Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-04-26

SERGEANT s. uRnNrIss, TRE BRIL-
L.ANT ORATOR OF THE SOUTH
This gifted man, who was Il native Of
the State Of Maine, is the subject Of
lecture by the Rev. Mr.. Milburn, tie
famous blind preacher, from which we
select t.ie following:
He fought but two duels, both with
Gen. Foote. On one Of these occaso ous,
when vast assembly had gathered to
see the fight, after the first fire, Prentss
remarked to a boy who had climbed into
Il tree behind hilG-"Take carr, my son,
the General is shooting rather wildly
to-day!' This Was received with 4
shout Of laughter.
1t The second fire General Footc was
slightl wounded Prcntiss resolved
never to send challenge, and he deyi
atel 4tom the course but once or twice.
lie addressed meeting Of State Repu-
diators, donouncing their course with
the most withering invcctive; but though
they were pale and shireriug with rage,
they dared not harm bim.
Once a drunken bully intrulipg into
his room, Prentiss was obliged to put
him out. Later in the nj eht lie returned
and Insisted on fighting. So they took
their stations en- the piazza, while SER
want held the lights. but at this mo-
ment Il gIeam of reason came over the
confused mind of the drunkard, and he
threw down his weapon, exclaimihg:-
''Prentiss, do you think | ain such
fool as to be fighting you here at such a
time of night"
He once procured the conviction Of a
notorious villain aud murderer, named
Phelps, who afterwards confessed to him
that he intended to spring upon him in
the Court, strike him dead, and then
make his escape; but that burning elo-
quence with which his crimes were dc
picted by Prentiss cowed him until his
head dropped, and he could not execute
his purpose.
In another instance, bold III u1iau who
ruled the neighborhood by his lawless
will, had killed a neighbor and taken
possession of his estate, He threatened
to shoot all who intcrfered, and no law
yer could be found to plead the cause
Of the orphans of the murdered man
until PrentisS was applied to. The
bully appeared in Court armed to the
teeth, aud even the judge and jury
trcmbled with fear. But as Prentiss
applied to him his terrible scourge Of
dcnunciatory language, he seemed to be
seized with fit of the ague, and when
at last the advocate exclaimed-"G o.
coward, william murderer! go to the
swamp where you buried your victim,
pull aside the tall grass, lay your heart
upon his breast, and then GENE here
and make restitution," the covering
bully shook like aspen, and at last hur-
ried from the house, SO entirely broken
down, that he shrank from all society
and drank himself to death in few
weeks.
But Prentiss defended many murder
ers, and nearly all Of them escaped by
means of his cloquence, He exerted
his wonderful power not only over the
unlettered, but the polished and schol-
arly, and nowhere shone brigter than
before the Superior Court of the United
States. He seemed surcharged with a
personal magnetic power, not vehement
fury and claptrap, was always the
scholar and gentleman, as we'll as the
orator.
But perhaps he shone most brilliantly
in the halls Of legislation. lie was a
Henry Clay Whig; took the stump, and
was elected to Congress. His seat being
contested, he made a three days argu-
ment, which was declared to be the
grandest effort of oratory ever pro
ncunced in the halls of Congress- Web
ster said no living man could equal it.
Being refused his seat he went before
the people, and his opponents laid traps
to catch him. Knowing he would drink
with everybody, some twenty five po-
litical opponents invited him to dinner,
with the intention Of getting him drunk;
but he drank them all under the table,
took the stand and made such a speech
as gave him $500 majority in county
which had always thrown 5000 maj jority
against his party. a caravan proprie-
tor, taking advantage of the audiences
he gathered, followed him with his
show, until Prentiss was obliged to
make an agreement with him by which
he was to speak two hours before the
show opened. One day, when mounted
on a cage which he knew-but the au-
dience did not-contained hyena, he
was speaking of jackson and Van Buren
aud said that such was the iniquity Of
their measures that even the beasts of
the forest would yell out against them
at the same time giving the hyena sly
punch with his cane through the air
hole in the top Of the cage, which of
course set him yelling, while the lion
Joined in with his roar, and the whole
menagerie followed. The people were
struck dumb with amazement, thinking
this uproar was an answer to his appeal
He said this touch of the hyena gave
him 200 votes.
Once when speaking at Nashville, in
1874, to 10000 people-for he had Il re-
markable voice that could be heard
mile-he swooned from over exertion,
and fell into the arms of Gov. Jones,
who, under the excitement produced by
his eloquence, exclaimed as he looked
upon his apparently lifeless form
"Die! Prentiss, die, for you will never
have such another chanceI'
Iu 1871 he married pious and ad-
mirable woman, whose influence over
him was excellent. Had he married
earlier he might have been alive now
But it was too late. He had overworked
himself and undermined his constitu-
ton. He became embarrassed in his
pocuDiorv a ffairc ond fpo u W rao,ovod 70