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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1877)
OH Arnions and Okatons. m;i clothed those arguments with such sub lime power, I apprehend came in the in spiration of the monn-nt. Had the grca statesman sat down in the silence of his own room to write out his argument, in all probability he never would have thought of that magnificent peroration, which has now became Ihe common prop, crty of every American citizen. It is bis countrymen whom lie beholds crowded before mx intensely interested that calls forth the exclamation, " when mine eyes shall behold for the last lime the sun in heaven, may they not see him shining on aland dissevered, discordant, belligerent." The orator speaks face to face with liv. ing intelligent beings, whom he can see moved to teats by his pathos, or forced to laugh at his witticisms, lie feels the importance and the responsibility of his position. A new impetus is given to bis thoughts, and his language must give apj and accurate expression to those thoughts. The orator has little time for searching out new or intricate things, and what be says must be said in a plain direct way that can be readily understood by all his bearers. Hence the orator does not deal with abstract subjects, but with topics of the day. His subject is common place and the subject of the people. Carefully written productions are very apt to be dry and uncntertaining when delivered as orations. The same may be said of speeches and orations, which, though they may have been considered good when deliverod, are generally found, afterwards to be vapid and commonplace when read in print. The speeches of Burke ami Chatham aptly illustrate this. Burke was an author before lie went into the House of Commons, and his speeches are rather the carefully prepared produc tions! the author than those of the ora tor. The consequence was, that, though his speeches were very readable, they were never very entertaining to his audi tors. Chatham's speeches, on the other hand, though they hie lad the finish and the polish which characterized .Burke's, were nevertheless attractive and wielded an influence over the members of the House of Commons which Burke's never did. Burke might make an impression outside of the House, but Chatham always made an impression in it. The orator must talk readily, think and act quickly and with boldness ami decision. He must have a good deal of tire, enthusiasm, and decision of character. The author may hesitate, change and question; the orator, never. He must make up his mind that he is in the right, and then assert a thing as a fact. But the author lias plenty of time for bringing out the best stores of the mind and for clothing them in accurate and graceful language. Ho must delve deep and bring up hid den stores and solid substances. No baste or superficiality can long be tolera ted in the author. The orator may cover up with bombast and graceful uppcarance some ignorance and not a few mistakes, but the author cannot long conceal either his ignorance or his mistakes ; hence, what he says must be said with great exactness. The successful orator, then, I would char acterize as the individual who can do a groat amount of work, got together u great number of ideas and arguments in a short time; while the successful author is the individual who can do most perfect and complete work by taking his' own time tor it. The works of the orator generally speaking do not long survive him; but the influence, which he exerts in society and over the thoughts of his fcllowmen may be most potent and far-reaching. The author, so far at least as his mind is con ceited, may live foi ages in his works lie may live in the hearts of after genera tions, though during his life he may even have been an outcast from society. He may inscribe his name on the hearts of millions of Ins fcllowmen, and with liis pun rear up for himself monuments of fame that shall stand long after himself aud the times in which lie wrote have past away. Ujiusl..
