Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-01-05
From Col Benton's forthcoming History
DEATH OF WILLIAM pINEyNEY.


tude of his strength and on the field of his
tame-under the double labors of the Supreme
Court and of the Senate, and under the immense
concentration of thought which he gave to the
preparation of his speeches lie was considered
In his day the first of American orators, but
will hardly keep that place with posterity, be-
cause he spoke more to the hoarer than to the
reader-to the present than to the absent--and
avoided the careful publication of his speeches.
lie labored them hard, but it was for the effect
of their delivery, and the triumph of present
victory. He loved the admiration of the crowd
ed gallery-the trumpet tongucd fame which
went forth from the forum--the victory which
crowned the effort; but avoided the publication
of what was received with 50 much applause,
giving as reason that the published speech
would not sustain the renown Of the delivered
one. His forte as speaker lay in his judgment,
his logic, his power of argument but, like
many other men of acknowledged pre-ominence
in some great gift of nature, and who are still
ambitious of some inferior gft he courted his
imagination too much, and laid too much stress
upon action and delivery-so potent upon the
small circle of actual hearers, but so lost upon
the national audience which the press now gives
to great speaker. In other respects, Mr.. Pink
ney was truly great orator, rich in his mate
rial, strong in his argument-clear, natural and
regular in the exposition of his subject, compre-
hensive in his views, and chaste in his diction
His speeches, both senatorial and forensic, were
full studied and laboriously preparod-all the
argumentative parts carefully digested under
appropriate heads, and the snowy passages often
written out and committed to memory. He
would not speak at all except upon preparation;
and at sexagenarian ago-that at which knew
him-was a model of study and of labor to all
young men. His last speech in the S,nate was
in reply to Rufus King, on the Missouri ques-
ton, and was the master effort of. his life. Tho
subject, the place, the audience, the antagonist,
were all such as to excite him to the utmost
exertion. The subject was national contro-
versy, convulsing the Union and monancing it
with dissolution; the place was the American
Sonate the audience Europe and America; the
antagonist was Preaceps Ssnatus, llustrious for
thirty years of diplomatic and senatorial service
and for great dignity of life and character. He
had ample time for preparation, and ayailed
himself of it. Mr.. King had spoken the session
before, and Published the "substanco - of his
!, speeches, (for there were two Of tlcm,) after
the adjournment of Congress, They wore the
signal guns for the Missouri controversy. 1t
was to these published speeches that Mr.. Pink
ney replied, and with the interval between two
sessions to prepare. 1t WAS a dagzling and over
powering reply, with the prestige of having the
union and the harmony of the States for its OBJ
ject, and crowded with rich material. The most
brilliant part of it WAS highly-wrought and
splendid ampliication, with illustrations from
Greek and Roman history) of that passage in
Mr. Burke's speech upon " Cancellation with
the Colonies" in which, and III looking to the
CT, he looks to the spirit Of the slave-holding
colonies as a main ingredient, and attributes to
the masters Of slaves, who are not themselves
slaves, the highest love of liberty, and the most
dif6cult1task Of subection. 1t was tho most
gorgeous speech ever delivered in the Senate,
and the most app!audsd; but it was only a
M mtguif;cent exhibition, as Mr.. Pinkney knew,
and could not sustain in the reading the plau-
dts it received in delivery; and therefore he
avoided its publication. He gave but little at
tentiou to the current business Of tac Senate,
only appearing in his place when the " Salami-
nan galley was to be launched or some spe-
. cial occasion called him--giving his time and
! labor to the bar, where his pride and glory was
> He had previously served in the House Of Rep
y rescntatives, and his first speech there was at
. tended by an incident illustrative of Mr.. Ran
dolph's talent for delicate intimation, and his
punctilious sense of parliamentary etiquette
Mr.. Pinkney came into the House with nation
al reputation, in the fulness of his fame, and
> exciting great xpectation-which he was
obliged to fulfill He spoke on the treaty-mak-
, ing power question of diplomatic and con-
stitutional law and he having been minister tc
= half the courts Of Europe, attorney general ol
. the United States, and a jurist by profession
y could only speak upon it in one way--as great
" master of the subject; and, consequently, ap-
y peared as if instructing the House Mr.. Ran
10 dolph-a veteran of twenty years parlamenta-
,' ry service-thought new member should serve
y little apprenticeship before he became instruc
Il tor. and wished to signify that to Mr.. Pinkney
= Hs had II gift, such as man never had, at del
icate intimation where he desired to give IL him
without offence; and he displayed it on this
: occasion. He replied to Mr. Pinkncy, referring
" to him by the parliamentary designation of " th'
- member from Maryland; !" and then pausing, al
if not certain, added, 81 believe he is from Ma
:, ryland" This implied doubt as to where HI
came from, and consequently as to who he was
amused Mr. Pinkney, who understood itpcriect
- ly, and taking it right, went over to MIR. Ran
: dolph's seat, introduced himself, and assured
= him that he was " from Maryland" They be
cpme close friends for ever after; and it wa
Mr. Randolph who first made known his dealt
in the House of Representatives, interrupting
II for that purpose, an angry debate, then raging
70 with beautiful and apt quotation from tn
NJ quarrel of Adam and Eve at their expulsion
m from Paradise. The published debates Civ
10 this account of it:
" Mr. Randolph rose to announce to tn
V. House an event which he hoped would put a
If end, at least for this day, to all further jar G
collision, here or elsewhere, among the member
el of this body. Yes for this one day, at leas
ho let us say, as our first mother said to our fir