expostulation

• If he makes a stand at Winchester, moving neither north nor south, I would fight him there, on the idea that if we cannot beat him when he bears the wastage of coming to us, we never can when we bear the wastage of going to him But advice, expostulation, argument, orders, were all wasted, now as before, on the unwilling, hesitating general. —  A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln
• There was no time for expostulation, the French were found already to have occupied the whole ground. —  The Three Commanders
• "Would the task then be so great Nay"--with gentle expostulation--"but you--members of the court--are many; not your sins I suppose," whispered Jacqueline to the duke's fool, when the attention of the company was thus withdrawn from the jester's end of the table, "you think yourself in fine favor now Yes," he answered, absently; "thanks to your suggestion My suggestion!" —  Under the Rose
• In vain she attempted an expostulation, and, what between her efforts and the rising exultation, I began to apprehend she would have a fit, so I comforted her, and said, "Never mind, Madame, we will have a window without doubt somewhere, and at present you see we don't want one, for the door throws in so much light, that we never found out we ought to have windows." —  Yr Ynys Unyg The Lonely Island
• Nana Sahib queried; "I like Hunsa's idea; and you've heard what the Commandant says The Dewan turned to the Bagree, "Will Ajeet consent to the Gulab acting thus Hunsa's answer was illuminating: "The Chief will agree to it if he can't help himself There was a lull, each one turning this momentous thing over in his mind It was the jamadar who broke the silence; somewhat at a tangent he said: "As to a decoity, Your Honour said that we being of that profession should undertake one The Dewan roared; the burden of his expostulation was the word liar But Nana Sahib laughed tolerantly. —  Caste

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Used in the Same Context