I forgot the presence of the crowd, and, though seventy years of age,
felt no fatigue from my standing position. In truth, sir, I was
unconscious of the time--equally so of the presence of any one but the
speaker. I perceived that his physical man was failing under his
effort, and so intense was my sympathy that I found myself breathing
rapidly and painfully; and yet, when he exclaimed, 'My powers fail!'
and sank into his seat completely exhausted, I regretted the necessity
which compelled him to stop. It was not until then that I found my hand
still holding my watch at the opening of its pocket, where, in my
excitement, I had forgotten to deposit it. I looked, and I had been
standing unmoved in the same position and intently listening for three
hours and fifteen minutes. Near me stood one old as myself--a friend, a
neighbor, and a minister of the gospel; he was livid with excitement,
and his lips trembled as he said to me: 'Will you ever doubt again that
God inspires man?'"
Notwithstanding the immense Democratic majority in the State, the Whigs
determined to run Prentiss for Congress: the election, at that time,
was by general ticket, and there were two members to be elected: the
Whig nomination was Prentiss and Wood; the Democratic, Claiborne and
Gholson.
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