Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-07-31
s. 5. PRENTISS.
"Reminiscences OF the Most Eloquent Mar
Who Ever Addressed the House of Rem

"Reminiscences OF the Most Eloquent Mar
Who Ever Addressed the House of Rem.
resentativcs.
Sargent s. Prentiss was undoubtedIy
the most eloquent man who ever adj.
dressed the United States House OF
Representatives. A carpet Dagger
from Maine, he went to Mississippi poor
and friendless, and not only became
foremost among her sons, but acquired
a national reputation. Edward Everett,
after having listened to one of his i'm
passionate bursts of eloquence in
Faneuil hall, turned to Daniel Webster,
who sat next to him, and asked: did
you ever hear anything like it ?"
Never" said Webster, except from
MIR. Prentiss himselfi" He was indeed
a remarkable orator, his intellectual
endowments presenting a remarkable
example in which great logical powers
and the most vivid imagination were
most happily blended. AS Dryden said
of Halifax, he was man
OF piercing wit and frequent thought.
| Endowed by nature and by learning taught
| 10 move assemblies
! The great secret of his oratorical sue
cess was his readiness-he seemed
never at loss for an epigram or a re-
tort, and his impromptu speeches were
| the best.
Prentiss used to tell a good story
about his second canvass of the State
OF Mississippi. He had arranged a
route, and one of his friends had gone
ahead to make arrangements for hall
IN each successive town, and to adver-
tise the meeting there. The proprietor
OF travelling menagerie took advantage
OF these congregations, and followed,
exhibiting at each place on the day that
Prentiss spoke. The first intimation
that the orator had of this rivalry was
at small town in the northern part of
the State, near the Alabama line After
Prentiss had been speaking for an hour,
| holding the attention of his audience,
he observed the attention of some of the
outsiders looking over their shoulders,
and this movement was gradually fol-
lowed by moro 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 popular di-
rection, and there, to his horror, Just
coming over the hill, was the elephant
dressed in his scarlet trappings and
Oriental splendor A foolish feeling of
vanity, not to be outdone by the ele-
phant. came over him, and he continued
to talk. He found it was no
use. So he said: "Well, ladies and
gentleman, am beaten. But L have
the consolation of knowing that it was
not by my competitor. l will not
knock under to any two-legged beast,
but yield to the elephant"
Prentiss afterwards made an arrange
ment with the proprietor of the menag-
erie to divide time with the monkey and
the clown, the first hour being given to
politics. One of the cages was used as
rostrum. Soon he heard a low sound,
which represented growl, and learned
that the hyena was his nearest listener.
There were large auger-holes in the top
of the box for the admission of air.
Prentiss commenced speaking, and
when he reached the blood thunder
portion of his speech he ran his cane
into the case, and called forth a most
horrible yell from the enragcd animal,
at the same time gesticulating violently
with the other hand "Why, fellow
citizens" he would exclaim, "the very
wild beasts are shocked at the political
baseness and corruption of the times.
See how this worthy fellow Just below
me is scandalized. Hear his yell of
patriotic shame ana Indignation The
effect was electric; he called down the
house in perfect tempest of enthusi-
asm. He hurled his anathemas at his
~ L. &c
his nei2hbors The people of Missis-
sippi worshipped Mr.. Prentiss, his
habits, which would have been con-
demned III other sections OF the coun-
try, only endeared him the more to
them Generou, to his foes, faithful to
his friends, he won the confidence and
affection of all who knew him. Bailey
Peyton used to illustrate his readiness
at an impromptu speech by narrating
an incident which occurred in 1914,
when Prentiss joined hunting party,
with which he spent week or two
under q tent in the forests of the Sun
flower, small river tributary to the
Mississippi, in the vicinity of Vicks-
burg. Towering above the tent stood
one of the most remarkable elevations,
evidently the work of art. which abound
in the Mississippi Valley, and are COM
monty called Indian mounds. One day
Mr. Prentiss, with the aid of the vines
and the overhanging boughs, made his
way to the top of the mound, when his
friends, who were collected around the
tent, discovering him, united in call
for a speech-a speech from Prentiss.
upon what subiect?" Upon the sub
ject upon which you now stand" He
at once set off in playful sally for the
amusement OF himself ana 1r1ends, put,
warming in the subject as he proceeded,
his creative imagination now people the
forest with that lost tribe, that myster-
ious race, who, ages past, inhabited the
country before the birth of the aborig-
inal trees that abound upon these huge
piles. He introduced every variety of
character, fairies, princes, courtiers,
warriors; marshaled armies and fought
battles, going on thus for more than an
hour, in vein Of philosophical refec-
ton and poctical invention, which i'm
parted thrilling, almost real, inter-
est to the imaginary scene The gem
tleman from whom | had this incident
was a man of cultivated tastes, had
often heard Mr.. Prentiss at the bar and
on the hustings, and he considered this
one of his happiest efforts.
The later years of Mr.. Preutiss was
passed in New Orleans, where he prac-
ticed almost up to the hour of his death,
with an emaciated countenance and q
frame exhausted from the cruel ravages
of disease, but with spirit undaunted,
n mind ever luminous and exhibiting in
every effort its almost superhuman
energy.-Belt: Perley Poore.
Why the ROad-Bed Was so Smooth.
''Yes," said the editor, as he stood
with the superintendent of the road on