Newspaper Page Text
shy and ariflocrary, is in force meafurc 1
democratical; and Britain boasts a Chat
ham, a Pitt, a Fox and a Sheridan.
Kence we may infer that e’oqueuce has
Always been, and ever will be, a conco
mitant of lib'erty; rifcs as it rises and
falls as it falls. * v
rtssk ttsck on wWtfeds ofJfn-N
cient
and admiration ! but I am rapt in enthufi
afui,when I look forward and consider that it
wasreferved for cur country, my friends,
for America to put the finiftiing hand to
this sublime art —and tn produce to the
aftonilhed and applauding world a band of
• orators equal, if trot fapcrior, to any that
ever enobled the human character ! “ O!
44 ye that love mankind ! ye that dare
* oppose not only the tyranny, but the
“ tyrant, fland forth ! every spot of the
“ old world is over-run with opprefiion.
44 Freedom hath been hunted all round
u the globe. Alia and Africa have long
44 since expelled her.—Europe regards
44 her like a stranger, and England has
44 given her warning to depart*.’* It
has been thy happy lot, O my country, to
receive the lovely fugitive ! and her haud
maid, eloquence, will soon follow! In
this happy land no tyrant, to prevent his
own adions being held up to the abhor
rence, indignation and just vengeance of
his injured fubjeds, embarraffbs the press,
flops the channels of literature, or Teals the
lips of the orator. Genius has free Tcope;
and liberty fills the foul with sublime con
ceptions, impresses it with an idea of its
own importance, gives a noble turn to
its thoughts, impels it to brave and gene
rous actions as the true paths to honor aud
glory, and soon exalts it above every
thing mean, to the real splendor aud dig
nity of its nature.
Oratory has made a fdnfible progress in
America as the has advanced in the en
joyment of liberty. Have we not seen,
even while we were under British govern
ment, a Henry, an Adams and a Johnlon
rife fupenor in the councils of their coun
try ? And do we not now lee, in a King,
a Madison and a Piuckney the dawning of
Athenian and Roman eloquence ?
Various are the objeds and purpose? of
rhetoric : but the principal are confined
to the pulpit, the bar, the stage and the
senate. The eloquent freacber and the elo
quent lawyer have undoubtedly many and
great advantages over the uncouth and
alliterate ; notwithstanding eloquence, at
the bar t is so entangled in the trammels
of modern law and statute as to lose the
greatest part of its ancient force ; and the
ablurdityof modern custom, in thstruc
ture of pulpits and in reading instead of
Jpeaking sermons, has introduced a tire
some monotony instead of a proper spirit
and just cadence in the voice, and exclud
ed the poffibihty of graceful gestures; so
as to dairip, nay, almost exftinouifli, the
power of eloquence there ; and these de
feds have given to that admirable satire,
44 The Tale of a Tub? an obvious ap
plication to the pulpit . The stage affords I
a much freer scope to elocution than the
pulpit or the bar ; yet here , though our
paflions are set in motion and we are cou
ilrained to feel as the poet intended, wc
cannot help recolleding that the whole is
ftdlicn .
14fc>me now to the operations of elo
quence in the jenate: Here are its noblest
flights ; here is its amplest field ; here are
its richest flowers displayed; here it is
0- ♦ Common Scnfe.
I . *
I 1 neither cooped up ,n tl.e narrow limits of
the pulpit , nor entangled in the net of lunxj,
nor its ardor cooled by the fiction of the
Jiuge\ here it' affumcs its in oft'powerful
and animating form, its scenes are real
and its warmth genuine; “ where the
v “ affairs of state are canvassed, and the
' /V liberty, happiness and honor of the re
l publican e the object of debate. Dis
“ putes of this nature elevate the genius
“ above all others, and give the fulleft
** scope to eloquence*.””
To fit ourselves, Gentlemen, for act
ing a conspicuous part in this sphere is the
principal object of our pursuit, this is the
purpose of our inftutitiou, this is the prize
lor which we contend ; a prize more glo
rious than the tyrant’s triumph or the mo
narch’s crown !
Though the pursuit is arduous be not
difeouraged ; the power of industry is
almost omnipotent, and the prize is worth
our utmost pains. To such as are inclin
ed to despond, let me just mention some
particulars of thofetwo luminaries ofan
tiquitv, Demofthencs and Cicero. The
former, whole glory has not been equal
led, bad, I am convinced, more natural
diladvantages to contend with than any
one present. He Hammered to such a
degree that he could not even pronounce
all the letters of the alphabet \ his voice
was weak and difagrceable; the smallest
exertion put him out of breath ; he la
boured under the moll aukward- balhful
nefs ; and he had contracted a ridiculous
habit of ilinigging up his Ihoulders. Ad
ded to these things; while he was a mi
nor, his guardians defrauded him of his
fortune and uegleded his education. Few,
if any, of us, my friends, ate under
even half thel'c impediments; how en
couraging then, is the comparison ! how
transporting too !—what may we not pro
mise ourselves with a little perseverance ?
Though I have enumerated many and
great difficulties, conquered by Demost
henes, which we are happily free from ;
yet these are not all. We have infinite ’ ■
advantage over both him and Cicero, in
many other refpeds. IVe have their la
bors, experience and precepts to profit
by—nay more—we have volumes upon
volumes written on the fubjed since ;
they, the former especially, had little else
to assist them than a mind determined to
persevere—superior to difeouragements—
and an imagination fired with the Juftreof
the fubjed f These, I hope, we also have
at least we all may have them if we will.
As it is granted that government has an -
influence on eloquence according as it is
more or less popular—and the citizens
more or less independent; if, therefore,
we compare our government with their s,
we ftiall find this comparison likewise
much in our favor. Let us take a view
of the institutions of thole two celebrated
lawgivers, Lycurgus and Solon ; and ob
serve in what manner they received the
fandion of laws—not by the voluntary
decision of the people , but like the man
dates of haughty didators. Americana
are governed by no laws but such as have
undergone the freedifeuffion and received
the deliberate fandion of the people by
means of representatives of their own free
choice. The people of Rome, though
proud of the mere title of citizens, and of
being admitted to vo.e on affairs of go
vernment, were, by reason of their ex
treme indigence, tendered easy dupes to
the bribery and intrigues of a few rich |
* Hume.
and faaimis c'emrgcgues. o nr cuinl
free from the influence of any here?*!*
nobility, inhabiting a foil vvhofe j u
ance excludes poverty,— pofl'efo a j c -jI’’ 1 ’’
of independence, and confegnemSy
vat ion of mind superior to any nati o V 1
which we have yet had the iea(t L J ll
ledge. “ J »
O may they never part with this i a
luable blessing—may they never be | L ,ijW
into a fatal security may the dra-'J
public jeaioufy, never lkep!—niavViB 1
virtuous and patriotic orator—may
my friends, —watch over the
of our country —and, in times of r, t J*
and prosperity, endeavor
44 To wake the foul, by. tender
“ of art \ AC^ i
44 To raise the genius; and ta :nea i
44 the heart
But fliould dangers suddenly at :.;. K
should a powerful external enemy approatafc
when we are unprepared—should an
ternal C«eiar form the deep and plauGbiel
scheme of ambition—be it our’s then ta »
found the alarm!—to cal! forth the Ipiriel
of the people !—to touch the springs d fl
indignation !—to awaken and blow i nto ■
a flame the deeping embegs of heroic vir-B
tue !
44 A few fuccefsful attempts of this na- 1
44 tore might route the genius of the na. I
44 tion, excite the emulation of youth B
44 and accuflom our ears to a more fub.B
44 lime and pathetic elocution, than what B
44 we have been hitherto entertained I
44 witht.^
I ihall now conclude, with mentioning I
a few difficulties which I have not yet I
touched upon—and which are to be cx- I
petied in the prolccution of our deJign. I
In an undertaking of ftich magnitude; 1
and in pnrfuit of an objed of such acknow- I
ledged fpieador as the charader of accm- I
plijbed orator , we must expe&the ridicule I
of ignorance and the sarcasms of envy. I
But let us despise such attacks, and treat I
them with a silent contempt; for rtiould I
we at lafl fail in our present design, even I
the attempt will be applauded by all whose
approbation we ought to value. To be
pelted by the ignorant and envious will
be the mod: acceptable praise such can af
ford—even Hunter was not without a
7 • i
Zonal.
* Pope. f Hume.
*
PHILADELPHIA, July it
Copy of a letter from Alexander M‘Gil
livray to Colonels Anthony Bledfoe and
James Robertson, at Nathville, Cum
berland, dated Little Talleflee, Upper
Creek Nation, April 14, 1788.
Gentlemen ,
MR. Hecket arrived here a few days
ago, and delivered me your letters,
together with Col. Hawkins’s.
Agreeable to your requert I will be ex
plicit and candid in myanfwer to youj’s,
and will not deny that my nation has wag
ed war agarnfl vour country for fcveral
years pad, and that we had no motive of
revenge for it; nor did it proceed from
any sense of injury foflained from your
people—but being warmly attached to the
Britith, and being under their influence,
operations were directed by them against
you, in common with other Americaus.
After the general peace had taken plaqC
you lent us a talk by Samuel Martin,
which I then accepted, and promised t<J