Communication ETDs

Publication Date

8-8-1967

Abstract

Statement of the Problem

John Bright was one of the great reformers and orators of Victorian England, his most active years being 1840 to 1880. During forty years of service, he became involved in many of the most important political issues of his day, one of which was the American Civil War.

When the Civil War broke out in the American Union, England quickly divided into two impassioned groups, one prescribing neutrality, the other advocating support of the Southern cause. As the contest progressed, English favor was turned toward peace and support of the North, "not by the action of a political party, but by the efforts of individual men – men such as Prince Albert, Goldwin Smith, John Stuart Mill, Richard Cobden, among whom John Bright was a leader. The purpose of the following study was to analyze the oratorical efforts of Bright as he "fired his sympathy for the Union cause during the Civil War.”

From December 4, 1861, to March 23, 1865, Bright delivered numerous speeches on the American Question, eight of which were recorded in James E. Thorold Rogers' edition of Bright's speeches. Three other speeches delivered August 1, 1861, November 24, 1861, and January 26, 1864, contained portions that dealt with the American crisis. The eight complete texts and the three extracts were studied to determine the oratorical qualities and effectiveness of John Bright during the American civil strife.

Justification of the Problem

It is often said that great issues bring forth great men. The middle decades of the nineteenth century were years of great issues for England. When one studies England of the 18401s through the 18801s, one cannot escape studying its gr1eat men, among whom was John Bright. Bright was one of the Liberal Parliamentarians, along with men of the caliber of Richard Cobden, who made England a sounding board of reform for the rest of the educated world. The mid-eighteen hundreds was the era of such divisive issues as the great Corn Law Dispute, the Church Rates Question, the Crimean War, and across the Atlantic, the American Civil War. Bright's oratory in all instances either warned Britain or helped her out of embarrassing crises. Since no study of Bright specifically dealt with his Civil War addresses, our concern was with his orations on the American Question.

Scope of the Problem

The eight complete texts and the three extracts delivered from 1861 to 1865 were studied as examples of Bright's orations on the American Question. The early 1860s was a prolific era for Bright. He was at his political and popular height. He was involved in franchisement, reform, economy, but first and foremost, in the American crisis. Rogers and Bright jointly chose nineteen speeches to represent the type of orations Bright delivered in the early 1860s. Eight of the texts in the Roger's edition of Bright's speeches were on the American Question. Bright's orations on the Civil War brought him to the fore as a champion of freedom and won for him the honor of being called one of Victorian England’s greatest orators and statesmen.

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Communication

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Department of Communication and Journalism

First Committee Member (Chair)

Wayne C. Eubank

Second Committee Member

John Douglas Gibb

Third Committee Member

Lloyd Edmond Lamb

Fourth Committee Member

George Meyer Ridenour

Comments

The UNMUL recognizes that due to its historical nature, this item may have content that is biased, harmful, or oppressive.

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