The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-05-15

in England-I win speak or die on all such oc "A.
sioas When | see The daring or iHsidinus invasion
of the freedum aid indrpr ndeLce Of legislation al
tempted, will denonnee the invader and drnounce
the principle OF invasion. Whyl Because love
the government aud prefer lis preservation for nv
children, better than love any man VIII, breathes
forget persons am needless al personalities IN The
struggle 10 mainlain our institutions. am respon-
sitie always, personally and legally, for The Lam
goage employ. | bow TO the law and the Judge
inent Of NY pe'rs."
Mr.. Wise always speaks what his feelings,
rather than his judgment. dictate, and seems
to Take u pride in .calling things by their
right names"-which, "a speaker, gives to
what he says the effect oil sincerity, though il
sometimes indicates a want Of taste. Ills
style is vigorous, but not polished-his elocu-
tim impressive and easy--his action appro-
pirate and not ungracelul-- his voice clear
mud distinct, and would always be audible, irhe
did not sometime lei il fall too suddenly below
the proper pitch, at the close OF a sentence. As
a patriot, parliamentary speaker, aud a legis.
ator, know Of no man Of his age in this
country who can be ranked as his equal.
Though apparently feeble in health, he Is
nevertheless interchangeable in the discharge of
his duties. and uniiring and ceaseless in his
efforts to accomplish what he believes to be
conducive to the glory and prosperity of his
country Such man should always be in
the councils OF the nation.
Net less eloquent, but less ambitious Of
parliamentary distinction, is the man he is
proud to cali his friend
S. S. PRENTIss.
This gentleman made his first appearance
at the bar Of the House. during the extra ses-
sioniof the twenty fifth Congress, in support
Of his right to seat in that body as repre-.
sentative from Mississippi. On that occasion
he spoke for three days, with force of rem
soning, rapidiiy and beauty Of elocutlon, and
a splendor Of defamation, thu, astonished all
who had the pleasure Of hearing him. Mr..
Prentiss is small in stature, and has lame
ness in one of his legs, which compels him /,
resort TO the use Of staff, on which he rests
his delormed limb when he moves-he is,
however, said to possess uncommon strength
Of body, and to have great vigor of muscle.
His head is large and out Of proportion to the
rest OF his lrame-his features are good, and
his countenance, though not what would be
called handsome, is not ugly. He is snid TO
be- native Of Name, and commenced life, like
most of our distinguished men, in poverty.
He taught school, while quite young, in Mis-
sssippi, to which he had removed to seek his
fortune afterwards studied law, and soon
became eminent at the bar, where he acquired
both reputation and wealth. lie appears 10 be
about thirty years Of age. Mr. Prentiss has
all the elements Of The orator in him lis
mind possesses great fertility and expansive
ness; il Is logical, imaginative, sarcastic and
humorous. The faculties of judgment, imagi-
nation, memory and taste, are equally pron,i-
| nent and always exercised, when he speaks.
After n laborious train Of reasoning. in which
he shows his strength Us a logicIan. his hearer
Is astonlshed at some apt and fclcitous Illus
tration, drawn from history, poetry, phi!oso-
ply, or romance, which he calls up by the
power of memory, and apparently without an
effort of the will. His early reading seems
t., have been confined to the sacred volume of
lnspiraiipn with which he is perfectly familiar,
and from which most Of his illustrations are
taken. which are always happy and striking.
He has the faculty, moreover, OF gliding ra-
dy fa% grave to gay rH the Enc %ap sessn
tory TO the coolest aud most philosophical
reasoning His Imagination furnishes him
with the finest images, his invention with the
strongest arguments, his judgment with the
most logical application and most lucid ar
raneenient Of them, and his memory with
great variety orinciden.s and facts, which he
lias treasured up in the course of his reading
and observation, which he can call up with
singular felicity, and apply with grea, effect
Mr.. Prentiss possesses genius as well as ia
lent ms Thoughts are poetical and often beau
t'ful, but always under the control OF good
taste. HIS reading seems to have been more
among the imaginative than the philosophical
lights OF the world, and he has read more for
amusement than for the acquisition Of know
ledge. His mind is more exclusive than pro-
ionnd---it delights more in the romance than
the realities oil llte, and takes greater pleasure
IN reposing IN the italian bowers with Homer,
than IN communing IN the groves of Acade-
mus with Plato. His dcton is sometimes
very splendid, and his elocu,ion singularly
fluent, rolling along without hesitation and
almost without pause. His touches of hui
NOR and wit are excellent, and his sarcasm
exceedingly pungcnt--sometimes putting the
House in roar of laughter, and at Others ex-
citing it TO an almost irrepressible burst of in
dignation. His voice is, however, defective,
and his cadences are not alu avs harmonious
or pleasing TO the ear and his action is too
uniform for grace. Had he the inclination, he
would be an admirable dcbater, but he prefers
his own ease to the exertion which eninence
as debater requires. He is, however, more
Of an orator than debater His mind is too
rich, afilnent, and imaginative for the latter;
and he likes to exert his intellectual energies,
only when it can be done with effect, and
when sense of duty or the love of fame inn
pels him to The effort 1t is to be regretted.
that ne should find the great political arena Of
Congress so little suited to his taste, or so
hostile to his interests, as to induce him 10
withdraw from the councils of the nation, and
to return again 10 a profession from which he
derives more wealth, ii not so much fame, as