Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-27

'"rhe grand old days Of oratory are
gone forever" Hon william Dough-
erty. OF Philadelphia. said this about
fifty years ago In his lecture on Ora
tors and oratory." The silyer-tongued
orator himself WAS an argument
against he statement which he made.
Eloquence, In style and form, has
undergone great changes since the
days OF Daniel Webster and Henry
Clay and Charles Sumner. but II Is
still a potent factor In the affairs OF
the world George Herbert defined II
as that which informs and inflames'
and Phillips Brooks said that II was
"a good man speaking we'll"
The prophet OF the olden Time Is
conspicuous by his absence. Usually
he has appeared In n crisis. as Patrick
Henry did IN Virginia, or SAvonarola
when contendlng with Lorenzo the
Magnificent and Pope Alexander vi.
not 20 mention the Hebrew prophets
who were voices of the infinite.
Prophecy means a "bubbllnF up" like
n spring gushing up through rock and
sand and soil. and overlooking Just
ns Patrick Henry ala in his famous
outburst Of patriotism. Tolstoy was
a good deal OF a prophet. Not that he
made predictions but he interpreted
the times. A prophet Is a seer, a re-
vealer of the events of the hour, and
IN associated usually with elopuence.
He has appeared In wars and revou-
tions and tumuIts, and his absence
just now In the European war Is sig
nlficant
Modern Eioquencc.
Since Mr.. Dougherty delivered his
lecture on the lycenm platforms of
tho east orators have spoken with
what may be called real eloqucnce.
Henry Grady made his famous speech
on the NEW SOUTH" which for inn
agination dictlon and thought will
live long Lincolns Gettysburg speech
was scarcely appreciated in the days
OF Mr.. Dougherty, but now II stands
first In classic cloquepce. Mr. Bry-
ans famous speech before the Chlca-
20 nominating convention showed
something OF tho old fire which
flashed In the days Of our earlier ora
tors. Colonel Robert G. Ingersol IL
lustrnted the best standards of popu-
lar orntoty in speeches that were not
phllippics against his
theological opponents. Wendell Phil
lips. In some respects the most perfect
orator America has produced, may be
called the Demosthenes of the Ameri-
can platform. unless we make an .cx-
ception In favor Of Sergeant $. Prem
tiss.
There has ilist been dedicated IN
Brooklyn. n. y. memorial 10 Henry
Ward Heecher. Beecher's name Is
Of n style OF speech
which. as Mr., Dongherty mid, has
passed away. Heccher was not the
greatest preacher in the American
pulpit. but he was the greatest ora
tor. His addresses before the excited
crowds of Manchester. Liverpool, Lon
don and other English cities In de-
Tense of tho union cause. have never
been equaled on either side of the At
lantic in the immediate effect pro-
duced. They involved extraordinary |
versatility, cool Judgment. great cour- |
age and a mastery OF situations which |
would have defeated most men. His
address read at Fort Sumter after the |
war and the memorial Grafton on |
are masterpieces Of stately |
Speaking of clerRymen am re-
of three Of Beeeher's contem- |
pOraries. The first was DR.. Richard |
s. Storrs. of the Church of the Pill |
grlms. Brooklyn. DIR. storrs would /
have been at home In Athens or the |
Forum Of Rome IN the old days of |
Demosthenes and Cicero. so graceful |
was his style. and so perfect his die /
tion. Quite in contrast to him was