The Supreme Court of Maine. law, when the statute made one sale prima facie evidence of the offense. Without offer ing a single witness in defense, he placed his reliance upon the jury. The complainant had shown himself to be an informer, and that was all the counsel for the defendant cared to know. He denounced the witness with hot and fiery words as sordid, detesta ble, corrupt and thoroughly unreliable. For half an hour he poured out his contempt upon the case in language that astonished all by its burning eloquence, and withering scorn. His face was illuminated with the intensity of his action; his eyes were filled with the glow of strife. Suddenly stopping, his voice vibrating with emotion, he said : "Gentlemen : my soul is stirred from its very depths with the meanness of this crea ture in the semblance of a man. Yet it pains me to be compelled to speak unkindly even of him, for I love my fellow-man. But would you believe him?" The scene was dramatic and never to be forgotten. The jury returned a verdict of acquittal, hardly leaving their seats after the closing argument of the District Attorney and a charge by the Court strongly in favor of a conviction. I doubt if any other defense would have pre vailed. Certainly his argument was widely different from his usual methods in which his playful wit is used to the delight of all without giving pain to any one. Adhering strictly to the practice of his profession, he was soon retained in all the important causes pending in Penobscot and Hancock Counties, covering all branches of law and equity. Some are noted for the magnitude of the verdicts that he won, like Boody v. Goddard, and Dwinel v. Veazie. In the latter case there were three trials, the verdicts aggregating more than twenty thou sand dollars. In the meantime the personal popularity and following which so eminent an advocate engendered became a potent factor in poli tics. Although a Whig, he was the unani mous choice of the Union party and by it
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elected to the Maine Senate two successive terms in 1862 and 3. The next year, 1864, he was chosen by a large majority a mem ber of the House, where he took an active part in the debates. Among them was one upon the removal of the capitol from Au gusta to Portland. He led the opposition with his usual success, in a speech which at tracted wide attention for the ability dis played and capacity to handle subjects out side the legal forum. He was elected Attor ney-General of the State by the Legislature for the years 1864-5 anc> 6, and performed the duties satisfactorily. Having thus en tered upon a public and political life, his election to Congress followed with ease and certainty as the choice of the Republican party. He was first elected in 1866 to the Fortieth Congress, and served upon the Committees on Patents and Public Expendi tures. His second election was in 1868 to the Forty-first Congress. His third election was in 1870 to the Forty-second Congress, serving upon the Committee on the Judiciary and as chairman of the Joint Committee on the Congressional Library. It would be difficult to single out a member during these six years who had greater personal influ ence. Good'natured, humorous and imper turbable, nothing obstructed his pathway to success whenever he advocated the passage of some desirable measure. The following incident related to the writer by General Garfield in 1876 will illustrate this : " Observing an aged lady dressed in deep mourning who, sitting in the gallery, was a constant attendant upon the daily sessions of the House, the Judge learned by inquiry that she was interested in a pri vate Bill for a pension. After an examina tion that disclosed it was meritorious, and needed but one thing, a champion, he called it up from the calendar, and by a few words of explanation and personal appeal obtained unanimous consent for its consideration with out a report from the committee; and it was instantly put upon its passage under a sus
