4
THE BATTALION.
defenition: “It is the transfer of the orator’s consciousness
into the auditor’s consciousness.”
Truly eloquence is “mind in motion,” for the speaker,
in order to become eloquent, must control the mind in di
rect motion without diversion from the subject in hand;
and the second definition is also true, for the speaker in or
der to become eloquent controls or drives the minds of his
hearers likewise in the same channel in which is his own
mind. So, as D’Alembert says, “It is the transfer of the
orator’s consciousness into the auditor’s consciousness.”
And again, eloquence is “power imparted to words to
become motives.” And they need be motives to move the
soul, and so in fact to move to action. As has been said,
“It is not enough that poems be beautiful but they must
also be affective,” so as to carry the soul of the hearer.
Hence an eloquent mind is a mind under affecting motion,
and the words uttered are words under the influence of
power.
And lastly, to make plainer: Eloquence is the power
of the pulpit, or in one word, persuasion. Whatever may
be its artillery, whatever its various methods and modes,
it reaches its end when it fulfills this, and it falls short
when it fails here.
Its ample and moving flights of impassioned words, its
strokes of humor and common sense sanctified and toned to
high purpose, and every analogy and image wisely used,
should have persuasion for its end.
It has been said to be “the firmly linked chain of
thought made red hot by the live fire of emotion.” This
last question very well defines the subject, but withal per-