9
UNIVERSITY COURIER.
conventions. Others can be inspired by the presence of large audiences. Others can only be moved by great events.
One will hear what is called an eloquent oration, but goes away dissatisfied; at his own fire-side he will be moved to much volubility. He feels down deep in his heart the struggle of something unexplainable. This class is made up of only a few individuals. They form a part of what might be called the eloquent audience, But beneath this calm exterior doubtless lies a pure stream of elobuence which only awaits the right call, the right moment to bring it into active life. Patrick Henry seemed a stupid man until the right chord was touched when his whole being seemed changed, and the words leaped from his lips like winged darts.
When some one questioned Demosthenes as to the seat of his great power, he said: "Delivery! delivery! delivery!" and that is what it is. It is the life, the blood, the act that makes a man eloquent. And it only comes at great moments. A man is not eloquent at every little turn that affairs take. We, in such cases, have no faith in the assertion of such an one. But when there are great truths to be maintained, honor is at stake, the welfare of humanity is to be protected, then, and not till then, will real eloquence be heard and weight attached to the orator's words.
The orator besides action must have principle, thought and words. Isocrates said that his power lay in making great things small and small-things great. But eloquence seeks truth and endeavors to make great great and the evil small. No really bad man can be eloquent. Nor can one be eloquent in defense of evil. Sublime thoughts cause noble passions and eloquence has them at command. The ability to put our thoughts into strong language is a most important part of eloquence.
The orator who can control his audience, that can lead them to tears or to mirth, that can guide them as the pilot does the ship, is eloquent. Mirabeau would stir his audience into the most violent excitement, sweeping them along with him with unresisting power. Such a position arouses the ambition of youth, the power of ruling and pervading man by speech is fascinating beyond all conception. What a power it is to control and calm the angry mob like a Mark Anthony. Hastings said that he felt himself to be the most culpable man on earth when Burke delivered his great speech against him. The women and men in the vast audience were moved to tears. That is eloquence.
TOPICS.
It is the intention of the editor to model this department after "Topics of the Times" in the Century. Pithy articles, containing less than three hundred words are solicited from students.
IMMIGRATION.
This year the prospective immigration to the United States is one million. Last year it was eight hundred thousand. Almost all of these come from Europe, the chief cause for leaving being over-taxation of the poorer classes to support the idle nobility. A part of this taxation is the enforced military service of their best young men. Over-population and a desire for just laws are other causes. Hence none but the poorer classes emigrate. The United States must receive these foreigners for the sake of humanity. But what shall she do with them? They can no longer become farmers, for the public lands now open to settlement are semi-arid wastes. They must become hired laborers. Now, as a nation we can never have too much work performed, or too much wealth thus produced from our abundant crude material. What we need is workers, but if the supply of workers becomes suddenly great they must suffer from the consequent lower wages. This nation is now in a state of great prosperity. It may be that the demand for labor equals the increasing supply; but if we are not to have an idle ruling class supported by the workingman, if the United States is not to become a plutocracy, we must take heed that each of us so orders his daily life, and that this nation so constructs and enforces its laws that every man shall have the full reward of his labor.
CANADA.
SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD'S SPEECH AT TORONTO.
Independence is a farce. Canada must belong to the British system or to the American system. Here we are with four and a half millions of people, lying alongside of fifty-five million people; the most unhappy position in which a nation can be placed; the most crushing to its energies and intellect, the most destructive to its prosperity, is that of living next door to and at the sufferance of a powerful neighbor. Look at Europe, and you see the position which small nations occupy. Look at Belgium and Holland. Belgium trembling for fear France will take her, and Holland in fear of Germany. There is no spirit, there is almost hopelessness in those countries. And I say, looking at the question of independence, that we had to make a choice between independence and annexation, I would rather that we should have annexation and join with the Uuited States at once, than be here a small nation, obliged to raise the phantom of an army and navy, obliged to have foreign Ambassadors at an enormous expense, and after a brief existence to be absorbed as Texas and California were absorbed.
EARNESTNESS.
Pascal says: "Earnestness is enthusiasm tempted by reason." Mere enthusiasm is not earnestness, for enthusiasm may be wrong, earnestness is always right; enthusiasm may be blind, but earnestness sees with the eyes of reason. Eagnestness is the great moving force in this world. Earnestness endures persecution, misconstruction, neglect; earnestness presses on in spite of opposition, never loses sight of its aim, and earnestness wins in the end. All great reformers are earnest men, so terribly earnest that we call them visionaries, one ideaed men, riders of hobbies. But the man who sets his idea persistently before him, and will by no means rest until he can persuade or even force others to adopt the same idea, is the man who makes revolutions, who brings about reformations, who moves the world. "Life is earnest," and he who realizes this and earnestly bends his whole strength to this end is the one who is successful, who makes a name. A lack of earnestness engenders negligence, and negligence sloth, and sloth failure. Too many think the present occupation is but a trivial one. The less time and strength expended on it the better. That which may come hereafter may be worthy of