The Columbian Orator / / ed. by David W. Blight.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter New York University Press Archive eBook-Package Pre-2000
• HerausgeberIn: Blight, David W.,
• MitwirkendeR: Mason, Jonathan,; Miller, Samuel,
• Place / Publishing House: New York, NY : : New York University Press, , [1998]; ©1998
• Year of Publication: 1998
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

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.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- EDITOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION -- IDENTIFICATION OF AUTHORS -- PREFACE -- INTRODUCTION. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPEAKING -- 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. PITTS 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 LESTERA 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) -- 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. PITTS 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. PITTS SPEECH, IN ANSWER TO LORD MANSFIELD, ON THE AFFAIR OF MR. WILKES, 1770 -- ON THE GENERAL JUDGMENT DAY; FROM DWIGHTS 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 RHODE4SLAND COLLEGE, 1796 (Burges) -- INFERNAL CONFERENCE (Cumberland) -- EXTRACT FROM MR. PITTS 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 (Barney) -- 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 -- A DIALOGUE ON LOQUACITY -- AMERICAN SAGES (Barlow) -- EXTRACT FROM MR. PITTS 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