A Glance at our Colonial Bar. an influential continental congressman, and supposed to have immense influence with Washington. The English Tory government had sent commissioners to negotiate peace on the basis of some colonial submission; and they employed a Mrs. Ferguson to ap proach Reed with a bribe that he himself might name for his influence in behalf of their end. His words immediately reported
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to Congress sent the commissioners home with the traditional flea in their ears. When peace was declared he had re turned to practice in Philadelphia and be came a notable ad vocate. He died at the early age of forty-four. The co lonial poet Trumbull wrote of the bribery incident, thus : "Behold at Britain's ut most shifts Dame Ferguson with promised gifts! She ventures through the Whiggish tribe To cuddle, wheedle, coax, and bribe. George called, to aid a desperate mission, A petticoated politician; While Venus, joined to aid the farce, FISHF.R Strolls forth embassadress of Mars." In the old churchyard at Dedham, Mass., stands a plain white monument bearing only this name, Fisher Ames. Now, as then, no other words are needed. Although in prac tice of the law at that town in 1781, his ora torical successes at the bar have been also overshadowed by his glories as statesman. While member of the first Federal Congress
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he spoke in favor of Jay's treaty so power fully that an opponent moved adjournment of debate for the members to take calm thought and not to be led away by Ames' eloquence. " Why," exclaimed the mover, "there is not a dry eye on the floor." Ames added to his next neighbor, " except between the ears of the jackasses who made my speech necessary by their brays and floppings." Legal tradition is rich with his epi grams and repartees when only young at the bar. William Tudor, a famous co lonial lawyer of Bos ton, was his legal instructor and was quoted as pleasantly saying of his pupil, "Fisher has lofty aims." He inherited wit from his father, a physician who also kept an inn in Ded ham. Some Tory colonial judges hav ing decided a case against the parent, he stretched their Honors upon his tavern signboard in full-bottomed wigs tippling and smok AMES, ing pipes, with their backs turned from a huge volume labelled "Province Law." The Boston authorities de spatched officers to remove the signboard; but when they arrived only this — a fresh — inscription was found thereon taken from Holy Writ : " A wicked and adulterous gen eration seeketh for a sign, but no sign shall be given them."
