Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-08-19

aud thin, with a rather small head
and gray eyes. His nose was straight,
his upper lip long. and his under jaw
light. His mouth. Of generous width.
straight when he was silent. and cur
wing mp ct the corners as he spoke or
smiled. was singularly winning. When
he enchanted large audiences his
features were lighted up by a pleasing
smile, the gestures of his long arms
were graceful, and the gentle accents
of his mellow voice were persuasive
aud winning, or terrible in anger.
His friends were legion, and they
chung To him with undying affection
while his antagonists never made
peace with him. John Quincy Adams
wrote in bis diary that the "oratorical
encounters between Clay and Calhoun
are lilliputian mimicry Of the oratiOns
against Ctesiphon and the Crown or
the debate of the second Philippe"
Sergeant Smith Prentiss was I'M
doubtedly the most eloquent man who
ever addressed the United States
House Of Representatives. A carpet
Dagger from Maine, he went to Missis-
sippi poor and friendless, and not only
became foremost among her sons, bu.
acquired a national reputation. He
was, indeed, q remarkable orator his
intellectual endowments presenting a
remarkable example in which great
logical powers and the most vivid i'm
aginatiOn were happily blended. As
Dryden said of Halifax, he was a man
OF piercing wit and pregnant thought,
Endued by nature and by learning taught
To move assemblies.
The great secret of his oratorical sue
cess was his readiness. He seemed
never at a loss for an epigram or a
retOrt. and his impromptu speeches
were the best.
Thomas Corwin, of Ohio, was noted
for his humorous speeches. especially
one in which he mercilessly ridiculed
lawyer holding militia commission,
who had undertaken to criticise the
martial exploits Of Gen. Harrison. 1t
was with him, however, a subject OF
regret that he had ever said funny
thing in debate, and he used to advise
his young friends never to make hui
morous speeches. "A man" said he
one day, must be funny or wise,
You will rise higher in the long run
30 be wise. This reputation of mine
for humor hangs about my neck like
the body OF death. II is the Nemesis
which will haunt ms TO my grave.
Shun it while you may
Stephen A. Douglas was a short,
thickset man, with 4 tlorid, clean
shaven counienance, and a nervous
manner, which made him attractive
10 friend ami foe. and gained for him
the SoJI1q"d of The Little Giant.
His mind was capable OF grasping,
analyzing and eiucidating the most
abstract and difficult subjects. He
had deep-tonei voice. and his GEES
lures were energetic AMI somewhat
graceful.
We may not have the equals ni
Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, John
Rutledge. Webster. Clay, Calhoun. OF
Prentiss, but as whole the Congress.
slonal orator of to day is far superior
TO that of the near, or the distant
past. Verbatim reporting has proved
"a great injury To Congressional ora
tory. la the olien time the Senator.
and Representatives would listen tn
those who Were speaking with the
attention of assemblages of trained
critics. When verbatim reports OF
the debates We're made and printed
these Congressional listeners were no
longer 10 be found. A Senator OF
Representative who had carefully pre-
pared himself would, as he commenc.
Ell his speech. see his audience engage
ell in every other way than listening
to his accents. Some would be in
groups shatting others would be real.
ing newspapers or books, and the rest
indlting epistles or directing public
documents to their constituents. 1t
would be difficult for him to saw what
he had intended were there not
another stimulus by which his tongue
and h!s patience were rendered mex
haustible-the reflection that although
his words were falling lifeless upon
the ears OF his ostensible audience
they would be read by attentive con.
stltnents at home. 1t is to them that
speeches in Congress have been adj
dressed since the introduction of YER
batim reporting Congressman who
Were noted for their eloquence upon
the home stump have foundered
through written platitudes at the
Capitol. often prepared for them BY
some journalist for a stated compen-
satIon.
S The game of Verba charms all
who play it. While amusing. it is in
A