Brown University,—at that time called the Rhode Island College,—and entered the latter institution in 1798, getting his degree in 1802. A classmate, Mr. John Whipple, has borne testimony to the serenity of his temper and studious habits. He seems, however, not to have been so much inter ested in the curriculum of the College, as in outside reading, and he there began the ac quaintance with general literature that gave him so broad a culture. The quality of his mind was judicial, and his memory retentive. It grasped broad principles and ignored trivialities and technicalities. And his pre dilection for history even at the time of his graduation is shown by the title of his Com mencement part: "Progress of the Mathe matical and Physical Sciences during the Eighteenth Century. From 1802 to 1805 Wheaton studied in a Providence law office and then went to France, where he passed much time at Poitiers, learning the language and trans lating the Code Xapolcon. He stayed also some weeks in Paris, where he was not favorably impressed with the administration of justice, and after his arrival in England compared the English with the French judges to the disadvantage of the latter. In this connection it may be interesting to quote from a letter that he wrote some twenty years later to Mr. Justice Story, under date of November 20, 1827. Speak ing of the English courts, which he had recently visited, he says: "What I observed confirmed my former impressions that an American court of jus tice is a much more orderly and dignified scene than even these high tribunals, sur rounded by all their pomp and parapher nalia." Upon his return to Providence in 1806, Wheaton began the practice of law, but was not successful in acquiring a lucrative clientage. The technicalities of special
pleading in Rhode Island were not con genial to him, and for seven years he filled his time with the study of history, Roman Law and languages, keeping informed on European politics by correspondence, and writing for the Rhode Island Palrict tem perate and able articles in support of Jeffer son and Madison. In 1810 he delivered a Fourth of July oration in his native city, in which he denounced with noble indigna tion the bloody wars of Europe and their disastrous consequences. Of this oration Jefferson expressed hearty approval. In 1813 he moved to New York. Being prevented by the protective statute of the State from practising law there for three years, he continued his journalistic career, becoming editor of the Xational Advocate.— the organ of what was then known as the Republican Party. This he conducted with ability, fairness and success, upon a much higher plane than that of most newspapers of that day, which were given over to scur rility. The National. A avocate naturally sup ported the Administration in the War of 1812, and at the end thereof Wheaton was thanked for his good offices by the Cabinet, and appointed Judge Advocate of the Army. In 1815 he withdrew from journalism and was appointed a justice of the Marine Court of the City of Xew York, which commission he held four years and then resigned. It is curious to note his broad statesmanship at this time. For when he was only thirty. grasping the country's needs, he drew л national bankruptcy bill and vainly tried to procure its adoption by Congress. In this year also he published his Treatise on tinLaw of Maritime Captures and Prices. In the following year he was appointed re porter of the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, which position he held for eleven years and published twelve volumes. I think that the profession are generally agreed that Wheaton's re
