts Grafton upon Jefferson
and Adams, probably expresses more
COMPLETELY than any ether that has ever
been given, tie attributes OF the
orator. but b. too familiar TO need qucs.
Matthews says that "Omiory, like
attire. Is fed by the msiUrtungs OF
society. lu element Is the whTiWinl
agd me storm, when society Is uphcaved
DO Us foundation, when the moral and
political darkness is thickesti u shines
iofth with the greatest splundor. As
ihe science Of medicine would De use
less among q people free from disease,
so n there were q Utopia Do the world
Tree from crimes and disturbances,
there would be NO demand for uTatory.
Athcuiau ofatory was 40 IT, height
when the Athcuian empire was no iis
lowest point Of degradation. Not ai
the time when Greece was achieving
H.r glorious victories. but when she was
ruled hy foreign dcp0t, did Demos
Henes herald iHc dawn of ana cluquuueg
r.yrr since surpassed. 10 was when the
Roman people were under q terrible
urprrssi1n tuat bfutu.. waving iht
bloody knife ul Luercul, burst forth in
tlthctefrh,c duuuuCIaupus SHAT aroused
tlr populcc 90 drive the Iatqun,
.fom Rome, and establish tie republic.
IL was fathers cries and prayers iul
vengeance. as he rushed from the dead
body Of Virginia, appealing TO h'
Dluntrymcu, that aroused the icgions %
tic ruscuIau camp to seize upon TIC
sacred mount, and achieve another free
dom.
So Il was when the spirits Of ih,
colonsts were CALLED by the unjust law'
Of George 10, that Patrick Henry CAV,
uttemnce to that speech never TO be for
gotten IN the history OF our cuun,rl
which so influenced his hearcr, tina
they rushed forth from the hall rc.ccho
nag his cry ui ITO arms, to armsN'
So twas again, in 1880, when Calhoun
and Hayuc were snbhing at Tie very lii'
Cl the nation with their speeches %
notification and secession, TINT We1ste
delivered his memorable effort in thI
HNNNAN VI ANiN AAlNHNhA HNAHANNNf NNA ANNNhN ~
Haync, universally conceded by dis
passionate historians MS having create
effect than any other upon tie dc,tin,
OF ibis nation. When dire necessity arises
Providence furnishes the remedy Z,
meet %.
10 s, however. believed 10y many, thai
oratory as q force in the destiny ~
nations. or TO influence the actions O
men for the time being, Is o thing of th
past II IS believed hy many yhat in th
pulpit, on the platform, before the court
or IN legislative halls oAtory has los
lbs power To- thrill the audience, sway th
Jury, or influence the passage OF lcgisla
tive cnactmcuts, To a great extent
this b. no doubt true. The presen
generation is cmincntly a Commercial
one. The people Of today are dcyotinl
ihcir energies 10 moncy.geiiing. Mos
men now would rather be am EdisoI
with million than Webster In debt,
In this latter part Of the nineteenth
century, the patentee Of qulck.sel.inl
invention stands better chance To vii
success, measured by our standard, thai
does the student who stores his mint
with the graudest utteances Of III
greatest speakers, and seeks to inspir
his iellow.men with patriotic tervor
Shrcwd manipulation gains the point
seeing the right man al the right time
keen foresight and shrewd tact Is max
ing arrangements with the leaders =,
various iUclions--docs more toward
getting the bill through Congress or th
legislature, than any imprisoned VI
tennce OF the political orator. Tn
question now Is, how will the bill,
passed. affect our pockets, or the vote
If our constituents not, how will
Affect our liberties or what moral eHeC
will Il haye1
Eloquencc addressed to minds an
hearts glowing with patriotic orrcligiou
enthusiasm is sublime, cloqueuce nd
dressed TO the pockctbook is ridicu
lous.
Following the civil war and recon
slruclion Of the southern states, came
long era Of commercial prosperity
which, with the exception OF occasioni
deprcssions like the present, IS likely I
continue for years 10 come. Facts an
figures now occupy the attention {
those who must work; and those VIII
are so rich that they are not compellc
To- work, are either IN pursuit OF pleasur
or devoted 70 the arts and belle
lcl,Tcs.
But DO not misunderstood me. ! d
not mean 10 say that lon this last quart,
of the century public speakers have u
influence. They have, but II Is Oh
I.lnf lusiuVga. lie Huggrh frnrniur. tptt