The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. II., No. 4, March, 1836Various
History
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. II., No. 4, March, 1836
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
It is not to be supposed, that under such circumstances they would
ever approach their subject without a most careful consideration of
its nature and consequences, or that they would fail to study the
means of recommending themselves and their plans to popular favor.
Indeed it would naturally be expected that in the effort to persuade
the will of those upon whom they were operating, into a concurrence
with their own, they would scarcely place in competition with that
object the desire to write an oration to be admired by posterity. We
should look to find then a more attentive observance of the modes of
influencing the human heart and reason, than amongst the modern
speakers who were moved by none of their fears. A comparison of the
ancient with the modern orators would fully prove the fact, but as we
cannot of course enter into that comparison here, and deserve no
thanks from the reader for inviting his attention to it, we would
advert to the fact that these are the only real statesmen whose
orations have had an interest for a remote posterity. From which the
conclusion is fair, that of all speeches accessible to the reader,
these are the most valuable for acquiring the means of influencing
men, since no other orations of successful orators remain in an
agreeable form. Who reads the speeches of any of the modern orators
who have been statesmen at the same time, and who succeeded in
impressing their views upon the public mind. No one reads the
speeches of Walpole, Chatham, and Fox, the real orator statesmen of
England, whilst Burke's orations, which invariably dispersed his
audience, are familiar to almost every reader of the English
language. The most distinguished orator and statesman that France has
produced was Mirabeau; the most successful in America were Henry and
Randolph. Yet what orations have they left behind them which are
indicative of the real genius of those master minds? The modern
speeches which are held up as models, are those which failed to
effect the end of their delivery, and even if pleasing in point of
style and composition, they must have been very feeble as orations.
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