THE BATTALION.
5
suasion should be the end and purpose of all. The truth
defined of all real eloquence is well embodied in the follow-
ing- poem:
“Persuasion, friend, comes-not by toil or art,
Hard study never made the matter clearer;
’Tis the live fountain in the speaker’s heart,
Sends forth the streams which melt the ravished hearer!
Then work away for life, heap book on book,
Line upon line, heap, precept on example!
The stupid multitude may g'aze and look,
And fools may think your stock of wisdom ample,
But all remains unmoved, to touch the heart,
To make men feel requires a different art;
For touching- hearts, the only s.e.cret known,.
My worthy friend is this: To haye one of your own.”
As to the comparison of present and past eloquence
there is no contrast to be shown, for eloquence is eloquence
to-day as it was yesterday or has ever been, and will be to
morrow as it was in ages past; but there is quite a differ
ence to be shown between modern and ancient orators in the
way of practical elocution and general effects.
Reason and a general grammatical construction of dis
course is at present instituted to the elimination of soul-
stirring eloquence; for it is a noticeable fact that ancient ora
tors accomplished what our modern do not accomplish; and
it must be conclusively admitted: What reason does not
accomplish a flow of mind or soul language does:
To-day, on the platform or in the pulpit, we have no
eloquence as the masters of • the art understood it. What