The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-08-18
SERGEANT L. PRENTISS.
THE oyERPowERING ELoQUENCE OF THE
GREAT MISSISSIPPI ORATOR.

heard the great speech of VIM. Pick
ney upon the Missouri question in the
/ United States senate in 1920. l sat near
by and listened to that Of Mr.. Clay upon
/ the same subject in the house of repre-.
sentatiyes. They were, perhaps, the
greatest of their lives, and were most
powerful in their influence upon the ac-
| ton OF congress. The speech of Mr..
Pickney was perhaps the most finished
and mastery piece of oratory ever listen
ed to on this continent. That of Mr.
| Clay was grandly eloquent; Mr.. Pickney's
| though admitted to be the most convinc-
| ing, stirred no feeling as did the burning
| words of Mr.. Clay. A few weeks after
| was in the court room of Columbia,
South Carolina, and heard George Nc
Duffee in celebrated criminal trial, and
this was the only speech ever listened
to that l thought approached the elo-
| quence that I have often heard from
Prentiss.
AS an evidence of Prentiss' great elo-
| quence L may be allowed the narration
Of an incident in the life of this remark
able man. In 1874, in company with
the late John Bell, of Tennessee, William
Q. Dawson and Chief Justice Lumpkin,
of Georgia, 1 met at dinner table in
Newark, n. j., distinguished gentle
man, who shall be nameless, who was far
advanced in years. During the dinner a
lady present said to me: 81 believe you
are acquainted with the great southern
orator, Mr.. Prentiss2" On being an
swered in the affirmative, she added: 81
was tempted once in this city to go and
hear him make a political speech, anu l
consider it an era in my life. -
''Did you ever hear him, Judge Lump
alluded to.
II never did, was the Judges reply.
"Then, sir, continued this gentleman
you should seek an opportunity to do
50, for certainly he is the great master of
modern eloquence. [ had heard and
read much In the current news of the
day in relation to his ability. and could
scarcely believe that heaven had vouch-
safed such powers to any man as were
aserlbed to him. was discourteous
enough to laugh at my lady friend there,
who asserted that he had held her spell
bound for three hours. | was incredu-
lous to the existence of any human pow
er being such as to chain my attention
for SO long a time, and | was tempted to
this man from the @oGus Vi ine wGst. ts eaI
found an immense concourse present. -
There were at least one thousand ladies
seated all around the rostrum in the open
air, just where you have been speaking |
to day. | wished to be near the speaker, |
and pushed my way, with the privilege |
OF age, through the throng, until, reach
ing convenient distance, found stand |
ng room. 1t was just as Mr.. Prentiss
,ose to speak. l took out my watch to
lime him. The cheering was vociferous,
md | failed to hear his commencement, |
md started to replace my watch in my
pocket. was arrested by most start
ing thrill of words, and stopped to listen.
And | did listen with an attention and
interest had never given an orator be-
ore. Soiltense was my in5erC st thatevery
aculty, every feeling was concentrated
lpOn the man and the wonderful flow of
burning words. 1t seemed the incarna
ion of eloquence. There was witchery
n his words, clothed in tones so melIi-
luous that they not only enraptured, bat
tabled the heart, and [ lost conscious
ess of passing time, and when closed |
ound my hand holding my watch at the
'ocket's mouth, waiting the power to
eplace it. / looked at it and found I
.ad been listening for more than three
ours, and though over seventy years of ,
Ige, ! felt no fatigue. A friend, clergy,
nan, who had followed ME into the ,
Irowd, stood, pale and agitated, looking
It the man after he was seated. As
approached him he exclaimed: "WiIl !
on ever again doubt that God inspires t
ban 2"