The Irish standard., 1899-11-25

VI the nTSt OF tneSe eagle llSHlS Oh
genius, which occupied five hours and
half, no record has been preserved.
1t is enough to say that it was by uni
versal concession one Of the most
dazzling and powerful efforts OF oratory
in all modern times. No parallel can
be cited during the entire Christian era
comparable to the effect produced in the
House OF Commons by this famous
harangue upon the fourth charge
against Hastings. A signal proof OF its
power was that the House deemed it
necessary to adjourn without taking a
vote in order to give the astonished
members time to collect their reason
and recover from the dazzling enchant-
ment and excitement they had under
gone. We have the testimony of many
who we're present that he seemed to
hold the House in the hollow Of his
hand. He sent thrill alter thrill Of
sentiment and emotion vibrating and
pulsating to the scnsiblities OF his
hearers, as ii their very heart-strings
were held in the grasp OF his trembling
fingers, and his audience followed him
as the mighty ocean tide follows the
pathway OF the Moon In the very front
rank OF the many brilliant orators whom
Ireland has produced stands Henry
Grattan.
mo British orator. says Mr.. Lecky
except Chatham, had an equal power
OF firing an educated audience with in
tense enthusiasm, or OF anima,ing and
inspiring a nation" His element was
grandeur, there was life in his very
touch. Brilliant, imprisoned ardor pre-
enincntly distinguished the oratory OF
Grattan, and impressed the reader OF his
speeches even more perhaps than his
profound knowledge, his consummate
art. beautiful imagery, ard his exquisite
diction. The blaze, rapdity and pene-
tTaton OF his oratory struck all who
heard him. He poured out his argu-
ments like shower OF arrows but they
were arrows tipped with fire. He was
superb in crushing invcctive, in tcrse,
luminous statement. in severe argument
and biting sarcasm What an amount
OF feeling is conveyed in that sentence
iii which he speaks OF his efforts to
establish freedom oil the Irish Parlia-
ment: Il watched by its cradle, | iol-
lowed its hcarsc' What can be finer
than the close OF his great speech in
1850 on moving a declaration OF Irish
rights: Il have no ambition unless it
be to break your chain and to contcm-
plate your glory. will never be salts
fed SO long as the mcanest cottager in
Ireland has Il link OF the British chain
clanking to his rags. He may be naked.
he shall not be in irons. and do see
the time is at hand, the spirit has gone
forth; the declaration OF right is plant
ed; and though great men should TALL
off, yet the cause shall live; and though
the public speaker should die, yet the
immortal fire shall ou,last the humble
organ who conveys it, and the breath OF
liberty like the word oil prophet, will
rot die with him. but survive HIM"
The speech from which this pcroration
is taken is perhaps the finest effort oil
Grattans genius. Nothing equal to ii
had ever been heard in Ireland Other
speeches on this same subject may have
matched it i'll argument, but in startling
energy and splcndor OF style and dictioa
it surpassed them all.
In his speech on the downfall ol
Bonaparte, he dcnounccs the tyranny OF
Napoleon as IAN experiment to univer-
salize throughout Europe the dominion
OF the sword; to relax all moral and
religious influences; to set heaven and
God Almighty a tolerated alien in his
own creation
One OF his most electric speeches was
delivered when he was feeble from age
and disease. In ii occurs this memoir
able passage: Yet | 90 not give up
my country. | see her in swoon, but
she is not dead Though in her tomb
she lies helpless and motionlcss. still
there is on her lips the spirit of life.
and on her check glow OF beauty"
Among the popular orators OF Europe
il would not be possible to name an
other who ruled the stormy passions OF
the mob with SO absolute a sway as
was exercised by that giant and athlete
OF the tribunal.
John phiipot Curran. born about the
middle oil the eighteenth century, was
approaching the zcnitl, OF his power at
the time the great revolution was con-
vulsing France. He was an orator in
every sense OF the word, though he
docs not rank with Burke or Sheridan
His wit was so kccn-cdgcd and his
hunor so rich and inexha1stble that
he is remembered Tor them even more
than Tor the pathos with which he
melted his countrymen, and the lava OF
invective which he poured out upon
the authors OF their wrongs. Is there
to be found figure OF speech more
startling than that OF Curran's when he
,declaims against the spies brought by
England to assist in convictions from
the various prisons where they had been
confined? "Thosc catacombs OF living