The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-04-26
w is CELL a EO u S
From the Mobile Tribune.
Plutarch Pictures.
William q. Preston,

Standing before one of the fire-places
you see q tall man apparently about
:. fifty years ofage. His person is en-
veloped in an old plaid cloak, but
you see at a glance from the anima
tion of his face, and the graceful mo
tion of his arms, that he is man
of mark, and he is surrounded by scv.
eral gentlemen, who are listening tc
his remarks with profound attention
Suddenly, he throws his cloak aside
and advances. The first tones o1
his voice fall upon your car like
the "sweet SOUTH" ol rise to advo.
cate the motion of my friend, Gener
al Hayne. The giant of the west woos
the bride Of the soutll--give him the
bride!" Who is he that opens his dis
course like an emperor? 1t is Will
liam G. Preston, and he is advocating
the incorporation of the Charleston and
Cincinnati railroad company. This
was subsequent to the meeting of
tho celebrated nullifying convention
of which he was not member
his speech was one Of the most SUI
perb specimens of oratory that ev-
er fell from mortal lips. When he
described the prosperity of England un-
der the influence other interpretations,
and compared them to the sails OF
IN ship rising tier above tier, rs she
marched along the 'mountain wave," he
rose to his full height, and throwing
his hands above his head, advanced
q step, as ifto perfect the picture. The
Yifect was electrical; you saw the i'm
= age, and recognised the power of
the Orator.
This gentleman was one of the
most gifted Of the heroic band Of nulli-
fiers, and subsequently became one of
the most distinguished statesmen of
the country, electrifying the Senate, and
all ranks and classes of men, with
that matchless oratory, which in
its effects was like one of those
tremendous tre nical storlas, which
4 sweep away every fything before thena-
He spoke like man inspired! tower
ing above the conflict of debate, and
bathing in sun bright excellence of
his own glorious intellect. His speech.
es during the notification controvcr-
sy, eclipsed every thing since the time OF
Patrick Henry, 'the forest born Dem
osthenes, who shook the Phillip Of
the seas" His first speech in the Son
ate of the United States was highly
complimented by his opponents, par
ticularly by Forsyth, who said that
that he could we'll believe the blood of
Henry flowed in the veins of the
eloquent Carolinian. And such in
deed, is the fact, for Preston's moth
or was near relative Of the great Vir-
ginian. But it was not to his oratory
alone that Preston was indebted for
reputation, for he was distinguished
lawyer, brilliant wis, and superb con-
versationalist; indeed, we cnce heard
Senator Butler say that the most bril-
liant things he ever heard from any
man in conversation, were uttered by
Preston. This is great praise, when
we reflect that Butler has long mingled
familiarly with the most celebrated
men of the country, and is himself in
ferior to no man in the Union, as an
eloquent speaker and fascinating con-
yersationalist.
In fact, VILLAIN Claiborne Preston
was the most eloquent man that
America has produced since the rcvo-
luton. No orator in the country
could stand before him for single in
SsSnt. He lowered above the argu-
Iiient,. and the audience, in those splen-
did harangues that stirred up your
blood until you were ready, like the
Athenians'of old, to take up arms and
march against the Macedonian 10
how great, how noble, how sublime,
were the orations of Preston Je1cr-
son said, that Patrick Henry, spakc as
AS Homer wrote, but Preston was the
god Of Homer-the Jupiter who,
Shook his ambrosial curls, and gave the nod
The stamp of Fate, and sanction OF the God -
and as he carried you away in perfect
storm of oratory, enchanting your very
soul by the fascinating fevor and pictur-
esque elegance of his eloauence, you ex-
claimed with Hamlet-"What piece
ofwork is man! How noble in reason
how infinite in faculties! in form and
moving, how express and admirable |!
in action, how like an angel in apprc-
hension, how like god the beauty
of the world the paragon of animals !
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AARON HsUREe.
THE nuiet erection of tomhetono y