Produced by W. B. Jenness
The design of this book is twofold,—to meet the present demand for newselections suited to the spirit of the hour, and also to furnish a choicecollection of standard pieces for elocutionary exercises on which time hasset its lasting seal. In the execution of this design no pains have beenspared in selecting and preparing the best pieces, both new and old.
The extracts from recent productions, numbering about one hundred, by morethan fifty different authors, are now for the first time presented in aSpeaker. They are for the most part the eloquent utterances of our bestorators and poets, inspired by the present national crisis, and aretherefore "all compact of the passing hour," breathing "the fine sweetspirit of nationality,—the nationality of America." They give expressionto the emotions excited, the hopes inspired, and the duties imposed by thisstormy and perilous period. They afford brilliant illustrations of thestatesmanship of the crisis. Sumner exposes the origin and mainspring ofthe rebellion, Douglass strips off its pretext, Everett paints its crime,Boutwell boldly proclaims its remedy in emancipation, and Banks pronouncesa benediction on the first act of reconstruction on the solid basis offreedom to all. They furnish also an epitome of the convict of arms. Bryantutters the rallying cry to the people, Whittier responds in the unitedvoice of the North, Holmes sounds the grand charge, Pierpont gives thecommand "Forward!" Longfellow and Boker immortalize the unconquerableheroism of our braves on sea and land, and Andrew and Beecher speak intender accents the gratitude of loyal hearts to our fallen heroes.
These new pieces will for a time receive the preference over old ones, andsome of them will survive the period which called them forth. But to insurefor the work, if possible, a permanent value as a Standard Speaker forstudents of common schools, higher seminaries and colleges, the greaterpart of the selections, nearly three hundred in number, have been chosenfrom those of acknowledged excellence, and of unquestionable merit asexercises for recitation and declamation. This department comprises everyvariety of style necessary in elocutionary culture.
Another important feature of the collection is the introduction of thosemasterpieces of oratory—long excluded from books of this class, though nowrendered appropriate by the new phase of public opinion,which advocate theinalienable rights of man, and denounce the crime of human bondage. Awareof the deep and lasting power which pieces used for declamation exert inmoulding the ideas and opinions of the young, it has been my aim to admitonly such productions as inculcate the noblest and purest sentiments,teaching patriotism, loyalty, and justice, and bring the youthful heartwith ambition to be useful, and with heroic devotion to duty.
The text of the extracts has been made to conform to that of the mostauthentic editions of the works of their authors. Some pieces which haveheretofore been presented in a mutilated form, are here restored to theiroriginal completeness. Where compression or a