The Columbian orator : containing a variety of original and selected pieces together with rules, which are calculated to improve youth and others, in the ornamental and useful art of eloquence

First published in 1797, The Columbian Orator helped shape the American mind for the next half century, going through some 23 editions and totaling 200,000 copies in sales. The book was read by virtually every American schoolboy in the first half of the 19th century. As a slave youth, Frederick Douglass owned just one book, and read it frequently, referring to it as a "gem" and his "rich treasure." The Columbian Orator presents 84 selections, most of which are notable examples of oratory on such subjects as nationalism, religious faith, individual liberty, freedom, and slavery, including pieces by Washington, Franklin, Milton, Socrates, and Cicero, as well as heroic poetry and dramatic dialogues. Augmenting these is an essay on effective public speaking which influenced Abraham Lincoln as a young politician. As America experiences a resurgence of interest in the art of debating and oratory, The Columbian Orator --whether as historical artifact or contemporary guidebook--is one of those rare books to be valued for what it meant in its own time, and for how its ideas have endured. Above all, this book is a remarkable compilation of Enlightenment era thought and language that has stood the test of time. Cover Title Page Copyright Page CONTENTS EDITOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION IDENTIFICATION OF AUTHORS PREFACE INTRODUCTION: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPEAKING—EXTRACTED FROM VARIOUS AUTHORS EXTRACT FROM AN ORATION ON ELOQUENCE, PRONOUNCED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY, ON COMMENCEMENT DAY, 1794 (Perkins) EXTRACT FROM PRESIDENT WASHINGTON'S FIRST SPEECH IN CONGRESS, 1789 SPEECH OF PAULUS EMILIUS TO THE ROMAN PEOPLE AS HE WAS TAKING THE COMMAND OF THEIR ARMY EXHORTATION ON TEMPERANCE IN PLEASURE (Blair) JUDAH'S PLEA FOR HIS BROTHER BENJAMIN, BEFORE JOSEPH IN EGYPT (Philo) EXTRACT FROM THE PLEA OF THOMAS MUIR, ESQ. AT HIS CELEBRATED TRIAL IN SCOTLAND ON THE STARRY HEAVENS (Hervey) PAPER, A POEM (Franklin) EXTRACT FROM CATO'S SPEECH BEFORE THE ROMAN SENATE, AFTER THE CONSPIRACY OF CATILINE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE GHOSTS OF AN ENGLISH DUELLIST, A NORTH-AMERICAN SAVAGE, AND MERCURY (Littleton) SPEECH OF AN INDIAN CHIEF, OF THE STOCKBRIDGE TRIBE, TO THE MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR 1775 ON THE CREATION OF THE WORLD (Blair) LINES SPOKEN AT A SCHOOL-EXHIBITION, BY A LITTLE BOY SEVEN YEARS OLD (Everett) EXTRACT FROM MR. PITT'S SPEECH IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, IN THE YEAR 1766, ON THE SUBJECT OF THE STAMP-ACT SCENE FROM THE FARCE OF LETHE (Garrick) EXTRACT FROM THE EULOGY ON DR. FRANKLIN, PRONOUNCED BY THE ABBE FAUCHET, IN THE NAME OF THE COMMONS OF PARIS, 1790 EPILOGUE TO ADDISON'S CATO SELF-CONCEIT AN ADDRESS, SPOKEN BY A VERY SMALL BOY HOWARD AND LESTER—A DIALOGUE ON LEARNING AND USEFULNESS CHRIST'S CRUCIFIXION (Cumberland) THE WONDERS OF NATURE (Hervey) DIALOGUE ON PHYSIOGNOMY ORATION DELIVERED AT PARIS, BY CITIZEN CARNOT, PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORY, AT THE FESTIVAL OF GRATITUDE, AND VICTORY, CELEBRATED AT THE CHAMP DE-MARS, MAY 29, 1796 ADDRESS OF MR. ADET. FRENCH AMBASSADOR, ON PRESENTING THE COLOURS OF FRANCE, TO THE UNITED STATES, 1796 PRESIDENT WASHINGTON'S ANSWER THE OPPRESSIVE LANDLORD LORD MANSFIELD'S SPEECH, IN SUPPORT OF A BILL FOR PREVENTING DELAYS OF JUSTICE, BY REASON OF PRIVILEGE OF PARLIAMENT, 1770 EXTRACT FROM A SERMON ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT (Davies) CHRIST TRIUMPHANT OVER THE APOSTATE ANGELS (Milton) SLAVES IN BARBARY (Everett): A Drama in Two Acts CONCLUSION OF A CELEBRATED SPEECH OF MR. PITT, IN 1770, IN SUPPORT OF A MOTION IN PARLIAMENT, TO REQUEST THE KING TO LAY BEFORE THAT BODY ALL THE PAPERS RELATIVE TO CERTAIN DEPREDATIONS OF THE SPANIARDS, AND LIKEWISE, TO A TREATY WHICH HE WAS THEN NEGOCIATING WITH SPAIN SOCRATES' DEFENCE BEFORE HIS ACCUSERS AND JUDGES DIALOGUE ON COWARDICE AND KNAVERY MR. SHERIDAN'S SPEECH AGAINST MR. TAYLOR PART OF CICERO'S ORATION AGAINST CATILINE DESCRIPTION OF THE FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS; FROM THE VISION OF COLUMBUS (Barlow) SPEECH OF BUONAPARTE, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE FRENCH ARMY IN ITALY, TO HIS BRETHREN IN ARMS REFLECTIONS OVER THE GRAVE OF A YOUNG MAN (Hervey) SCENE FROM THE DRAMA OF "MOSES IN THE BULRUSHES" (H. Moore) SPEECH OF GAIUS CASSIUS TO HIS COLLECTED FORCES, AFTER THE DEATH OF CESAR PART OF MR. ERSKINE'S SPEECH AGAINST MR. PITT, 1784 EXTRACT FROM PRESIDENT WASHINGTON'S ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, SEPT. 17, 1796 DIALOGUE ON THE CHOICE OF BUSINESS FOR LIFE SPEECH OF BUONAPARTE, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE FRENCH ARMY IN ITALY, BEFORE HIS ATTACK ON MILAN, APRIL 26, 1796 MR. PITT'S SPEECH, NOV. 18, IN OPPOSITION TO LORD SUFFOLK, WHO PROPOSED TO PARLIAMENT TO EMPLOY THE INDIANS AGAINST THE AMERICANS; AND WHO SAID, IN THE COURSE OF THE DEBATE, THAT "THEY HAD A RIGHT TO USE ALL THE MEANS, THAT GOD AND NATURE HAD PUT INTO THEIR HANDS, TO CONQUER AMERICA" DIALOGUE BETWEEN A SCHOOL-MASTER AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE EXTRACT FROM MR. PITT'S SPEECH, IN ANSWER TO LORD MANSFIELD, ON THE AFFAIR OF MR. WILKES, 1770 ON THE GENERAL JUDGMENT DAY; FROM DWIGHT'S CONQUEST OF CANAAN ON THE WORKS OF CREATION AND PROVIDENCE (Hervey) SPEECH OF MR. FOX, IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, ON AMERICAN AFFAIRS, 1778 THE CONJURER, A DIALOGUE (Everett) EXTRACT FROM MR. PITT'S SPEECH IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, JAN. 20, 1775 SPEECH OF GALGACHUS TO THE CALEDONIAN ARMY MODERN EDUCATION DIALOGUE BETWEEN A PRECEPTOR OF AN ACADEMY, AND A PARENT OF AN OFFERED PUPIL THE EXISTENCE OF GOD, DEMONSTRATED FROM THE WORKS OF CREATION; BEING A SERMON PREACHED AT PROVIDENCE THE DIGNITY OF HUMAN NATURE EXTRACT OF AN ORATION DELIVERED AT RHODE-ISLAND COLLEGE, 1796 (Burges) INFERNAL CONFERENCE (Cumberland) EXTRACT FROM MR. PITT'S SPEECH IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, MAY 13, 1777 ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT (Young) THE DISSIPATED OXFORD STUDENT, A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A BROTHER AND HIS TWO SISTERS (Burney) EXTRACT FROM A SPEECH IN CONGRESS, APRIL, 1799, ON THE SUBJECT OF THE TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN (Ames) EXTRACT FROM AN ORATION, PRONOUNCED AT WORCESTER, (MASS.) JULY 4, 1796 By Francis Blake, ESQ. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF AMERICA EXTRACT FROM A POEM SPOKEN AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, ON COMMENCEMENT DAY, 1795 (Everett) DIALOGUE BETWEEN A MASTER AND SLAVE PART OF MR. O'CONNOR'S SPEECH IN THE FIRST IRISH HOUSE OF COMMONS, IN FAVOUR OF THE BILL FOR EMANCIPATING THE ROMAN CATHOLICS, 1795 SCENE FROM THE TRAGEDY OF TAMERLANE (Rowe) COLONEL BARRE'S SPEECH IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT 1765, ON THE STAMP-ACT BILL THE LAST DAY EXTRACT FROM A MANUSCRIPT POEM (Everett) A DIALOGUE ON LOQUACITY AMERICAN SAGES (Barlow) EXTRACT FROM MR. PITT'S SPEECH, NOV. 18, 1777, ON AMERICAN AFFAIRS SCENE FROM THE TRAGEDY OF CATO (Addison) EXTRACT FROM AN ORATION DELIVERED AT BOSTON, JULY 4, 1794, IN COMMEMORATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE (Phillips) DIALOGUE BETWEEN A WHITE INHABITANT OF THE UNITED STATES AND AN INDIAN (Everett) EXTRACT FROM AN ORATION, PRONOUNCED AT BOSTON, JULY 4, 1796 (Lathrop) DIALOGUE BETWEEN EDWARD AND HARRY (Everett) DAVID AND GOLIATH (H. Moore) AN ORATION ON THE POWERS OF ELOQUENCE, WRITTEN FOR AN EXHIBITION OF A SCHOOL IN BOSTON, 1794 A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A CITY GENTLEMAN OF THE TOWN, AND A COUNTRY FARMER EXTRACT FROM A DISCOURSE DELIVERED BEFORE THE NEW-YORK SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE MANUMISSION OF SLAVES, APRIL 12, 1797 A FORENSIC DISPUTE, ON THE QUESTION, ARE THE ANGLO-AMERICANS ENDOWED WITH CAPACITY AND GENIUS EQUAL TO EUROPEANS? (Everett) EXTRACT FROM AN ORATION, DELIVERED AT BOSTON, MARCH 5TH, 1780 An 1797 publication of Enlightenment era thought, read by virtually every American schoolboy in the early 19th centuryFirst published in 1797, The Columbian Orator helped shape the American mind for the next half century, going through some 23 editions and totaling 200,000 copies in sales. The book was read by virtually every American schoolboy in the first half of the 19th century. As a slave youth, Frederick Douglass owned just one book, and read it frequently, referring to it as a'gem'and his'rich treasure.'The Columbian Orator presents 84 selections, most of which are notable examples of oratory on such subjects as nationalism, religious faith, individual liberty, freedom, and slavery, including pieces by Washington, Franklin, Milton, Socrates, and Cicero, as well as heroic poetry and dramatic dialogues. Augmenting these is an essay on effective public speaking which influenced Abraham Lincoln as a young politician. As America experiences a resurgence of interest in the art of debating and oratory, The Columbian Orator--whether as historical artifact or contemporary guidebook--is one of those rare books to be valued for what it meant in its own time, and for how its ideas have endured. Above all, this book is a remarkable compilation of Enlightenment era thought and language that has stood the test of time. Presents 84 selections, most of which are notable examples of oratory on such subjects as nationalism, religious faith, individual liberty, freedom, and slavery. This book includes pieces by Washington, Franklin, Milton, Socrates, and Cicero, as well as heroic poetry and dramatic dialogues.