Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 08.pdf/261

family of the late Wm. B. Todd of Wash avoid all attempt at display, or to excite ington, D. C., and is now owned by his feeling, so common before a jury, but to daughter, Mrs. John Jay Knox of New York state his case and his law as simply and City. clearly as possible, which was all that Thomas H. Benton, who. was on board would be effective before hard lawyers the Princeton at the time of the explosion, like the judges of the Supreme Court. gave me an account of it, and, with his wellMr. Webster's most common competitor known vanity, said at the Massachusetts his own life was saved bar was Rufus by his thirst for infor Choate, one of the mation. He had re finest scholars ever quested one of the sent out from Dart officers to explain mouth College, and some of the machin one of the most eloery, which took him quent advocates away from the neigh America has pro borhood of the gun. duced. An anecdote As is well known, is told of them illusMr. Webster remain trating. Choate's ed for some time in scholarship and Web the cabinet of John ster's persistency. Webster had used a Tyler, after the latter quotation from the had lost the support classics, and Choate of the Whigs by his passed him a slip veto of the bank bill, correcting it. Web and by so doing dis ster wrote on it " a pleased many of his false correction" and friends. General returned it. Choate Fessenden, the father sent out for the au of William Pitt Fess thor, and passed it to enden, and the life Webster, showing long friend of Mr. his accuracy. Web Webster, informed ster wrote back, me at the time that DANIEL WEBSTER AT 55. " spurious edition." Mr. Webster said, if (From a painting by Lawson.) it had been a matter After one of Mr. of reason, he could Choate's most brill have argued with Mr. Tyler, but when the iant arguments, in which, as was his custom, President had stated that it was a question with logic and close reasoning he had of conscience, as he believed the bill uncon mingled many flowers of rhetoric and stitutional, he could say no more. flights of the imagination, Mr. Webster An old lawyer has told me how kind Mr. rose to reply, and in his grave tones, with Webster was to him as a student in his office a wave of the hand, as if brushing it aside, and a young practitioner. He went to he began, *' Poetry, all poetry, gentlemen Washington to argue a case before the of the jury; now let us come down to facts." Supreme Court, and in the most delicate All are interested in the genealogy of manner, Mr. Webster counselled him to distinguished men, from the belief that