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A National Weakness

About This Item

  • Title: A National Weakness
  • Date: 25 February 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01435
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 25 February 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Tara Ballard Stephanie Blalock Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "A National Weakness." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 16 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01435.xml (TEI)
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A NATIONAL WEAKNESS.—

Every American, after his triumphant "first appearance" in boots, is understood to be able to make a speech when called upon, with the same facility with which he can smoke a "long nine." We are a nation of orators. In other countries, England for example, men who can make a speech on publich​ occasions are, comparatively speaking, very scarce. But here a man is fit for nothing unless he can make an off-hand address, at a minute's notice, on any subject, no matter whether he be acquainted with it or not. If it were not for this habit of impromptu speaking our meetings would be destitute of half their "spice." Our audiences here yawn over a set speech, carefully elaborated, and delivered according to the rules of art, but when Jones or Robinson, of "our ward," delivers a spread-eagle harangue, they are sure to be delighted—though these gentlemen may not be "orators, as Brutus is."1 It is a reciprocal affair. When we are not listeners, we are speakers—when we are not speaking, we listen.

Notes:

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