Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-07-15
From the Cincinnati Signal.
PEN AND INK SKETCHES.


PEN AND INK SKETCHES.
JOHN XAN buren,, OF NEW YORK.
John Van Buren, is the incarnation of the
spirit Of the radical Democracy; witty, e'o-
quent, severe, honest, and brave, he fitly re-
presents that great party. Among literary
men, a scholar a lawyer at one bar ohoy
at another; before the people an orator. IN
the parlor, dandy, he is all things to all
men, and has well learned to act al Rome as
the Romans act to do in Turkey as the tur-
kies do.
John 10 mentally omniverous an intellec-
,,,.l cormorant His mind consumes greedily
and with pleasure, all things from Coke
upon kttleton, and Edwards on the will,
down to Dombey and Son, and the Albany
Argus. In this respect, he is like the late
Judge Story, of whom an eminent Rhode Is
land lawyer remarked, ''that all his law he
knew by intuition, as he appeared never to
have read anything but Cicero de oiicies;
and the Pickwick Papers,"
John is the second son of Martin Van BIZ
rem. In England, the property OF family
all goes to the Oldest son, and as the second
son has nothing but his wits TO live on, he is
supposed to engross all the talent OF the faml-
"; suppostion which is strikngly borne
out in the case of the Van Buren, family
The oldest son, Major Abraham Van Buren,,
is Paymaster in the army, and married
rich wife, and beyond this he can never go.
The younger sons are simply worthy young
men.
John must be now nearly forty years OF
age. lie graduated at Yale College, some
twenty wears ago, with a high reputation for
genius, wit, idleness, and devitry he was
loved by all the school girls, hated by all the
orderly, and envied by all the mischievous
spirits in New Haven. He was a worker of
mischief, confusion and disorder, but he pos
sessed too much ingenuity to be caught, and
in great tribulation, we doubt, at sending
forth so unquiet spirit, the Faculty granted
him degree. -.
He studied law under ''Stated Preaching y
Hon. B. F. Butler, at Albany, and Judge
vanderpool, the Undertook Roarer, in New
York, and the perfection with which he can
both preach and roar now, attests the ability
of his instructors.
Shortly after his admission TO the bar, he
went to England with his father, who had
Just been appointed Minister at the Court OF
Saint James and in 1888, after his fathers
rejection by the Senate, they returned to.
gether.
John then went quietly TO work at his pro-
fession, at Albany, and succeeded in getting
fame and clients. His course of life was un.
ruffled, save by an occasional speculation ii
stocks and spicy correspondence with Jesse
Hoyt, not remarkable for elegance of Ian.
guage. John proves the truth of the new
definition of man-san animal that swears.' >
In 1888, John went to England again, and
by the use he made of the fact that he was
the Presidents son gained the soubriquet OF
Prince john 1t is not an appropriate title
however, for John is a trump card, good
deal higher than the king. The hunters cal
him the Knave of Trumps. He bear:
some resemblance however, to Shakespeare.
Prince Hal and is by no means, a poor
sKing of good fellows" The arrows of hi.
wit, like those of Robin Hood, are employed
in the just and righteous cause of Truth, a.
gainst the plunderers of the people.
While in England John made the best OF
his time. He drank good brandy danced
early and late, and made love to Queen Vic
toria. The polish of his manners the charm:
of his conversation, and the elegance of hi.
breeding opened all doors and all hearts IL
him.
John went over to Ireland, and gained
there the name of a ''rollicking boy" Able
to use shillelagh or his tongue with the
best of them, he became a great favorte witt
the Irish people.
After his return he devoted himself eNclu
sively to his profession, until isl5. The deall
Of his wife, not many years after their mar
riage, about ls43, assisted in keeping hi
restless spirit quiet He has one child, fai
young daughter to cheer his widowed heart
In Is45 he was elected Attorney Genera
of the State of New York, and succeeded il
this office, the lamented Barker. His nomi
nation in caucus was effected, after a severe
struggle, by majority of one vote over Ru
fus w. Packham, (iunkcr.) On him was IA
chieved the first victory of the Barnburners
and he, their leader in their struggle, is thei
captain still.
As Attorney General he 'came out, as al
Eastern editor says, "like the Irish rebellion
unexpected, and forty thousand strong.n Th'
marked ability displayed by him in the Su
preme Court of the United States on the Ale
question, and in the trials of the Anti-Renter
and of the murderer Freeman, in the Court
of New York, have given him proud posi-
tion at the bar of New York.
John was at the Albany county Democrat
Convention, at New Scotland, in 1916. Cros
well charges him with profuse use of tn
shillelagh, and profane use of language o
that occasion, but there is no proof his gull
There is no doubt that Croswell and Cornin
got credit marks in red on their noses, an
that their rear guard was not sufficient tina