Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-05-21
Rev. Dr. Munscy.

mOU OH Vue cTedtlOV Vi man Ill the
Greenlaw Opera House, on Sunday
morning, to the largest concourse Of
people that has ever Assem- led in this
city. OF the discourse itself we have
no words that can give an adequate
idea of its power, and for attempting
to report 1t, the feat were as impossi-
ble as to report accurately n thunder
storm. 1t was characterized by logic
clearer than the books and more ire
sistible; by philosophy more eloquent
and impressive than the schools, and
by geology and astronomy In con
crete, and all blended together into
solid metaphysical and oratorical er-
fort, showing that man was composed
of a three-fold nature, body, soul and
spirit; aud that in him were blended,
az the masterpiece of creation, all
the elements Of the universe. This
closely reasoned discourse was occa-
sionaily interspered with flights of
eloquence each Of which would consti-
tute poem any one Of which would
make the literary fortune of an or,ii-
nary man. Taken altogether, 1t was
one of the sublimest demonstrations
of the power of the human intellect
that 1t Is possible for any living man
to make. Nor do we believe that In
all the world the equal of this re-
|markably gifted man can be found
Such logic, such rhetoric, such knowl-
edge of all branches of human learn
ing, with such an imagination, and
all combined into such mastery dis
courses, to which is superseded such
transcendent magnetic powers as an
orator, are seldom to he found blended
In one individual, and he so af.less
and Unaffected as w. T.. Munsey. -
We had heard much of him from for
mer residents Of East Tennessee and
Southwestern Virginia, where his
early reputation was won; aud we
were prepared to expect a great dis
course; but the realization was so far
In excess of all our anticipations, that
we have felt 1t due to such of our
readers, as have not heard this re-
markable man, to advise them by all
means never to permit an Opportuni-
ty to hear him pass unimproved.
DIR. Munsey's history, as we have
gathered 1t from friends, is as remark
able rs his intellectual endowments.
He was born of parentsin the humb-
lest walks of life, on Walkers Creek,
Giles county, Va. The people In
that particular section were not re-
markable for intelligence when he
grew up among them. by some
means he learned to read, and the
first book that he ever claimed rs his
own was copy of the New Testa-
ment. When he was about twelve
years old he managed to get copy of
an English grammar; he soon made
two copies Of 1t, and learned its rules
not at school, but while blowing in
the field. He would place one copy
of the grammar on one side of the
field, and the other at the other; and
while the horse was turning
he would get the rule or word. ia
parse, and pass on with the plough TO
the other side, where his other gram
mar was placed. After mastering
English grammar in this way, some
one gave him Latin grammar. He
had no teacher, and he would go
ahead and study at it for months, be-
fore he would come across some one
| in that mountainous country, who
understood Latin, when he would
find that he was proceeding all
! wrong, and would have to 90 back
and uplesrn all he had learned, and
learn ii, over again. About this time
young Munsey used to preach SER
mons to his fellow boy associates
When he was about fifteen years, Z OF
age, Rev. DIR. Edwards, an eminent
divine, now of the General Confer.
ence In this city, went from Lynch
burg to Pearisburg, Giles county, Va,
to preach funeral sermon over q
lady who had died there. Munsey's
father and mother were at Pearls
burg, and carried home such glowing
descriptions of the eloquence and
power of the preacher from Lynch-
burg, that it made a deep impression
upon young Munsey and first de
termined him to become preacher
of the gospel.
A few years before the war, he
Joined the Holston Conference, ard
as his fields of labor were principally
in the hills and hollows of the noun.
famous counties of Southwestern
Virginia, but little was heard of him,
except when some man of intelli-
gence, journeying for health or pleas.
ure, CHANGED to hear him, and
brought back to civilization some ac.
count of the wonderful genius of the
young man. Among the ignorant
people In the back woods, with whom
he labored before and during the war
he was regarded as bright and Eighty
but by no means as the great genius
that he Is. He was several genera.
tons ahead of the people among
whom lie was located, and they were
unable to appreciate his rare worth.
Just after the war, Bishop Early,
who had discerned his excellence, Of
fered him to the Methodists of RIA.
leigh, North Carolina, who We're in
need of preacher of u high order Of
ability; but the people of Raleigh
were afraid to take him. Subse.
quently he was offered to the leading
Methodist church in Alexandria, Va
They accepted him, and from the
day that he landed there, his fame as
the most extraordinary pulpit orator
In the world, has continued to spread
all over the Southern country, the
field of his extraordinary labors. Al
Alexandria, the Methodists were con.
stantly crowded out of their own
church by the desire of the great
mass of the people to hear him.
From Washington and Baltimore
in'fact from all quarters-the people
fiocked to hear him every Sunday
and at the end of one year, he was
;. transferred to the Central Methodist
Church In Baltimore. Here the
Methodists protected them selves by
admitting visitors by ticket. Each
pewholder would give away as many
seats on each Sabbath day as they
could spare, and after service com.
menced, the doors were thrown open
and the aisles and affairs, and every
inch of available space, was Away,
occupied by persons anxious to hear
the wonderful man. During the past
year, DIR. Munsey has been acting as
Secretary for the Board of Foreign
Missions of the Southern Methodist
Church, and in this position he IL