The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-02-03
y. $. PRENTIss.
Die, PrentisS, Die What n GlO-
riOus Hour for a Statcsman's
ApotheOs:s.

A writer in the Philadelphia
Times says:
Twenty thousand people were
assembled in the public square at
Nashville, Tenn to hear the merits
of Henry Clay, "the gallant Millboy
of Slashes," discussed. Jones led
off in one of his brightest, wittiest
speeches, for he was a Do ost enter
tanning stump speaker and tavOrite
orator among the wings of the old
en-time, who reverenced Clay with
beautiful idolatry. But the audi.
ence, after hearing Governor Jones
gracefully yielded to the Only man
who could hold the hearts aud
minds of the Tennesseeans in the
leash of his wOudrous eIOquence, in
closer bonds than their own favorite
orator. PrentiSs limped to the
front ofthe grand stand, and looked
like lion shaking the dews of the
morning from his magnificent name.
For five minutes the wild huzzas of
political idolatry rent the air.
Prentiss showed in his flushed
cheeks how he enjoyed the splendid
triumph of the hour. He removed
his broad Panama hat and took from
bis breast pocket small vial, con
taiuIng some elixir, or possibly a
small lglass of old Otard brandy.
Gov. Jones himself told me the stO-
ry thus:
"For two mortal hours this ora
tor, greater than Bolinbrike and
,, with more fascinating witchery of
speech than Charles James Fox
possessed, silvery elOquence no man
ever correctly reported, Sergeant S.
Prentiss held this vast audience
spell.bound in the tightening grip
of his fiery eloquence. He talked
like au angel. He argued like Lord
Bacon.
"One moment the great crowd
was in tears, aud the next moment
mems hats were thrown in the air
and the women (for the fair sex
abound at Southern meetings) wav.
ed their cambric aud pertumed
handkerchiets in the breeze. The
speaker never paused. He rose
from splendOr to splendor and car
lied his audience in the mid-heaven
of his magic eloquence. His audi
ence bowed their heads aud wept
at his pathetic bursts OF OratOry, or
shouted themselves hoarse at his
terrific phillipics, as he eviscerated
aud anuihilated with inspired elO-
Queuce the enemies of the man they
all loved-Henrw Clay"
He had spoken for over two
hours aud III one OF his grand. eli
makes, Sergeant S. Plentiss' spirit,
which "O'er Informed bis tenement
of clay left his body, aud he tell
faintiug into the arms oil Governor
Jimmy Jones.
The Governor, with tears chasing
each other dSwR his face, while the
breathless audience rose on their
feet, clasped the glorious orator to
his bosom and exclaimed: '"Die,
Prentiss die ! What glorious
hour for a statesman's apotheOsisW
But Prentiss didu'I die. That
sceue beggar's description. But
the fame OF that speech travelled by
the strange and rapid transit, the
Freemasonry of mind, from hill to
valley, alt over Tennessee, aud IL
carried the pending election. Two
years later PreDtiss did die in New
Orleans. AS Bolingbroke left no
speech equal to his tame, neither
did Prentlss. One great congres-
sioual speech remains in which he
won his right to seat IN Congress
against Jefferson Davis, but this
speech won by the power of argu-
ment alone. 1t is TO be regretted
that there is no enduring monument
left 10 perpetuate the immortal
memory OF this greatest aud most
marvelously gifted of American or
atOrs.