The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1841-08-14

1.4.-.-a-xau.ss.4s,..ssx=A..
In the varied expression of the counlc-
nance, the moclula ion of the voice. and
graceful action, MIR. p does not come up
to Mr.. Cay; but he has more brilliancy
OF thought, though he Yields not keen
er weapon OF sarcasm. Mr.. Preston is Il
Nlural. at tie head Of his dashing squad .
ro:Is, bearing down all before him, the adj
mrailon even of his foes. NJ Clay is IL
Napoleon whose eye ovcrlooks the whole
field, who sees every movement of his
antagonists and makes Il corresponding
one OF his own forces, and who leads
them into battle, himself always in the
front rank, and where the flight is thickest.
In private and social life Mr.. p. is re-
markably unassuming and accessible, and
III conversation free, lively, playful and
interesting. lie is, in truth, the very
beau ideal Oft Southern gGnlleman; COM
bining that elegance and amenity of man.
ne.s, with that set-respcct. nice sense of
honor and proPrlcty, perfect acquaintance
society, which can only be acquired by
intercourse in early life with the best cir
cles, aid which are found, perhaps, to
greater extent among the Oldest families
in South Carolina, than in any other sec
ton OF the country.
Mr.. Preston is by birth son of the
sold Dominion" and descendant of the
celebrated orator and patriot PATRICK
HENRY, whom he is said TO resemble as
much in feature as in mental qualities.
lie eml5ratcd many v"ss:.:s; 40 TO S Car
olina and entered upon the practice OF
law, in which, as every man must possess
sing his powers of eIoqucncc, he has
been emincnily successful. lie first en-
tered the Senate Us the successor. be.
lieve, of Col. IIaync, in 1894, and imme-
diatcly broke upon the vision of the ma
lion with the brilliancv of a star of the
first magnitude, and this, seven years of
public life have proved him to be. He
came into the Senate an opponent of the
Jackson and Van Buren, dynasty, South
Carolina, following MIR. Calhoun's Lad,
then being to emast among the States OPP
posed to Executive usurpat,on and mis-
rule. Up to September, 1897, when Mr..
Calhoun made such sudden and extra
ordinary somerset, and !.sworc eternal
friendship with his dcadlicst cnemv." Mr.
Preston stood by him shoulder to shoul
der, doing battle against the enemies of the
constitution. and resisting the sweeping
that time, however, they separated. 1t
was not in Mr. P.'s nature thus to aban
don the principles he had sustained and
take to his cordial embrace the very men
he and his State and colleague had de-
nounccd rs usrrpers and iavorcrs of pro-
scrip'ion. extravaganza and fraud. II was
painful, doubtless, for Mr.. p. to be thus
separated from his colleague, whom he
had on several occasions galantly sus
tanned and defended; it was more painful
to see majority of the people of South
Carolina abandoning the principle upon
which. and To sustain which they had
sent him to the Senate; but more painful
thin either world have been al abandon
mcnt on his own part of these principles,
and the humiliation of being charged,
without being able to reply, with yield
ing up all that he had before contendcd
for, and going over to those who were
trampling upon the constitution and sup
porting executive supremacy. Mr.. p.
chose rather TO separate from his collca-
que than from his principles. and from
that day they have occupied different and
opposite sides oflhc house, though ! pre-
sumo they entertain ii high personal res
pect for each other.
From his first entrance into the Senate
in 1884, Mr.. Z. has been one of the fore
most in the front rank of the W higs. i'll
that position he has become known and
endcarcd to the friends OF liberal principles
throughout the Union; and had not the
term .'thc chivary of the South" become
somewhat stale and ridiculous. by the
boosted icarlessncss OF another South
Carolnian, should say he was the per-
sonificalion of Southern chvalry; he is
the Chcvalier Bayard of America, and it
his own modesly will not permit him, his
friends will inscribe upon his helmet,
sans pcur, sans rcprochc.
Yours, truly, AN AMERICAN.