New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-15
RUFUS CHOATE.

UrFr, CboArE at Amescaa advoca,e aud Jarist.
~. br, N Eek a .ral i,su q the comfy u the
sane name l. Ma-sacbu-ett-, Oeiob,r !, li.5. Tae
,-,.r.Lye Il k,swied.e wiicu Glstirs lish,4 hiaa
f, ne first enabled tim 70 dras tie uinos; advan-
,.c.. rom TIE us5era'e opp u1i'-- Tor nsi-u>'ios
......,;,g which were vi e.n h- reach during boy
- IL entered Dartmouth College IN 1873, and
.-.,,s..., with the .. ehe.t houors OF hi. cas-. 10
1879 hs,,rr gained cuuts hl- collegiate course
te.u,aion which gave confident s--urAnce OF LIS Ia
tire c.rter II. coLtIueo attached 70 TIE C'Irse 10
tie cApscity Of tutor Tor year after a. gAiua's-
He tb,u .ti.r,d the lAv-scho, Fl Cambridge sni
after r,ustire there f-v Tonihs be "ert - wan
into, when. te was for abou, wear IN the othcs OF
Mr. WIT RetGrcipc - the North hh p'O'e--
sioual srud.s completed m the Once
Mr. Andrews q Ipswich, ard IN that o. Juige I'm
u,-r- II "a eul. He admitted % the bN IN 49,
So con uepced the practicr ~ the l.w 70 the tosn
- Dsrvers: bot m the course Of tso OF tire" ~ Hs
.po,ei Ia Sa,eu the -Lfe town % tie county. iron
the Moment q his admission o. the baf hi' sa.cees
vss marked au1 bic ire rapid. lie Oldest am nus
v..r,.t c-d iuri-t, 81 found tOrniao.e f1'A
,lr youthful advoCs'e, Who, 20 thorough kn'"e ~
the as. the moot csrsiG preparation oi sacn pHfucl"
est, and tie m-t earnest ceyou "a 81 himself 20 Iae
csus. If liz Ceut. added the char 81 oriAu' ani
r.y.ussve rhetoric such Al never 'iore graner
me cot iiicts sud discussions - Ne" has 80 c''
# iu,iicc. Though Re occupied sea- " 'ne n
- -.
suhseou.utl, m the SeUse for the sane iroi ne hd
NOT allow himself % he diverted tr N the pNh ot PRIV
'e.siora toll sui professional slcce., oy 'ne 80
ron. # rotics Wnen. m tne year ~ a the ea'ue~e
80 oi,ion If his personal ana political irenis' De 81
1--we bin,elf o. be- put ~ noniual N ~ csuiuAS
for Cor-ress te fef that he bal gAinei pl'ih'o
which N sie step no. imprudeni he~as e1ec'ei
10 the )use 81 krpresrutaNc-, asa served tnefe ie
= .,rcle term 9Th honor % himself Hui sairtscilDa
70 his continents, but declined re, ecton, havHZ
determined q remove 10 Boston toe Capital OF
tie state the phere beet suted l ~, poAeis auu
hi. s.uir-iors IL went 70 Boston M 1881, eut-fei AZ
once mo posses-icn OF large aud import ant business,
sud measured he powers with the leaders OF the oA.
F,r tie next eight yeafs hi 'e a.. ose ol the m'''
a.siiuou, toll and the most br ani tndnPh'' In req
rusry ISL be wss chosen by toe Legislature OF -.
sschr.ei,s a member 81 the Senate ~ the United
Sts,es N place ~ Mr. Webster VITO had entered tue
Cabinet OF President Harrison. lie remaned 10 ths
senate tall March, 1875 the close oi ms term whea
he pla0ly returned 70 the congena sphere o me
bar He 10, frequent part IN the discussions of the
senate and made bflhant SUI eisbofae sPe-tnss IPou
theOrt gou question, the tart the Courts % the on-
ted >.Ate- which we're pubis1ei IN pamphlet iorn-
From the close OF hi- Senatorial term 10 the present
tn be has resided IN Boston engaged In the most eA-
teusve practice ana only diverted from III l'oors oy
the occasional preparation and delivery oil puohc sd
dress lie Was for three or four years oue OF tne
Regent. of the Smithsonian Institution Apul u,
ISL be delivered eulogy on President Harrison
before the citizens of Boston, IN taheul Hal la
Dec 1913 be gave the address on the auni' ersay "i
H.. lsrtir0 of the Pilgrims before the New Eng ,ot
Society of New-lolk. In Aug, lS1S he pronounce
a ,ulogy upon Daniel Webster before the faculty aud
students OF Dartmouth College. 10 Sep'.' leoi' ne
gave an address at Danveis at the dedication OF the
Peabody Institute. ON Jolly !, l>IN, ne Delivered an
GRAFTON before the Young Mems Democratic Ciup of
Is. sf0u All the above discourses have been printed
To the lit OF occasional peiior nances are Ia BE- aided
two addresses before the students OF the Dane Law
School at Can bridge, AMI two before the Mefcan-
tile Library Association of Boston. Some ct ms poh'i-
cal speeche AID one or two at least OF MS ioiehso
Il r.~FVF "a 4
sye l. peculiar aud Characteristic, very elective IN
b bauds but hsrdy 70 be- commended a. a model Ter
imitation Il II nch, vivid aud glowing, instinct With
passion, ami c,ored with all the hues Of fancy but
sumetimes L must BE- admitted, little eNtravsgant
and exaggerated. Tie most remarkable quality,
however, N lis written competitions, Is me
structure Of h- periods. Thee are not the
short and impact statements. involving bat -ingo
propositiop in which most writers of our times
press their thoughts, but they recall aud rene" ths
continuous sweep and iongTesoundIug march oil the
prose writer's o the sixteenth century lhey are often
OF breatness length containing clause after clause,
IN, flying. charging, limiting the leading idea; fail
of A, impact iie ard flowing from mlnd oi the mos,
teemiI luXurGLce. SOInr Of these crowded aud sil-
eat Paragraphs remind of the performance OF q
ski fol musician who plays an air with one hand aui
eAtemponZts variations With the other. But MIR.
Chtars political and literary labOrs are but " tribes
light air when compared With the Immense
amount Of bis professional tols. The Jealousy Tor
which tire iaw is proveIblal never could have been
awakened in his ease, Tor he has been from the
first most ia thiu to his su-tere mistress. by the
common colsent OF his legal brethren, he now
stands, ard for many years has stood, A. the
head Of the bar IN New Engla and as an
advocate especially, perhaps no man In the whole
county enjoys high ara wide reputation
A. a lawyer Mr.. ChOate has WAT may be called an
eSoteTic and an esOtene fame. In his forensic per
formauce- tie general public are most attracted by
his glowing ana lmpassIOnei Arguments To the jury
by the rcn fancy and quaint humOr with when he
coutIiyes To decorate tue dryest ami seemingly tho
cost hopeless subject but 81, brethren at the bar
would agree that the elOquence displayed IN hi. ad
dresses but Ingredient IN the sum O has gts AMI
aCCoH pllshmeuts ~ advocate. They would say of
hun, SAID of kr-kine by the most discerning ot
hls Contemporaries, hst he above all things else re-
marx able Tor cOnsumnate Judgment and unernDg tact
In the MANAGEMENT Of causes. He l. al earnest
sell pos-essrd .yery faculty l. aroused and IN
& nj there are Lo moments Of anguor, ~earlBess
iustteItiOu he never makes ulstake himself, or
Overook- one IN an oppJrebti he shows the most
examination Of Witnesses; ard by the magnetism
If his manner engages the sympa'hles Of the Jury
IL where the law and the facts forbid hin 10
the assent of their understanding Nor need 1; be said
b. any member OF the bar u 4, No be the geat
advocate that Mr. ChOate L. without being also good
lawyer. Indeed his powers are never to greater adj
vantage than IL the unprecedented dscuss.On OF tho
law points that accidentally a-e m tra Al Hii Drns.
The nestuess Of his statement the grace and accuracy
of b. language, bis ample command oi legal n!dstra-
tom, ana biz persuasive rheOnc, always command the
Admiration OF bis bearers and for the moment half
elr assert even To PROPOSE ions which, 20 soon ~
the voice If the charuer silent, perceived 10 be
uItenabie. Mr.. ChOa,es devotion 10 bis profession
II shown by the isct that the ardor WITH
which he engages in u case Is wholly
! irrespective Of tie amount involved in the issue.
The simple relation Of counsel and client Is enough
To command all his powers, all his attain nents, and ai
Ls ompishmelt,. IT, hearing before Il COinm,s-
-iouer a Master in Chancery Referee, wi'h ali
III. i'm lQ In