Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-06-11

WHICH most OF his llleSLFduOllS dIC tdhrbs
which are always happy and striking.
He has the faculty, moreover, of gliding
rapidly from grave to gay, from the I'M
passionate TO the humorous, and from the
declamaiory to the coolest and most PHI
losophicai reasoning. His imagination
furnishes him with the finest images, his
invention with the strongest arguments !.
his judgment with the most logical appli-
cation and most lucid arrangement Of
them, and his memory with great yarie-
ty of incidents and facts, which he has
treasured up in the course Of his akead-
ing and observation, and which he can
call up with singular felicity, and apply
with great effect. Mr.. Prentiss posses.
ses genius, as well as talent his Thoughts
are poetical and often beautiful, but l.
ways under the control Of good taste.
His reading seems 10 have been mo-
among the imaginative than the philoso.
phieal lights of the world, and be has
read more for amusement than for the ae-
QUESTION of knowledge. His mind is
more exclusive than profound-it de.
lights more in the romance than the reaii-
ties of life, and takes greater pleasure In
rcposing in the italian bowers with Flo.
mer, than in communing in the groves
of Academus with Plato. His diction is
sometimes very splendid, and his elocu-
ton is singulafly fluent, rolling along with.
out hesitation and almost without pause.
His touches of humor and wit are excel
lent, and his sarcasm exceedingly pun
gent-sometimes putting the House in Il
roar Of laughter, end at others exciting it
TO an almost irrepressible burst of indigna-
ton. His voice is, however, detective,
and his cadences are not always harno.
NOUS or pleasing TO the ear, and his action
is too uniform for grace. Had he the IN
cllnation, he would be an admirable dc.
batter, but he prefers his own ease to the
exertIon which. eminence as debater re.
quires. He IS, However, more of an ora
tor than de6ater. Ills mind is too rich,
afIlucnt, and Imaginative for the latter;
and he likes TO exertilis Intellectual ener-
gies, only when it can be done with effect.
and when sense Of duty, or the love OF
fame impeIs him to the effort. 1t is TO be
regretted, that he should find the great po.
litical arena of Congress so little suited to
his taste, or so hostile to his interests, as TO
induce him to withdraw from the councils
Of the nation, and return again 10 a pro.
fession from which he derives more wealth
if not so much fame, as from the career of
legislation, which he has just abandoned,
and in which he is so we'll fitted to excel.
shall conclude these hasty sketches
with that Of
OGDEN HOFFMAN,.
This gentleman, like Mr.. Meneiee,
made his first appearance in Congress. at
the extra session in 1887, as representa-
tive of the city of New York. His re-
pntation as an advocate had preceded him,
and he soon had an opportunity of dis
playing his ia 'ents in a new sphere and
wider field than any to which he had be-
fore been accustomed. Every one who
heard him on that occasion, was not only
delighted, but astonished at the power OF
his eioquence and the splendor of his dec
lamatlon. Ii was in the finest style OF
parliamentary oratory, and had not been
surpassed for many years in the House.
Mr.. Hofiman's mud is imaginative and
elegant, and his memory appears to be
rich in the lore of history, upon the trea-
sures of which he draws with great sue.
cess, and from which he borrows his finest
illustrations. His style is courteous, poll
ished, ornate, and sometimes beautiful.
His reasoning is never dry, his argument
never tedious. Imagination casts over
the workings of his mind a perpetual
charm, and sirews with the richest flow
ers, the path his judgment may select.
The ear is delighted, and the fancy pleas
ed, while reason is satisfied. lie is man
of genius; his temperament is ardent and
his mind poetical. The creations of his
fancy, as he rolls along, are often gorge
Gus and beautiful he uses no vulgarisms,
no low illusions, 70 trite or common.p place
illustrations; and his thoughts and ina
ges, if not always original, are presented
in such a.form, and surrounded with. such
drapery, as to possess the charm of orig
lnallty. In the highest and most difficult
range of eloquence, mean the pathetic,
should Judge that Mr.. Hoffman would ex.
Gel. There is something in the mellow
and plaintiVe tones of his voice, in the ex.
citabity of his imagination, and in the
nature of his feelings, that must give him
great power, while addressing himself to
the sympathies and passions of his hear
ers, and which must render him, on sucl,
occasions, almost omnipotent before a iu.
ry. His style is rich in rhetorical orna
ment-perhaps too much so, for claSsi.
cal simplicity and he employs the daz.
zllng force of argument with great eff.
feet. In person, Mr.. Hoffman is abou,
the middle size, and his body well propor.
toned. His complexion is fair and rud-
dy, his eye blue and Indicative of genius,
and when he smiles, his countenance looks
sunny and assumes the most pleasing ex-
precision. His voice is soft and musical,
and his intonations are well modutred
though somewhat monotonous. His ca.
denceS fall upon the ear with the softness
of music, and the tones are pleasing even
when the meaning is lost. His attitudes
and gcsticulation are graceful and appro.
pirate, and his elocution unstudied, i'm.
pressive and fascinating. His style and
manner are more parliamentary than 70.
rensic; but notwithstanding his aeknowl.
edged talents, fear his habits are too in.
dolent 10 enable him to retain. though he
has reached, high rank as an eloquent
debater, in body organized like the
House of Representatives. He but sell
dom addresses the House. h1,s tvba1 h.