Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-06-20


Judge BENNNe has social virtues that make him
apleasant companion and most estimable man
modest, courteous, and ommunicative-a Judge and
a gentlemen,
-" cui Pudor, ct Justitie soror
Ineorrupta Fides. nudaque veritas,
Quando ullum invenient parent"
The Judges in this Court are required to give the
result Of their deliberations ON. the brought be-
fore them before the rsing Of the Court thong they
have their own time to prepare their written opin-
: ions. thus had an opportunity Of hearing them
give their views on several important points Of law
Ofthe cases before the Court that Of kEEsER,
who was convicted at the last Term Of the Superior
Court of Richmond county, for the murder of
REESE, was the most interesting. 1t was up be-
fore the Supreme Court on motion for new trial.
For the State, the case was argued by young Mr..
WALKER, formerly Of Hamburg, and by the Attor-
hey General, SHEwMAxE, a young man about twen-
" seven eight years Of age, of considerable cev-
Fl. STEPHENS appeared for the prisoner. Having
never heard Mr. STEPHENS, was on the tip-toe Of
expectation He was the last to speak in the case.
A short time before he arose, had the pleasure Of
an introduction to him. He complained of hoarse-
ness, brought on by long political speech made
the day before. at Warrenton but his soul seemed
to be absorbed in the subject he was about to dis
cuss With his every limb and joint trembling and
tottering, he rises slowly from his.seat You think
he can scarcely stand. To the eye of the stranger
there is nothing of the man, or the orator about
him. You behold thin, salow vsage-a small,
feeble framework delicate, slender, had almost
said pany. But there is one redeeming feature
that eye-that dark hazel orb-brlliant yet soft, and
now lighted up in all the splendor of charming in
steAigence. He begins: but his Voice seems as fee
bic as his body, fine and shril-tremulous and clear
and almost delicate that Of girl. Can any
form aud that vocei In mild, soft, persuasive tones
he addresses their Honors: and now the words be-
gin:to fow-the tones begin to deepsn-the voice
grows louier-that feeble, totterihg frame straight
ems up and expands-tbat eye, beaming with true
Promethean' fire, now sparkles and fashes-and
stream of soft, winning eloquence has already filled
your soul and bound you in spell of astonjshment
and delight Silence and attention reign supreme
Judges, Lawyers, every body seems entranced.
You might have heard a pin drop on the floor. Yet
you experience no powerful, overwhelming sensa-
ton. You see and feel the lightning, but you hear
no thunder. You are surprised You collect your
self and ponder; but your respite is short. Pres
ently you those same thin lips at first placid,
now quivering and curling-those wan, sallow
cheeks gathering into $ range coutortions-that
brow overcast with q dark, meaning frown-those
bright eyes, fixed and firm, darting gauces Of def
ance and fiery determination bony hand fast
clenched-those feeble limbs all over trembling and
tottering. The burning words, the dashng thought,
the big meta2hor-in short, torrent Of fierce and
vehement nyecve comes fitting forth to seattle the
unfortunate victim of his WRATH and to lead captive
the judgment Of his hearers. But this cloud of
wrath once dispelled, delightful sunshine Thought
intervenes, to gladden. the inmost soul. In trce,
Ill those frowns dark shades Of passion are gone.
and now a soft, winning smile begins to play upon
the lips-a placid, gentle calm overspreads. the
faee-the eye softens into a lustre almost angelic
the voice elts into the sweetest tones of warm en-
treaty. You are delighted You feel you know not
how. You are half inclined to smile, and yet you
find a small tear gently stealing down your cheek.
You lose sight Of every thing else around you. You
think the strange figure standing there actually
handsome aud in spite Of all your previous conclu
sivns, you inyoluntarily exclam-
Dulce ridentem Lalagen amabo
Dulee loqueDtem.
For an hour the orator piled the weapons ofargu
mcnt and entreaty on behalf Of his unfortunate eli
ent: enforcing his views with an elevation Of sent-
ment, with holiness and originality Of thought,
with. glowing imagery and persuasive eloqueuce
that told quietly, but effectively, upon the minds of
the Judges and hsrauditors generally. AS he took
his seat, inroluntarily graspug his hand, said to
him, A If were Judge, You certainly should have
o new trial." and he did getit. The next morning
in an eloquent delivery of his opinion, Judge LUMP
KIN, en- behalf of the Court, awarded new trial to
the prisoner.
What, asked myself, is the secret of Mr.. STE
rnENs' ssccess as 6 speaker? He has no Demos
thenian power His manner is neither polished nor
graceful: his rhetoric not finished or elegant. He
has voice of thunder-no startling attitudes. Yet
he obtains decided mastery over the minds of his
audience All will admire his .pluck-hs racy
thought, his bold expression his warm enthusiasm,
his sharp inyectiye; ;sbut these, unaccompanied BY
any power of physical action, seem scarcely sufi-
sient to produce the. effects Of his oratory. One
word, think, conveys the secret-t is synpathy.
The moment h. rises, the. kind feelings, the good
wishes, the heartfelt sympathies Of his whole audi
ence declare themselves in his favor. And nothing
he can do or say can cause him to lose these. On
the contrary they rather. increase till he takes his
seat. Most speakers in their exordium, have preju-
dioes to remove, and the most guarded care in man.
and expression is all the time necessary to keep
down these formidable hindrances to success. Mr..
SrEHHESs has nothing of this sort to encounter Ma
turehas given him the sympathy of hisfellow-pnen,
and he has about him winning ways sufficient to re-
tain it. He has nothing to do, but to conyince.-to
persuade, to fascinate.
He is at present canvassing the city of Augusta
for reelection to Congress. Many Of his old Wing
friends, who are Know Nothings, being offended at
his structures upon them, seem determined to bring
ont rival candidate. But it will be very difficult
TO defeat him. He has strong hold on the affec-
tons of the people of his Congressional District
Though strong in Augusta, and in many parts Of
the State; is almost impossible for the Know-No-
fhings to obtain anything like permanent success in