Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-09-20
FROM "REMINISCENCES OF
SARGANT S. PRENTISS.
By author q,e'zom oven taelBse Hunter.

hou TIC iiCiailCiloiy pleasure oil
hearing his last, and, it would seem to
me, his greatest speech. Toward
the close ofthe last Presidential cam
paign, found him in the interior of
the State, endeavoring to recruit his
declining health. He had been OBJ
liged to avoid all public speaking, and
had gone far into the country to get
away from excitement But there
was gathering near by his tempo
rary home, and he consented to be
present. 1t was late in the even.ne
when he ascended the 'stand,' which
was supported by the trunks of two
magnificent forest trees, through
which the setting sun poured with
picturesque effect. The ravages of
i'll health were apparent upon his
face, and his massive forhead was
paler, and seemingly more trsuspa-
rent than usual. His audience, some
three or four hundred, was composed
IN large degree Of his old and early
friends. He seemed to feel deeply,
and as there was nothing tooppose,
he assumed the style of the wild and
beautiful-he casually alluded to the
days of his early coming among his
Southern friends-of hours of pleas
ure he had passed, and of the hopes
ofthe future. In q few moments the
hustle and confusion natural to Ia e.
ti5uing day Of political wrangling ceas
cd-one straggler after another sus-
pended his noisy demonstration, ,sand
gathered near the speaker. Soon a
mass ofsilent, but breast-heaving hui
manity was crowded compactly be-
fore him. Had Prentiss, on that oc-
casion, held the very heart strings of
his auditors in his hand, he could mot
have had them more in his power.
For an hour he econtinued, rising from
one important subject to another. un-
til the breath was fairly suspended in
the excitement. An uninterested
spectator would have supposed that
he had used sorceryin thus trans6x
ing his auditors. While others for
got, he noticed the day was drawing
to close, he turned and looked to-
wards the setting sun, and apostro.
phised its fading glory-then in his
most touching voice and manner,
concluded as follows:
Friends, that glorious orb reminds
me that the day is spent, and that I
too must close. Ere we part, LET me
hope that it may be our good fortune
to end our days in the same spleudor.
and that when the evening oflife
comes, we may sink to rest will, the
clouds that closcin our departure,
gold-tipped with the glorious efful-
gence of a well spent life" F
In conclusion, i would ask, will
some historian, who can sympathise
with the noble dead, gather up the
now fleeing memorials that still live
memory; and combine them togeth-
er, that future generations NAV know
something of the mighty mind of
Prentiss.
The remains of the orator must ev-
er be imperfect-the tone ofvoice-
the flashing eye; the occasion. and
the mighty shout of the multitude
cannot be impressed; but still Prem
tlss has left enough in his brilliant ca
reer,, if treasured ITO show posteri-
ty that ne was every inch a man.
Let his iragmentary printed speech
es-let the "reminiscences of his frien dis.
that treat of his power as am orator.
be brought together, and unsatisfac.
tory as they may be, there will be
found left intrinsic value enomgh II, to
accomplish the object. There WILDE
In the fiuted column; though shat
cred and defaced, an Ionian beauty
that will unerringly tell of the Mag
nificent temple that It once adorned.
II, B. IT,
A WEDDING IN HIGH LIFR.-The
London Messenger thus describes a
wedding in high life, in England:--
The parties who are,to be. united en-
ter by the side door Of tho church, and
wait in the vestry until the clerey-
man is ready, and allis prepared.
The father, or whoever gives the
bride away, then conducts her TO the
altar. The bridegroons follows with
the bridemaids, and the relatives and
friends follow in therear. The CLERK,
(who is the clerg gytaafl's deputy then
places the bride before the altar and
the bridegroom at her right.hand.
The father stands behind tie bride,
| that he may be ready to place her
right hard IN that ofthe joyous bride
1 gfoom---fofeyery bridegroom ought