What relationship does james baldwin establish with his audience in the opening two paragraphs? how does he establish his ethos?

He is from the very beginning informal because  instead of starting the speech with let us, he uses let's. The sixth word of the speech is we so again he identies himself with the public. When he sates that he and his audience are living in a very dangerous time we can say that he is speaking frankly to his audience. The ethos in his speech is constructed in an informal way but at the same time appealing to honesty with the audience.

- "is not only a luminous passive watcher in the night sky, but it is a powerful force.

it does symbolizes love,   lust   and dreaming and is seen as a power symbolic force that determines and affects human behaviors and reactions.

in the context of the question it does remain you that he events are only taking place at night and the reader of the passage of time."