Statistics for occurrence #1 of “Dickens” in chapter 9, page 208 of Bliss Perry, The American spirit in lierature: a chronicle of great interpreters:
... Webster, perceives and maintains, in the noblest tones of our civic speech, the sole conditions of our continuance as a nation.
Let us begin with oratory, an American habit, and, as many besides Dickens have thought, an American defect.
We cannot argue that question adequately here.
It is sufficient to say that in the pioneer stages of our existence oratory was necessary
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