Camden gazette. (Camden, S.C.) 1816-1818, October 24, 1816, Image 1
IN LIFE'S DISASTROUS SCENLS, TO O l\fcLLRS_ DQX
C AM DEN
Number 30.
*
V'peo >' BV
w hat you would wish by others dunk to you,
DaHWIN.
) "g" azette7
Tlmrsday. Octobfr 24. 1816. Volume I.
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October 3, 18 I G .
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M iseeljany.
? E-HflM? THE ttaBTiflo.
View of the (xrtient Mate of Polite Learning, j
CHAPTER XI. ?=!
Of Orato+y% 1 . j
- There naturally obtains a locality
of supreme ?excellence, In many
branches of polite learning, which
confines perfection to some parti
cular people, or tract of time. Yet
this amiable privilege, does not
prove an insuperable obstacle, to
their moderate cultilfe, in a country
less auspicious to genius, or refined
in letters. On. the contrary, it ra
ther proves a spur to exertion, and
kindles an ambition of excellence,
by presenting such incomparable^
models, than induces either lan
guor or despair.
Throughout the progress of this
inquiry, 1 have always tacitly rea
soned upon this principle: If inci
dental mention of the ancients has
been frequently made } yet their
supreme perfection was never deem
ed an argument, against the advance
ment of any modern nation, to a
middle, or even exalted point of
beauty, in the same pursuits j when
modified by the accidental circum
stances of. time, manners, and si
tuation. In this sense, we climb
the steep acclirfty of fame, by the
help of the steps provided by the
ancients j we proceed securely, by
the light of the Grecian torch /and
by adapting their productions, to
our peculiar state, we make them
so far our own. Besides this, how
ever, there are some subjects, pe
cular to our natural genius, and ex
clusively our own possessions. '
This principle ? locality, is more
pecuhar to some arts than to others,
as different plants will flourish in a
i soil, and degenerate or
perish in one, that is rigi4| or ad
verse. Poetry , and the sciences,
seem to mingle among every peo^
pie, and live in every clime, with
nearly the same success, regardless
of the checks of ambition, or the
blasts of tyranny. But the genius
of Oratory , more delicate and re
served, selects her abode with cau
tious hesitations} and shuns the tc
gions of despotism, with religious
care. If she ever wanders, when
she is once settled, it is only to
follow the flight of freedom, and
spread her wings over the temple,
consecrated by reason, co genuine
philosophy.
In the modern world, the genius
of oratory seems to have fixed her
favourite residence in Great-Britain.
Almost a total stranger to the other
nations Europe, they neither
court the assistance of her power,
nor suidy the embellishments of her
graces, liven the Augustan age of
Italy could boast no model of Ora
tory, in the bar or the pulpir, much
less in the senate. Yet in the arts
of painting, sculpture, and poetry,
she shone with unvaried lustre. In
my judgment, France possesses no
great examples of forensick or par
liamentary eloquence ; nor has her
native genius, made any great ac
quitions to painting or to sculpture.
Yet her Museums have been the en
vied despository, of every remnant
of ancient art, and every paragon
of foreign gemus. Are they a na
tion of connoisseur*, who though
eminently endowed with a produc
J^ive facuitv, yet fail or neglect to
exercise ic ? That faculty, which
can irabody its conceptions, give
living examples of a correct taste,
and a shape, colour, and form, to
r^h^-slvadows-of -f^hcyy and the out
lines of invention." -
If we limit our inquiry into the
oratory of Great- Britain, to the
middle of the eighteenth century,
-we shall encounter stupendous mon
uments of perfection, not an/ way
intcriour to the orations of antiqui
ty. And here, let me pour the
tribute of applause, to the genius
of Ireland ) whose fancy touched
by a di v ine ? spark | can blaze ^with
the purest fires, and act like ma
gick on the coldest passions whose
reason like Urial can ride on a sun
beam in safety, and descend from
the height o^f sublimity, to melt an
. audience. to tears ! In the excessc of
panegyrick, I only copy the beauty
of reality.
In the speeches of Chatham, what
a constellation of beauties crowds
upon the reader ! Specious, and
often close in his reasoning, vehe
ment in his style, and rapid in his
thoughts, his icason always keeps
pace with his imagination, even
when it soars the highest* and riots
in sublimity/ Imagery flows upon
kin* uncalled, and flashes enthusi
asm, If it does not light conviction,
in the minds of his auditors. The
eloquence of Chatham, is literally
a torrent, pouring its stream with
resistle s fuiy, and sweeping down
?U before it. Every adversary bends
beneath its power for the time, and
if not vanquished, ceased to oppose,
l ltSi SPCI^ Such was
the eloquence, whose last strain
was t xpended, in attempting to suc
cour American freedom.
Pitt, Burke, and Fox, are suf
ficiently known as distinguished or-i
ators j and what higher excellence,
can imagination paint ? Langrishe
and Curran, are harmonious, vivid,
and persuasive ; and command the
reasons, as readily as they move the
passions of their audience. The
former, " whose tongue dropt man
naV CVCr caPtIvatc fancy,
ana please in the perusal.
Whether real, or feigned, as to
the personages to whom they are
appropriated, and there exists no
distfust of tiieii fictitious character,
what parliamentary eloquence can
be fancied more pertect, more
splendid, beautiful, and sublime, j
than the orations composed by?Dr
Johnson ? What reasoning more
I ingenious and compact, more logi
c aland profound, can b e produced T~
They ail stream in copious diction,
and sparkle in rich embellishments ;
his argument are eloquently con
ceived and skilfully combined: and
his images striking, varied, ana
appropriate.
Rvidence such as this, and more
will easily suggets itself to every
reader, must be admitted as abun
dantly competent, to evince the
unparalleled eminence of this kind
of oratory. Pulpit eloquence, how
ever, is not equally supported j but
proof not inreriour, sustains the
excellence of forensick speaking.
The Oratory of the Bar, inspir
ed by the genius of Lord Erskine,
Curran, and many others, has at
tained a lofty preeminence, that
may reasonably dispirit every fu
ture attempt to surpass it. Learn
ing and elocution, led by the pow
ers of mighty minds, have accom
plished the pathetick, the sublime,
and the beautiful, in their highest
degrees ; they have given birth to
varied sentiment, refined emotions,
and* affecting passion ; and have
touched every chord of the heart
and fancy, with the hand of the
master. If excellcnce still higher"
i* (o exalt and improve It, it must
be effected in a different manner,
and through another channel the
passions, the reason, and the judg
ments of men, must undergo a
mutation, and render other means
necessary, ro influence the under
standing, move the feelings, and
impress conviction,
bishop Butler and Dr. Barrow,
exhibit some excellence in pulpit
oratory ; but it is rather negative
than absolute. The French lay
claim to renown, fof their sacred
eloquence. Perhaps it is because
they possess no other, but what
pervades their polite compositions,
that they thus exaggerate the merits
of their sermons $ which after all,
arc more the pictures of imagina
tion, and the declamations of so
phists, than argumentative orations,
by the dictates of rea
and enforced by the arguments
of piety. The style of the French
is always florid ; and seems there
fore less adapted to devotional pur*
poses, than elegant discourse, and
fine writing. Is there not some
thing adverse aho, to pious elo
quence, in the Komish ritual j and
does not the peculiarity of their
creed, fetter the exertions, a nd re
strain the flight, of a bold and vig
orous eloquence ? The want of free
dom in the church, must affect this
in the same manner, as the want of
freedom in the state, depresses and
chills their parliamentary speeches !
Mas'illon, has left no finished and
complete orations of the pulpit. In
f rr id exhortation, and swelling in
vective, the French more than suf
ficiently abound.
It j|. scarcely to be expected,
from the great lapse of time that
has been unmarked by improve
ment, since the sermons of Dr.
Blair were published, that any great
advances should be speedily made,
in the fc.nglish oratory of *thc pul
pit. Yet if wc arc destined to rc
ceivc any additions to eloquence, it
vvili most probably be in this de
partment, which of every species
of polite learning, is most imper
ftt?T. ~ ? ?
Delaplaine a Hffiontory oj the Live* and
for trait* of di*ti>i?ruigfic jt Jt>ni rienn*.
No work could have come before the A
merican public with stionger attractions*
than those which are held out, in the fore*
going title* A fietioa tory of the lAvea and
iJovtraitn of diu tin guided American*, makes
an appeal to the pride and patriotism of
our countrymen, which cannot tail to en
sure it a warm reception. Heretofore, we
have had nothing like a regular system of
\merican Biography ; nothing to which
wc could refer, either for the gratification
of a laudable curiosity, or for evidence of
national distinction. And, though it may
subject us to the impution of national van -
ityy we are not afraid to hazard the asser
tion. that there never was a country, in the
short period of forty years fro qii& _exis>
<.nce as a nation, that could boast so great
a number of nun, wiiose lives deserved
to come under the notice ot the biographer,
as the United Slates of America In every
department of science i in every branch
of useful knowledge ; we have had our
illustrious men; of many of whom, scarce
ly a record is to be found, e .cept in their
own impel ishable works. Of this penury
ot biographical memoirs, we have found
reason to complain, on mote than one ac-~
count i and there- is, perhaps, no other
country, where civilization has made any
progress, in which this speck s of writing
does not constitute an interesting portion
of iu literature.
Iiintory has been called, by a great man,
th c*/i<culum mundi : but this phrase, we
think, might, with much greater propri
ety, be applied %obtog>afihy. For, as it is
only by studying the nature of the consti
tuent parts, that a knowledge oi the whole
can be acquired ; so we can only expect*
to become acquainted With the world, by
a knowledge ot the'individuals, who com*
pose it. To speak of the utility of biogra
phical writing, however, is not our pre
sent object ; its advatanges are too numer
ous and too manifest, to require the feeble
support of our approbation. Hut we may
be permitted, to say something, in favour
of the novel plan, whih has been adopted
in the 4* Repository," of combining the
" operations of the type and i he graver."
I o the cotemporariesof the eminent men,
whose mind* at e here delineated, the ac
companying ? portraiture of the ^ body"
may, perhaps, afford no additional interest;
becau?e they have seen, and bear in re
membrance, the features of the deceased j
and it is in this limited sense only, that
the observation oft Thales can be true,
nil mortem a vite differre ? But posterity
will know how to value, that combination
df talents, by means of which, ?* correct
image of the whole man it exhibited to
view."
~ In the execution of a task so laborious, -
and so extensive, it was hardly possible to
give universal satisfaction. No tnan call
be expected to unite, in his own person,
all the various excellencies of the artist*
the author and the critick ; much of such
a work, theiefore, must necessarily be
tubmiited to the influence of circum
stances, over which, the proprietor can
have, at ?nost , but negative control. He
must confide in the genius, the taste, and
the judgment of others ; and if he do not
possess all those qualities himself, the
chances are m thou-and to one, that his
confidence will be sometimes misplaced*
The arrangement of the subjects, however,
we must consider as falling, exclusively,
under the province of the proprietor ; and
upon this, a large majority of the publick,
will, most probably, form their judgment
of the whole work without giving them
selves the trouble to inquire farther into
its met its. In every undertaking, it is of
the first importance to be% nrU/htly. Ce
n* est que Ic premu r fianqui coute , is an old
French proverb, which, if properly at
tended to, would teach us 4o avoid many
difficulties, and much confusion, which
never fail to result, when we set out with
the turonir foot foremont. "We have many
objection- to urge, apainst the arrange
ment of the 11 Repository." In the fir I:
place, we cannot see propriety of placing
the I.ivjs of Columbus an ! Vespucius,