William Wirt. gress is regulating it, he and Daniel Web ster, for the plaintiff, successfully maintained the unconstitutionality of a State law grant ing exclusive privileges of navigation upon waters within the State of New York, after Congress had legislated upon the subject in a manner inconsistent with the State law. The case engaged the most eminent talent at the bar, and attracted wide-spread atten tion, more especially as the local feeling engendered by the controversy in New York bordered upon civil war. A further proof of Wirt's extended reputation was his employment in a cause to be tried in Boston, before the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, an arena entirely new to the Virginian, and one in which his chief opponent was to be the pride of New England, Webster himself. Mr. Wirt's term as a member of the Cabinet had now expired, and he must meet the great lawyer and debater of Massachusetts upon the latter's own ground, relying wholly upon his own powers without the aid of of ficial position. His reception at Boston was a continual ovation. He was besieged by visitors, overwhelmed with invitations, and was deeply touched by the kindness and courtesy of Webster, whom he describes as " plain, warm and cordial, without par ade," and who took delight in threading the intricate streets, in company with his guest, as he exhibited the historic sights of the city. He bore from this first experience of New England hospitality and apprecia tion a far different opinion of the section and its debaters from that which he enter tained twenty years previous, when he re marked of the New England orators, as a class, that they could speak on any topic with equal volubility, but with no more variation of feeling or of expression than is seen in the brazen mask covering the face of a Roman actor. In the latter part of Mr. Wirt's career, he was engaged in the trial of two causes which were singularly adapted to the exhibition of his greatest legal talents. The one was the
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impeachment of Judge Peck by the House of Representatives for misconduct in office; the other, the celebrated Cherokee Indian case, involving the rights of the Cherokee Nation, under treaties with the United States, in a reservation within the State of Georgia. Mr. Wirt was deeply impressed with the wrongs suffered by the Indians, and contributed to the argument of their cause all the strength of reasoning and fervor of feeling of which he was master. Despite his labors, the Supreme Court of the United States declined, on constitutional grounds, to consider the case. In the defense of Judge Peck, he was completely successful. His speech con tained a full discussion of the liberty of the press in America, and the rights of judges to maintain the dignity of their office by punishing contempts of their authority. It was delivered, as he himself declared, " un der the pressure of ill health and deep afflic tion of spirit," alluding to the recent death of his youngest daughter, to whom he was devotedly attached; yet it was considered a most brilliant and forcible argument. During the heated Anti-Masonic excite ment following the mysterious disappear ance of Morgan, Mr. Wirt was again forced to take a part in politics. At the urgent solicitation of the Anti-Masons, he accepted the nomination for President in the election in which Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson were his opponents. In this instance, as in his former political career, Wirt reluctantly assumed the position offered, and in no sense solicited the honor either for the purpose of courting favor with a class, or extending his reputation throughout the country. The result was, as he had from the first anticipated; General Jackson was elected, and Wirt received the vote of but one State, Vermont. Mr. Wirt's death occurred February 18, 1834. He had three years before received, as he termed it, " a blow over the heart" from which he never rallied. This was the
