Briefly stated, it is to bring into one focus the thought of an assembly.
While the good things of the table may be satisfactory, and conversation
free and spontaneous, there is yet need of some expedient for making all
thought flow in one channel, and of blending the whole company into a true
unity. There is one way, and only one, of doing this--the same that is
used to produce unity of action and thought in any assembly, for whatever
purpose convened. When the destinies of empires are at stake, when great
questions that arise among men are to be solved, the art of speech must be
called into play. So after a good dinner has been enjoyed, the same potent
agency finds a field, narrower, indeed, but scarcely less operative. And
this object--of causing a whole assembly to think the same thoughts and
turn their attention to a common topic--is often well attained even when
the speeches do not aspire to great excellence or pretension to eloquence.

A commonplace illustration will make our meaning clear. Suppose a great
reception, where many rooms are filled with invited guests. There is
conversation, but only by groups of two or three persons; refreshments are
served; larger groups begin to gather around prominent persons, but there
is the same diversity of sentiment and purpose that is to be found in a
chance crowd in a public park. The guests are not in one place, with one
accord. But now, on some pretext, the power of public speech is evoked;
perhaps a toast is offered and responded to, or a more formal address of
welcome or congratulation, or anything else suitable to the occasion.
The subject and the manner of introduction are not material, so that the
living, speaking man is brought face to face with his fellows; at once,
instead of confusion and disorder, all is order and harmony. The speaker
may hesitate in the delivery of his message, but his very embarrassment
will in some instances contribute to harmonize the thought of the assembly