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nounced him the most consummate master of an exuberant English diction that he ever heard, and said he had " as fine a legal head as ever grew in America." Professor Ticknor, who saw him in the Supreme Court, de scribes him as eager for the fray, and spring ing into the arena like a lion that had been loosed by his keepers on the gladiator who

awaited him. He was enthusiastically de voted to his profes sion, and ambitious of its highest honors. The bar of the Su preme Court was the place where he shone with the most brilliant lustre; there his great est triumphs were won; and there it was, while making one of the greatest efforts of his life, that he was struck down, not by a rival, but by the ever victorious enemy of the human race, — death. John Randolph, in announcing to the Mouse of Represent atives the death of William Pinkney, paid a glowing tribute to ROOF.R B. his genius as a lawyer, orator, and statesman, and declared him to be " the boast of Maryland, the pride of the United States, — the pride of us all, but, more particularly, the pride of his profession; " adding that a "loss had occurred to this nation, and a void created which can never be filled, — the loss of a man whose legal reputation transcended that of any other man in this country. I will not say that our loss is irreparable, be cause such a man as has existed may exist again. There has been a Homer, there has been a Shakspeare, there has been a Milton; there may then be another Pink-

ney, but there is none now." Chief-Justice Marshall said William Pinkney " was the greatest man he had ever seen in a court of justice." Henry Clay said that he "shed lus tre upon letters, renown upon Congress, and glory upon the country." Walter Jones, an eminent lawyer of his time, said: "No such man has ever appeared in any country more than once in a century." Upon two occasions William -Pinkney de livered speeches which produced remarkable effects. One of these was on the Treatymaking Power in the House of Representa tives during a debate upon a bill to carry into effect the British Convention of 1815. The other was made in the United States Senate on the 15th February, 1820,during the celebrated debate on the Missouri Com promise Measure. Mr. Pinkney appeared as the champion of the equality and sover eignty of the State when admitted into TANEY. the Union, in opposi tion to Rums King, of New York. Such was the marvellous power of Pinkney on this occasion, that Rufus King declared his speech " had enlarged his admira tion of the capacity of the human mind." The scene was worthy of the greatest orator and the first deliberative body of the world. The business of the Lower House was suspended and its members crowded the floor of the Senate Chamber. The galleries were filled with the beauty and talent of the land, while hundreds were unable to get within sight or hearing of the eloquent speaker. The speech made a profound impression. Mr.