Sergeant Smith Prentiss.
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mind remained as strong as ever. His illness swan, and was successful. He lost the same compelled him to decline, in April, 1850, the kind of a case in Vicksburg and thereby invitation of the " Story Law Association of beggared himself;' but won for his old doc Harvard University," to deliver their first an trines in New Orleans, and, to a large extent, nual address. Prentiss regarded this invitation thereby rehabilitated his estate. as the climax of his fame; for he was prouder His final professional effort was in defend of legal than of any other fame. And he ing General Lopez for alleged filibustering was gratified to find that the honor was ac in Cuba; but he left the court-room only centuated by the choice in his place of to go to his country place near Natchez, Daniel Webster, who also becoming ill gave where, on the opening of July, 1850, after way to Rufus Choate; whose memorable ora hours of delirium, in which his talk was tion, with its high-toned national sentiments about law suits and raising money for his and rhetorical beauty, was almost the last children, he passed into consciousness and reading which gratified the brain of his dy recognition, and died in gentle infantile ing compeer, Prentiss. Prentiss was working slumber, after repeating with the orice elo to provide for whom he knew would be his quent and powerful voice, in feeble whispers, widow, and their four beautiful children; the touching petitions of the liturgy, attended and his indomitable will so conquered by Episcopal Bishop Greene. bodily pain and weakness that his last case The memory of Sergeant Prentiss should but one, then involving title to municipal ever be kept green by his professional real estate, found him arguing it seated in brethren as a great lawyer-orator; and as court by permission of the judge. Federal full answer to a recent heresy of the Bar that Judge McCaleb, who heard the argument, eloquence, fervid manner, and all the acces has borne testimony to the systematic ar sories of oratory, are only wasted if used rangement and masterful ability with which upon modern jurors and modern judges in every point and all the learning that could a utilitarian age; and that any partnership elucidate the important questions involved between Themis and Mercury, the god of were presented, notwithstanding the feeble eloquence, has become incompatible in this frame. It was the dying effort of the fabled fin de siecle age.
