The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-07-04
SARGENT SMITH PRENTIsS.

CargenL omiIn IT6uIlss Was tue
most eloquent speaker that | have
ever heard. The lame and lisping
boy from Main had ripened under the
Southern sun, into amaster-orator.
The original, ever varying and beau
tiful, imagery with which he illus
trated and inforced his arguments,
impressed Webster, Clay and John
Quincy Adams. But his forte lay in
arraigniug his political opponents,
when his oratory was terrible as an
army with banners : nothing could
stand against the energy Of his look,
gesture and impressed logic, when
once he was fairly under way, in de-
plotting and denouncing the tricks,
duplicity, and selfish cunning of mere
party management. The printed re
marks of his speeches are mere skel
etons, which give but faint idea of
them. Even the few rhetorical pas
sages that are retained have lost much
Of their original form aud beauty.
The professional stenographers con
fessed themselves utterly baffied in
their attempts to report him, and
he was quite untitled to report
himself. Indeed, he complained
that he never could reproduce the
best thoughts, still less the exact Ian.
guage ofhis speeches. Impatient and
Impractical in the use of the pen, he
spoke not only with more power, but
in better style than he wrote,
Mr.. Prentiss used to narrate some
amusing "reminiscences Of his elect
ioneering in Mississippi. On one oc-
casion he arranged u route through
his district; which was announced by
handful, and the proprietor of cir
Gus thought that he would avail him.
self of the gathering by exhibiting on
the same'day that Mr. Prentiss spoke.
AT the first meeting Prentiss found
a large audience, and began to speak
with more than usual energy. When
he had spoken about an hour he OBJ
served some of the outsiders looking
over their shoulders, and this move
ment was gradually followed by more
Of his audience. He began to think
he was growing dull, and endeavored
to rouse himself up to more animation
but it was all in vain. He at
length looked in the direction and
there to his horror just coming over
the hill, was the elephant, dressed in
his scarlet trappings and Oriental
splendor; with houdah on his back
occupied by the musicians, and in the
rear came a long line of wagons and
cages. A foolish feeling of vanity
not to be outdone by the elephant,
came overh him, and he kept on talking
and appealing to the people in the
name Of the State, their patriotism,
etc, ETC., but all in vai1. A few
well hammered persons remained, but
evidently they were retained only by
their politeness.
lie found it was of no use. So he
said "Well ladies and gentlemen |
am beaten but | have the consolation
Of knowing that it is not by my com
petitor. / will not knock under to
two-legged beasts, but | yield to the
To be sure he was at first
provoked by the preference shown to
abeast above himself but on reflection
he was inclined to think the people
were right. A Bengal tiger or an In
dian elephant was an animal then to
be seen only in life time, but politics
they could hear every day. He said,
however, he had his revenge a few
days afterwards. He found that he
must come to an understanding with
the caravan. So he agreed with the
party that at Holly Springs he would
address the people under the awning
for one hour and then he would give
way to the monkeys and the clown.
He hoped this would not be charged
on him as bargain and corrurtion ;
at any rate it was honestly carried
out BY both parties. Between him,
self and the party a large assemblage
was gathered under the immense
canvass, One of the cages was con-
verted into platform. He heard a
low sound which resembled erowl
and learned thathis nearest neighbor
was q hyena. There we're large augur
holes in the top Of the box, for the
admission Of air. He commenced
speaking and when he reached the
blood and thunder portion of his
speech he ran his cane into tho cage
and called forth most horrible veil
from the enraged animal, at the
same time gesticulating violently
with the other hand.
l"Why my fellow citizens, he would
exclaim, 1.-THE very beasts are shocked
at the political baseness and corrup.
ton Of the times ! See how this wor-
thy fellow just below me Is scandal.
lied hear his yell of patriotic shame
and Indignation" The effect was
electric and called down the house in
a perfect tempest Of enthusiasm
He hurled his anathemas at his foes
and enforced them bv tho vatls 20