William M. Evarts. high among such benefactors of his city as were Robert Fulton on the Hudson River, DeWitt Clinton with his Erie Canal project, Mayor Aaron Clark with his Croton water schemes, and that twin publicist and great lawyer, Henry C. Murphy, with his Brook lyn bridge. Mr. Evarts' great defense of President Andrew Johnson before the High Court of Impeachment is within memory of this generation and readers of the Green Bag; and needs no more than a reference. Mr. Evarts' speech therein ranks, in historical, legal and parliamentary importance, beside the renowned addresses on the impeachment trial of Warren Hastings. Beside the report of the latter case — now exactly a century old — in the library of the Benchers of the Middle Temple in London, I saw placed the congressional report of the Andrew Johnson trial : so that they who read in one volume the impassioned oratory of Sheridan, can next turn to the logical strength of the Evarts argument, that unquestionably de cided wavering senators, and gave his client a majority of one for acquittal. Mr. Evarts' career as Attorney-General is also within memory of the Bar and Bench of this generation. His opinions in the col lected volumes which contain also opinions by such eminent predecessors as Theophilus Parsons, Pinckney, Wirt, Taney, Butler, Crit tenden, Legare and Cushing will for style,
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pith and value bear comparison with any. Moreover, this generation need only to be reminded that Mr. Evarts enjoys with Richard Olney the sole distinction of having served both as Attorney-General and Secre tary of State. Of the counsel to the claim ants and respondents in the international body that in 1872 settled the Alabama claims, Mr Evarts was primus inter pares. But, as in the case of Daniel Webster, the legal fame, fleeting as this is commonly assumed to be, will even among laymen out live the political fame of Mr. Evarts. It was the first species of fame that really illus trated and promoted the latter, both for him and Webster. The greatest statesmen of England have not been lawyers, but those of the United States always have come from its Bar. Mr. Evarts, now approaching the octoge narian era of man's span of life, is in partial blindness and weakness of frame : paying the penalty of a well-spent life, wherein head and heart have never ceased to toil. But both of these organs remain as young in this grand old American as ever. His interest in mundane affairs continues equally vivid. When read to by loving tongues his com ments are as vivacious, pungent, philo sophical and intrinsically valuable as at any time of life. May he long remain one of those whom age cannot wither, nor custom stale their infinite varic
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