New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-25
an attitude In which It could not by any posi-
billy be united
THE POWER or WORDS.

The picturesque rhetoric so common I'm the
| South n generation ago has not yet wholly
passed into dlsuse though I'm the larger centres
OF life it is becoming more rare. II is, of course,
ont OF harmony with the spirit and temper OF
the age. and when II Is employed II Is likely to
provoke good natured rdcule. Yet il would
not be hard 10 show that II served a useful pur
pose in its day In time when the everyday
life Of the people dull prosaic and I'M
eventful the rounded periods Of the orator
touched the Imagination. Such oratory, too
suggested a world Of literature. and, more es-
pecally, of history and poetry. that must have
hardened the half formed resolve of many
nearer 10 enter and explore that world himself
In fact, in the rural South and West Of the
last generation the orator was a sort Of educa-
tor without intending It, occupying the place
now held by the magazines and the newspa-
pers
All this should he remembered in Justice 10
fashion Of speech that Is passing away. even
when we are forced to smile AZ what must seem
10 us It's extravagant lack Of perspective. That
there Is still some liking for this mode or
speech In some parts Of the South Is known 10
every one who observes Southern journalism.
"The Literary Gazette" which has recently
been started in Nashville. Tenn. furnishes some
good illustrations Of this hyperbollcal style.
Let no martial foe exclaims the editor 'ren-
der the presumption that there is not enough
push. energy and brains in a Southern man to
make this work a success" But even more
characteristic Of the style 10 which we refer IS
the following warm euogy OF the South:
The surrendered but unconquerable Southern
er fought, bled and died In justice to himself;
his home and his sunny land. TWO thousand
years ago the warliSe Greeks were the most IN
telllgent race extant. To-day the South
amable IN peace. ferocious in warts the bright
est star IN the galaxy of nations. before the
radlac scintilatlons OF whose intellectual splen,
dor the transient meteors Of other nations am
climes vanish as thin mist from the mountain
top before the virgin blush Of the rosy morn, as
the rising sun peeps over the gilded sumnlls OF
the eastern hills. 10 awaken slumherinS natuT"
and chase the intruding stars 10 their respective
homes. our sphere Is unboundedi for Whel
you attempt to limit Southern intelligence You
fling cord around all space. You go out TAR
beyond the sun. moon and stars, ana penetrate
the unknown region beyond
Some student Of anthropology has yentured
the prediction that in the future the human
race will get along comfortably without speech.
Men Will manage TO communicate with each
other through the scientific development Of
what is known as telepathy. But. as ne adds
that this state Of affairs won't exist until about
OF this eulogy need not fear that the mania for
science will make him feel himself back mum
Der. We doubt much if speeches. language
would be popular even If it were possible now.
The old lady who loved her pastor because he
pronounced "Mesopotamia" with such thrilling
JUNCTION is by no means unique Most people love
to hear large. mouth filing language. If Ma
poleon in Egypt had simply remarked. men,
want you to fight hard instead Of asking
them TO remember that forty centuries looked
down on them from the pyramids we are sure
that the effect on the men would have been far
less thrilling The old Eastern monarchs knew
full we'll the value Of tall language. and in fact
We NAV say the same Of modern mOnarchs gen
orally. The proclamations Of the kings Of an
Gent BabyIonia, Nneveh and Egypt recently
unearthed. are full Of Obvious hyperbolical OK
travagances. But there is little doubt that
these procamations, as a rule went win the
people. When modern Oriental monarch con
sumes three hundred words Of four hundred
word proclamation In enumerating his titles. It
Is n superficial view Of the case to say that he
Is exhibiting his vanity Rather he is exhibiting
his thorough knowledge NJ human nature: for
the people who are 10 read the proclamation are
profoundly affected by IT'S grandiose features.
and were he 10 address them In the familiar
stvle of a chairman Of an American mass meet
ing they would soon begin 10 doubt his divine
right IN rule Even the phlcgmatic races of the
North are affected by words much more than
tbov SUSPECT and this Will continue 10 be the
case until the prediction Of the teepathic age
which we have quoted is made good in fact
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