Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/33

 14 FAMOUS LIVING AMERICANS NoWy let it be recalled again that the public address is to be heard, rarely, if ever, read ; and that it is to accomplish some- thing in the hearer — to move his wUl. Just as in the com- munication of thought through writing, certain elements such as Force and Unity should be observed, so in the presentation of thought through oral address, certain perfectly reasonable qualities or principles should be observed And so far from involving mimicry, or ventriloquism, or trifling distinctions, intelligent instruction in delivery aims simply at clearness, force, unity, and dignity in the presentation of the message: aims at helping the student to get away from oddities and habits tending to detract from the thought ; and seeks to aid him in giving the message the impress of his own personality. Oral Discourse, it should be remembered, is always more than mere thought : it is the communication of ideas plus the speaker 's impress — a life he imparts 2. Obal Discoubse to it. The message intended for pri- MOBE THAN vate reading comes for the most part MEBE THOUGHT cold, Uninterpreted, without the throb of personality. This personal im- press, this life given to it by the speaker, accounts largely for the striking results of the oral appeal through all the years in the great realms of politics, social reform, and religion. Just as in the composition of public discourse the speaker gives not merely facts but the significance of the facts, so in the presentation of a great message he gives not merely thought, but his reactions — the response from the very depths of his being — fairly and sincerely accompanying the thought. A great speech is necessarily more than mere thought. Men who actually have studied Public Speech realize full well this '* spiritual content.** Here, then, if nowhere else, is found abundant reason for training in actual delivery of public dis- course. In connection with the delivery one thing may be stated with certainty : that public speech is essentially away beyond pri- vate speech usually as to occasion, aim, and certain outstand- ing qualities. What might be said or done with propriety in private speech might be ridiculous in public speech. In so