Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1860-05-16
Letter from Galveston.

GALVESTON MAY, 4th, 1860
DEAR HERALD: In days Of old, was permitted to
make my mark, slight as it was on your columns and
the sight of your esteemed proprietor in city, re-
minded mellow grossly negectful have BEEN wish
to write you letter of some kind but have no news to
communicate, besides am not at all well, am men
tally and bodily sick, private disappointment anu
personal annoyance, have me too much the victim of
/" blues,'' to be impartial observer Of men and
things; however, have thought of recording my i'm
pressions of the much talked of letter of Geo. D.
Prentice, in my present OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
you something more pleasing when my spirits resume
their wonted joyousncss, and my posoms LORD si.s
lightly on its throne again. 1t may be considered
prescriptions in to attempt to critclse the rhetor
cal production of this celebrated genius, but hold
that everything emanating from man so notorious
famous, which you will, is open to the honest
criticism of everybody, and shall attempt it with
your permlssion as believe that this visit to Texas
has something in it than mere visit to his son.
shrewdly suspect if the public made aware OF
all that has secretly passed between him and another
celebrated parsonage, residing at present not thou
sand miles from our State Capitol, that the motives
which impel him to become itnerant lecturer, could
be fully understood. But to begin: About eight
o'clock p. yesterday, the cars arrived at Gal
weston, bringing the "ong expected 5" yet sooth to
say no bells were rung nor large assembly congre
gated to give to this wit" the reception he expec-
ted. One or two friends met him and took him to
where he procured cup of tea, which was most ey-
identity needed to restore his wonted powers, which
were undoubtedly much weakened by the effects or
his journey In a like quiet, and unobtrusiye man
ner, they proceeded to the Casino Hall, where an au
dience, not quite large those that go to the ex-
hibitions of the Juvenile Minstrels in that building
assembled to hear the essay the 'aspect and ten
denotes of American Statesmanship.' I'll f..
To those acquainted with the dark record of Prem
tse's political career-those who remember the un-
scrupulous partisanship he has exhibited, and the
bitterness of his hostility to the democratic party it
will not be surprising to learn that his views of the
aspect and tendencies of Craftsmanship, is gloomy in
the extreme So it is ever, disappointed politicians
and demagogues will impugn the motives and assail
the principles of their more successful rivals.
Prentice--one of the high Priests of the dark Ian
terms not be expected to greatly love the dom
imam: party, or its prominent members Several
years ago, whiggery fell beneath the crushing blows
Of democracy, and was buried amidst the tears and
lamentation of Prentice and few other mowners-
at later PERIOD this same individual forgetful of the
charms of his buried love- welded the hideous genius
OF prescription, and became, as | said, sachem
among the know nothings. The democracy Of Vr
ginia, led on by the gallant Wise, overthrow that
rampant order, whose principles and tendencies were
so brilliantly illustrated in the conhagratons in Lou
sve, and again was Prentice forced to follow as
chief mourner the course of his second wife to the
grave Is it astonishing that taking thes' things
into consideration, he should believe the affairs o f
the nation going to the devilY
He hates the democracy, and he fears that not
Wlthstanulng tne usSentOns WIFI WHICH the party
is torn that it will yet its errors time to save
it from defeat, he artfuy endeayours, by the aid Of
his really magnificent talents his eloquence, his
satire and his wit to shake the people confidence in
all public men. While the know nothing party
were seemingly in the ascendant who ever heard of
no party lecture from the Louisville Editor? S0ured
by defeat throughout the struggle of quarter CEN
tury Mr. Prentice the present through jundiced
eyes, and his views not entitled to all the credit
which his admirers claimed for them.
l admit he stated some truths, but in the main,
nearly all who have heard him agree with me in the
opinion that his ideas regarding the present, and
the past, expressed in his letter are not en-
titled to much respect In his enumeration, and
classification Of the great men of the past he alb so
| lutey forgot, or purposely ignored the name and
the fame of John C. Calhoun. Is his hatred Of the
principles of which the South Carolina Senator was
the exponent, great as to cause him to deny his
name a place on the list of great Statesmen.
As a specimen of elocution and retoric, Mr. Prem
ices lecture was superior to any vira roce pro-
auctions we have heard in many years. but the
beauty of its style, the harmony of its flow, the
sweet of its sentences, and the elegant
rounding of its periods, should not blind us to the
motives, and the principles that Turk concealed in
its graceful draPery.
Hostile TO the dostrine Of southern rights, it did
not surprise me to detect in his modulated phrases
the bitterness Of his opposition, zad when charging
with wholesale corruption the statesmen OF the pres
en, and prophecying the dark future Of the repub-
lie funiess rescued by the nferpositOn Of brave
,or,hs nurtured in his own school,) it was easy to
understand u suppressed rspiHings Of the unsuc-
cssgfu, rolifi ian and worsted partizan After a
ssir, cofssitie stiun, have come TO the conclusion
that this lecfu confirmed more words than matter
800 find N AZ substance. and falsehood than truth.
49, van mas have them