Speech-making; explicit instructions for the building and delivery of speeches - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 Excerpt: ...and in March, 1796, was proclaimed as the law of the land. On April 28 a resolution was offered that it would be expedient "to pass the laws necessary for carrying the treaty into effect." Mr. Ames's speech was on this resolution. It is somewhat abridged, but is a complete speech as here given. political affairs are the passions of men. Shall we complain of our nature--shall we say that man ought to have been made otherwise? It is right already, because He, from whom we derive our nature, ordained it so; and because thus made and thus acting, the cause of truth and the public good is more surely promoted. The treaty is bad, fatally bad, is the cry. It sacrifices the interest, the honour, the independence of the United States and the faith of our engagements to Prance. If we listen to the clamour of party intemperance, the evils are of a number not to be counted, and of a nature not to be borne, even in idea. The language of passion and exaggeration may silence that of sober reason in other places; it has not done it here. The question here is, whether the treaty be really so very fatal as to oblige the nation to break its faith. I admit that such a treaty ought not to be executed. I admit that self-preservation is the first law of society as well as of individuals. It would, perhaps, be deemed an abuse of terms to call that a treaty which violates such a principle. I waive, also, for the present, any inquiry what departments shall represent the nation and annul the stipulations of a treaty. I content myself with pursuing the inquiry whether the nature of this compact be such as to justify our refusal to carry it into effect. A treaty is the promise of a nation. Now, promises do not always bind him that makes them. But I lay down two rules which ou...