The Mena weekly star., 1912-05-23

When any nation is struggling
under oppression, or the ship of
state is being tossed by a political
tempest. man OF genius always
steps TO the helm and holds the
Balance of Power" His great
strength does not lie in his ability
TO control an army nor the fear
with which he is held; but in the
inspiration of his words and in per-
suasive powers. Perhaps there is no
one who has greater influence upon
people than man with a great
wealth Of language and the skill Of
Tits use.
When Demostheues made his
orations against Philip of Mace
donna. il was the first time the force
of oratory was felt The energy of
| his wonderful eloquenee had such
an effect that for the first time in
the history of Greece, all her states
were united. Later on Demosthe-
mes rose to the heights of fame by
his orations on the Crown, and as
reward his name became syno-
nym of eloquence.
Oratory held high position as
long as the Roman empire existed.
1t was through the eloquence of
Cato that the Third pumic war was
fought and Carthage was swept
from the face of the earth. Its
controlling influence was felt when
Spartacus, the Greek slave, made
his address to the Greek gladiators,
resulting in death blow to the ty-
ranny of Rome. Its effect was
beautifully illustrated in the words
of Mark Antony over the body of
his friend Caesar. The people had
almost become reconciled to the
assassins, when their very souls
were stirred by this power of elo-
duence. The feeling was SO in
tense that the whole city demanded
revenge. Brutus was driven out OF
Italy and finally destroyed.
The next outburst of oratory oc-
Cured in the eleventh century,
when Pope Urban was trying to
persuade the people to join the
Crusaders. After his memorable
speech in Clermont. France, the one
cry of that great throng of listen
efS Was, Ltt 10 l'ucehi bi' hVis
Land"
In the reign of George III, Eng
land produced her greatest orator,
William Pitt. 1t was through the
influence Of his speeches that Brit
ish arms We're successful and the
French possessions in the New
World became English territory.
At the beginning of the revolu-
ton oratory received a great inn
pulse in this country. Patrick Hem
ry was the first who displayed to
the best advantage the art OF
speaking. A description Of the
scene in the Virginia convention
when that old patriot made his
famous address, well illustrated
the mighty force Of eloquence
When he began speaking his audi
ence was astonished at his wonder
| full wealth of word and thought. As
he went on from picture TO picture
| they leaned forward in their seats
scarcely daring TO breathe. Many
of them stole silently down the
aisle until they stood at the feet Oh
| the speaker. so irresistible was the
magnet that drew them.
In 1880 the Americans again fell
| the controlling effect of oratory
when Webster made his reply tC
Hayne. For hours his listeners sal
lin breathless silence, and when he
| had finished they turned wonder
ingly to each other, dlmly con-
scious of hearing one of those fam
| Gus speeches -landmarks in the
history of eloquence. The effect OF
fbfc opafion WAS Immediate and far
reaching. 1t gave fresh enthusiasm
to Websters party. 1t was used by
Lincoln and others as sufficient ar
gument for the preservation OF the
union; and is now considered one OF
the worlds greatest masterpieces.
1t is usually in time OF war or
some internal disturbance that or
ators are produced, but America
has given birth TO one in time OF
peace. when there was scarcely any
agitation whatever. The first time
| he came into public notice was in
1896. when he made a stirring
speech in Chicago, resulting in his
| Immediate nomination for pFesi-
dent. His name is frequently men
| toned in the newspapers. and may
| in the near future be brought for
chilly before the American people
lThe character mentioned is Viii
liam Jennings Bryan. Perhaps i
would take volumes to tell all this
man has done, and may yet do, fol-
| the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the United
| States. controlling as he does this
great power, oratory.