Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-09-09

{ thelargeness and power of their thought
) / can recall no one so remarkable a.
: Geo. McDufie / once asked Col. VIII
: liam G. Preston, Of South Carolina
! whom he regarded as the greatest ora
tor he had ever heard. He instartI,
} replied, "McDufie." OF Col. Preston
} himself, it is but just that I should say
, that after hearing him under favorable
. circumstances, I have never doubted
; that he was by far the greatest orator
that I ever listened to. His thrilling
voice, his whole action suited to. his I'M.
FASHIONED eloquence, his bfighttand ms.
BILE sentiments, his wonderful and i'm.
, posing attitudes, placed him far in I'D.
vance of any orator that ever knew
J When for the first time in Rome, my
eyes fell on that colossal stature Of
Pompey, the base of which was bathed
with the blood Of the great Dictator as
he expired under the thrusts Of Sena-
torial daggers, / was instantly remind.
ed of some Of Preston's attitudes. As
often as afterward looked on it the
same impression would strangely come
over me. After the torrent of Preston's
impassioned eloquence was fairly in.
der way he had complete con-
troll over his auditors. When, for ex-
ample, warmed with the vehemence OF
his action, as graceful as it was iinpet-
uous, he would sometime as it were, I'M
consciously take Of his wig with bis left
hand and place it beside him, so as TO
expose his head, which was entirely
bald, there was in the audience no more
of tendency to smile than when Chat
ham for the third time pronounced the
word sugar"
| McDufie, with the largeness of
thought which characterized Webster,
possessed the earnestness of Choate,
and vehemence and force immeasura-
bly, superior. The array of his argu-
ments was most powerful, and his de-
nunciatioH Of wrong absolutely terrific.
He had not the poetry Of Choate, and
lacked the polish Of Webster, but his
massive thoughts, thrown out with ire
inendous energy, seemed to fall among
his auditors like thunderbolts. His
whole manner was that Of man call
ing into action every faculty he possess
ed, not to save his own life, for brave
man could not plead earnestly for him
self alone, but as one who was making
a dying struggle for the life Of his coun-
try, or for truth itself. It would be In
teresting for one to compare Mr.. Web
ster's speech, delivered in the, Hopsasaf
Representatives in 1924, against the
tariff, with one of McDuffie's on the
same subject made in 1882. McDuf-
fie's speech against the removal of the
deposits, made in 1884, bears marks Of
a higher degree Of finish and greater
polish in its language than most Of bis
efforts show. 1t is, however, less forci-
BILE and vehement thar some others.
| Entirely different from any one Of
these speakers was Henry Clay. When
in the meridian Of bis power his voice
was perhaps unequaled. Both in the
richness and melody Of its fine tenor
and the grandeur Of its deep bass, it
seemed capable Of indefnite modulation
and expression. Perhaps the nearest
approach to it in excellence and com.
pass that / can recall was that Of Gen.
try, of Tennessee. But even his voice,
remarkably musical and varied in its
tones, was scarcely equal to Mr. Clay's
in compass, was not SO emphatic, and
could not strike with 80 much force, nor
was it capable Of so great expansion in
its deep organ tones. Though Mr..
Clay was very tall, and usually stood
very erect, he never seemed stiff, as Mr.
Calhoun often appeared. His gestures
were abundant, easy, appropriate, very
impressive, and yet always graceful as
well as dignifed He never strove, az
some speakers do, to make an impress
sion by the exhibition Of bodily force.
He was always animated, often impas.
stoned. Whether he seemed 10 be adj
dressing himself wholly and earnestly
to the presiding officer, or threw the
glances Of his bright, blue eyefover the
audience, by his animated, wired, snd
earnest tones, and by bis grfeful and
sometimes commanding gesEcuation,
he kept the undivided attentbn Of his
hearers. He appeared like champion
in battle, delivering his downright and
left, and enlisted the feelinb nj his
auditors on his side so COMPLY that
they seemed to regard it as (eir right,
and were ready to shout oY each sue
cess won. Mr.. Clay was, flaps, least
felicitous when he attemfd TO utter a
merely handsome thingsfd TO make !
poetical quotations. HfId not use 4
well such prettiness d5argeant y. i
Prentiss would Gull pm poets and !
novelists, and with tbl entertain an 4
audience without eye1odqclng deep
impression on it. MiCF appeared a
to the greatest adva9ge Fhen repel-
ling personal attacks br yen discus +,
sing topics, directly bnneefd with the
honor, the safety, oJtbe l1rties ofthe .,
country. His high sensef personal n,
honor, his dauutleSs coute, and at =,
times naughty daring, wi iis great N
public spirit and ardent p9ogm, rem
dered him often imposingl gpd. 1t
was not the possession OF EesPowers
alone, remarkable as they w thai
! made him the greatest 1rhental
man in the world. I'D wa goo
fighter, and could take cap oimz
in every kind of debate. fFba'
at times as great an actor
Chatham himself, will be evid
who merely reads his eloqiaass
triotic appeal to Mr.. Van b N
to use his influence with Pr
son to induce him TO restol
its, or, at later period, hi
Of the interview between Il
&c Senators and John 4