Men and Brothers

           ‘Oh,myfriends,thedown-troddenoperativesofCoketown!Oh,myfriendsandfellow-countrymen,theslavesofaniron-handedandagrindingdespotism!Oh,myfriendsandfellow-sufferers,andfellow-workmen,andfellow-men!Itellyouthatthehouriscome,whenwemustrallyroundoneanotherasOneunitedpower,andcrumbleintodusttheoppressorsthattoolonghavebattenedupontheplunderofourfamilies,uponthesweatofourbrows,uponthelabourofourhands,uponthestrengthofoursinews,upontheGod-createdgloriousrightsofHumanity,andupontheholyandeternalprivilegesofBrotherhood!’

           ‘Good!’‘Hear,hear,hear!’‘Hurrah!’andothercries,aroseinmanyvoicesfromvariouspartsofthedenselycrowdedandsuffocatinglycloseHall,inwhichtheorator,perchedonastage,deliveredhimselfofthisandwhatotherfrothandfumehehadinhim.Hehaddeclaimedhimselfintoaviolentheat,andwasashoarseashewashot.Bydintofroaringatthetopofhisvoiceunderaflaringgaslight,clenchinghisfists,knittinghisbrows,settinghisteeth,andpoundingwithhisarms,hehadtakensomuchoutofhimselfbythistime,thathewasbroughttoastop,andcalledforaglassofwater.

           Ashestoodthere,tryingtoquenchhisfieryfacewithhisdrinkofwater,thecomparisonbetweentheoratorandthecrowdofattentivefacesturnedtowardshim,wasextremelytohisdisadvantage.JudginghimbyNature’sevidence,hewasabovethemassinverylittlebutthestageonwhichhestood.Inmanygreatrespectshewasessentiallybelowthem.