The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-17
wil.LlA,r u. YANcEY.

No. =.
WILLIAM u. yANCEY.
is wiiliam j.. yancey is celebrated
throughout the South and the couh-
AIRY ut large as the Secession orator.
Few men ever lived who could SO
move at will the fierce democracy
( HIS power over an audience was ~
most like Omnipotencc Itself. Az tiiiies'
when thoroughly aroused. his eioauen.e
was more terrible than an army WV, VIZ.
Banners. again twas music as bright
Anotra,s Ititc strung with his hair.
, Indeed 1T may be truly said that MS
a voice was music itself. II has been
stated that ii was worth trip across
y the continent to hear him pronounce
+ the word Alabama.
81 OF, zone occasion he had an appoint
ment to address the people oil New
York in behalf of the breckenridge
and Lame ticket. There was great eA-
element. and the people for along time
refused TO hear him because they re-
Eardcd him as tire great apostle OF Sc
cession, In tho midst OF the uproar
he stood surveying the audience, get
ting. In a word now and then, until
finally the audience became completely
subduod and listened to him Win
rant attention until the close of MS
magnificent address.
.riley were completely subjugated
and when he concluded his remarks
they gave him great ovation. Such
wasshis power over the multitude.
On another occasion he was employed
ia prosecute man charged with muir
der in one of the Alabama courts. His
address was SO powerful that the jury
were completely swept off their rect
and "a verdict of conviction was rem
dered under the sway OF his powerful
oratory A mbtion was made to set
sside the verdict aud award the pris-
nner new trial upon the ground that
the Jury was so completely magnetized
that they dill not know what they were
doing when they found their verdict.
The motion was granted, ana the
records Of that court will show to day
that the prisoner obtained new triai
because the jury were for the time
being boreft of their reason.
IN this practical and utilitarian age,
when the spirit of commercial greed
is so largely predominant, and the
e rreat object of life seems to be to
put money In the purse, 1t is said that
the living voice no longer exerts Its
mower. The newspaper and the tele-
graph convey intelligence to the re-
X hottest corners of the globe, but the
living voice still eXerts potehtial IN
nuence.
william L. Yancey was born in war
rar county, Ga, August 10, lsis. fie
& nia,ric,,lated at Williams College, IN
Massachusetts, read law at Sparta, and
entered a law Office at Greenv'lle, S
G.. where he remained two years, anc
In the meantime edited the Greenvills
Mountaineer. He married MISS Sarai
Caroline Earle In early life. In tht
winter of 1885 no removed 10 cana
ba. Ala. and commenced NE as
nlanter. While there he edited tw'
weekly newspapers. In 1879 ne re
moved again and resumed the PRAGUE
Of law. He was elected to the Alabam
Legislature in 1891, and was electe
TO the State Senate in 1888, pue re
signed in 1914. and was elected TO IN
House of Representatives in the Iweh
II ty-eighth Congress, taking his sea
Tncember . 1874: and was re-e lecte
10 the Twenty ninth Congress and re
signed In August 1s46. to resume tn
practice of his profession In 1916 II
s. wrote the platform of the Democratl
" party and led the delegation OF III
Democratic party in the convenlo %
of 1S4s and 1856; He was an arden
supporter of the Buchanan and Breck
enridge tickets iii 1855. In 1861
MAS the Democratic elector from IN
State at large, and delivered an IN
portant address in Union Hall. Ne'
York. making an earnest appeal to I'll
j ntorle OF the North to maintain cor
sti.utional government in the states.
AT the Charleston Convention
took the leading part in opposition
81 sauatter sovereignty as uncohstit'
,ional. He was a member OF the Sta
convention that met at AIontgomer
January /, 1861. and reported the ord
nance Of secessioV lie resigned fro
id at body to airspt appointment
~ The leader OF .thS"commission sent I
Europe 10 present the cause of II
South. to the governments of Gre'
Britain and France. His mission pro
ipEafruitless, he returned to Alaban
md was elected, with G.. G. Clay,
the Confederate States Senate, of whi'
body he was conspicuous member
Ills successor, Mr.. Jameson, in h
parting address, referred to him
one whose cloq,cnce and percsveran
in the cause of Southern rights co
tributed more largely than the effor
of any other man to bring about o
separation from the Federal Union.
sIed on his plantation near Montgol
3 -, January Is, 1863.
Few Facts for Biosrnphcr.
Unfortunately, he has left but !
lie for the enlightenmento of his bio
,apher. We have little more than
,pIass OF entertaining facts relating
hisraiife and times. Few men liza
done more to impreses themselves up
the age in which they have lived,
have made greater contributions
wards shaping American history
The century in which they have NOV
And yet his name is now scarcely e,
heard Such is fame.
~ When he was sent to Congress
zggH reputation as an orator had alrea
preceded him. He had tho high d