Select Academic Speaker

appeared before in books of this character. A very small number of old favorites have been admitted, which from their sterling merits seemed to demand this recognition.

While care has been taken to bring new pieces together, they have been selected not for this quality alone, but also for their real merits,—the finest efforts of oratory and the varied enunciation of true poetry are here collated, with the hope that their study and recitation will instruct and refine the student's heart.

Another aim has been to present short pieces: the time allotted to the individual speaker in seminaries where there are many students, is but small; and, besides, the complaint of those who have many studies to carry on connectedly, is, that the pieces ordinarily selected are too long to be easily learned during the pressure of other lessons.

On account of the brevity of the extracts, and the small but clear type in which the book is printed, a greater number of pieces, and a more numerous collection of authors, have been presented than ip any similar book. Care has been taken to do justice to the great minds of all parts of our country, and as far as possible, by avoiding all sectional and sectarian bias, to fit the book for the great popular wants of education throughout the Union.

With the earnest hope that he has succeeded in his honest attempt, the compiler places his book in the hands of the instructors and students of the United States.

H. C. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, June 1860.

The present edition of the ACADEMIC Speaker has been thoroughly revised, and a few new and beautiful pieces have been substituted for those which the compiler has found, by his use of the book, least adapted to the wants and tastes of his pupils. IIis thanks are due to the teachers who have introduced the Speaker into their institutions, and who have given their hearty commendations of it. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA,

February 1, 1865.

CONTENTS.

PART I.

DECLAMATIONS IN PROSE.

ACADEMIC AND POPULAR.

PAGE

27

.

The Wonders of the Dawn,

The Duties of the Historian,

Popular Government in America,

Language and Poetry,

The Glory of Athens,

The True Inspiration of the Orator,

The Statesman’s Panoply,

Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim,

Early Astronomy,

Installation Speech at Glasgow,

The Influence of Byron,

The Miracles of Nature,

Mysteries,

The Origin of Universities,

Atheism Absurd,

Theisin and its Tenets,

Mental and Moral Greatness,

The Preservation of the Union,

The Sons of Georgia,

The Sculptor's Art,

The Great Mountains,

The Student's Duties,

Calvert and the Maryland Charter,

The Finite and the Infinite,

Florence and its Treasures,

Tolerant Christianity the Law of the Land,

The Obstacles to Christianity,

56

57

.

PAGE

The Demon of Speculation,

Dr. BOARDMAN,

57

The Influence of the Classics,

The Demeanor of Books,

Degrees of Imagination,

LEIGH HIUNT,

61

The Cataract of Niagara, .

CHATEAUBRIAND,

63

Italy,

Horace BINNEY'WALLACE, 63

The New World and the Old,

ARNOLD GUYOT,

64

Vathek in the Hall of Eblis,

Culture of the English Language,

HENRY REED,

67

Byron's Tomb,

WASHINGTON IRVING, 68

Address of Nicias to his Troops,

ThưCYDIDES,

69

Common Things Important, .

R. C. WINTHROP,

69

The Physician's Duty and Responsibility, Dr J. W. FRANCIS,

70

The Smithsonian Institute,

Joel R. POINSETT,

The First Predicted Eclipse,

0. M. MITCHEL,

Kepler's Discovery of the Third Law,

0. M. MITCHEL,

73

The Treaty of Shackamaxon,

HENRY D. GILPIN,

The Settlement of Pennsylvania,

European Names in America,

Argustin TMERRY, 76

The Progress of Civilization,

Guizot,

The Pilgrims of New England,

S. S. PRENTISS,

78

The Value of the Union,

S. S. PRENTISS,

79

English Opinions of France,

GULIAN C. VERPLANCK S3

The Spread of knowledge,

W. E. CHANNING,

84

The Heavens Proclaim the Deity,

GULIAN C. VERPLANCK, 88

The Use of Knowledge,

Rapid Progre in Agriculture,

W. M. MEREDITHI,

92

The Wonders of the Deep,

ANONYMOUS,

93

Aspects of the Ocean,

ANONYHOES,

93

Farewell to the Army at Fontainebleau, 1814, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE,

Proclamation to the Army of Italy,

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, 95

Washington,

CHARLES PHILLIPS,

96

Inauguration of the Monument to llenry Clay, John TYLER,

97

The Great Merits of llenry Clay,

The Egotistical Talker,

.

JUDICIAL, FORENSIC, AND PARLIAMENTARY.

Impressment of American Sailors, .

Abuse of Napoleon,

Reply to John Randolph, .

The Building of National Roads,

Address to Lafayette

The Juryman's Duty,

The Murderer's Seit-Betrayal,

The Murderer's Plan,

The Bunker Hill Monument,

England and America, .

Federal Government,

The Roman System,

The Roman System-Continued,

Reply to the Charge of Æschines,

The Commonwealth and its Ambassadors,

Religious Liberty,

False Philanthropy,

South Carolina in the Revolution,

Laws Concerning the Slave Trade,

Friendship with England,

American Influence,

Hamilton,

On the Distribution Bill,

To the Noblesse of Provence,

Monomania,

Actions and Motives,

An Independent Judiciary,

Switzerland, an Example,

Amendments to the Constitution,

James II. and George III.

American Rights,

The Southern Campaign,

English Presumption,

Faetion and Tyranny,

The Achievers of our Liberty,

Inaugural Address, .

The Rule of American Conduct,

The Appeal to Arms,

The Necessity of Independence,

Call to Americans,

Address to a Jury,

A Stable Government for America,

Washington, .

Acknowledgments to England,

The Injuries of Englanıl, .

The Character of Lafayette, .

The Future Glory of America,

Capital Punishment,

Judges among Men,

The Congress of 1776,

J. C. Calhoun,
DEMOSTHENES,
DEMOSTHENES,
William Gaston,
R. Y. ILAYNE,
R. Y. HAYXE,
JAMES M. WAYNE,
Rufl's King,
H. W. HILLARD,
GOUVERNEUR MORRIS,
THOMAS II. BENTON,
MIRABEAU,
DAVID PAUL BROWN,
DAVID PAUL BROWN,
JAMES A. BAYARD,
PATRICK II ENRY,
PATRICK II ENRY,
WILLIAM H. DRAYTON, .
Joseph WARREN,
Joun RUTLEDGE, :
JAMES Madison,
ALEXANDER HAMILTON,
JOHN HANCOCK,
GEORGE WASHINGTON,
GEORGE WASHINGTON,
Johs DICKINSON,
SAMUEL ADAMS,
Josiah QUINCY, JR.,
JOSIAN QUINCY, JR.,
BENJAMIN Rusu,
HENRY LEE,
Jony RANDOLPI,
Joux RANDOLPH,
Jous QUINCY ADAJIS,
DAVID RAMSAY,
EDWARD LIVINGSTON,
TRISTRAN BURGES,
WILLIAM WIRT,
Davu PAUL Brown,
FRANKLIN PIERCE,
De Witt Clintox,