Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1859-09-09
Anour nrFUs cHoATE.


ABOUT RUFUS CHOATE.
Correspondence Of the Boston c0urier.l
GREAT MALvERN, August 8, 1859.
NY DrAR C.: Since the date Of ny last let
ter 10 you, news has come 10 ne Of the death
Of Mr.. Choste From the tenor Of my COM
muuication to youfrom Halifax, you must have
inferred that / was prepared FOR this sad intel
~igence. Indeed, from the moment I first look
"a upon him on the morning Of the day that
We sailed, / felt assured that thehand Of death
was on him His berth was next to mine. and
I ssw him many times during the short period
he remained on board. He was ALWAYS living
at full length upon the sofa, and perfectly
quiet though not reading, or listening to read
Ing. This in itself, in one with 30 active a
brain and restless an organization as bis, was
rather an ominous sign. In the brief moments
OF intercourse I had with him the feminine
sweetness and gentleness Of manner which al
ways Characterized him was very marked and
very touching. The determination that ne
should stop II Halifax was come TO before
dinner on the Both, and all preparations were
duly made 10 have him landed so soon as we
should reach the port. This was net accom-
plished until midnight; the night was very
dark. and an that we could see OF the town was
a mass Of indistinct gloom, dotted here and
there with twinkling lights. etook on board
a large number Of passengers, and you can well
imsgins the distracting hurry ard confusion Of
such a scene, the i~ostling Of poTters and lug
gage. The trampiing Of restless feet and al the
while the eseape-pipe driving one into madness
with its ear-riercing hiss. Mr.. c. walked TO
his carriage, leaning heavily on my arm, MS
sons attention being absorbed by the care Of
the luggage. lie moved slowly and with some
difficulty, taking very short steps. Two car
riages had been engaged BY some misunder-
standing, but, on account Of the luggage It was
found convenient 10 retain them both. Mr.
Choate was put into one Of them, alone, with
out any incumbrsnee Of trunk or bag, and his
son, with the luggage, occupied The other.
When the moment for driving of came, ! could
not bear 70 see him carried out into the IN
known darkness unacc0mPanied, and ] asked
| Capt. Leitch, who was with us-and whose
thoughtful kindness ! shall never forget-how
long a time ] might have 10 drive mp into the
| town and he replied, half an hour. Hearing
| that the inn. OF boarding house, 10 which we
were directed was but half a mile Of, 7 enter
I'd the coach, sat BY his side, and of we went
I through the gloomy streets. The half mile
stretched out into \ long mile: and when We
had reached the house, and had deposited
Mr.. Choate on a s7fa in the sitting room, the
lsndlady appalled, me BY saying that she had
not an unoccupiei hAd in the hosse, and could
not accommodate him Her words fell upon
nv heart Ike a blow. In a few breathless
words explained 70 her who and what he
was. and how slaTtningly III I thought him
but I could avail nothing. would have knelt
20 her, If that would have moved her but ]
read no signs Of hope in her eye. may have
done her Injustice. bat I have set down the in
cident as about the first time have ever had
occasion, from nv own observation and eXpe-
rienee. 20 qualify Ledyard's praise Of women.
In the meantime, the memorable moments
were slipping swav, and ! was compelled 10
leave the house. heard an airy voice calling
ne or OF the darkness, and ! could not by a
moment enlarge the Captains leave. ! left
Mr. Choats upon The sofa, pale and exhausted.
but patient and accomplishing his luggage
in the street, al The door. and his son at thai
midnighrhour wandering about the streets Of
Halifax, seeking a temporary shelter for q
dying father, with what result | hsve not yet
heard. What with the sense OF hurry, the ir-
r~itation Of this misehance, and the conscious
ness that ] had seen my eminent friend for the
last time, I drove back 10 the boat with a very
sore heart
There are some passages in our lives which
stamp themselves unon the memory with
n~eculiar force and distinctnsss. Such were
nv midnight experiences at Halifax; IL i
should live 90 be a hundred years old thew
would BE- as fresh before the minds eve as they
are now.
Ihave read here with melancholy inter-
est. az you NAV well suppose, the proceedings
Of the bar in concentration Of our. grsat
leader.
Mr.. Dana's speech is beautiful and discrim-
mating. HiEh as is the praise be bestows,
substantially agree with It, except that doubt
whether Mr. Choate was 50 good a Greek
scholar - his friend would make him out to
have been. He could have brought away but
very little Greek from Dartmouth, and as he
30 early became engaged in his professions,
be never could have found the time to repair
that early deficiency. But when ! saw that
be was no. a good Greek scholar, I wish 20 be
understood that 7 mean much BY the words, a
gocd Greek scholar. There are not many
such ANYWHERE. and very few in our own coun-
trv. They might there be counted upon the
fingers Of the two lands, at least. But, be-
vcnd an controversy, Mr.. Choste was an sd-
miranle Latin scholar. He ha' not that min
ute finish and technical skill which are acQuir-
Cd az The schools and universities OF England
he could not have written Latin verses ike
Sir William Jones-but I doubt whether the
choicest flowers Of English scholarship had a
better comprehension Of the spirit Of the Lat
In tongue than be, or a more correct appreeia-
ton OF the genius and character ofthe Roman
people. II had been called upon to select a
literary subject for him, I should have named
the life Of Cicero. He could have given a BIZ
ozraphv as much better Than Mid3leton's as
Grote's history Of Greece is better than Nit
ford's. That he was a m7tchless English
-N VI " H...Aa H- N4H aeaNN
ENGLISH hsrp-need not be said.
The speech and resolutions designate verv
ius " th re -arkable union there was in Mr..
Choate OF qualities not often met In comlina-
tor. This extended both % his mind and
characte-. lie was a rlose and compact rea-
soner, rs well as an impassione7 and imagi-
native speaker; 8nd under the flowers Of his
brilliant rhetoric there ran the firm woven web
Of a vigorous logic. Still more remarkable
was this combination in his c-aracter. III
hava never known a manw.th 81 sensitive ard
eXciteable a temperament who bad 50 sweet ?
temper. IN al my interiors; Within Ihave
never known a peevish or irritable remark TO
Be wrung from him. If this were a natural
n 9, u was a very precious gift. II II were
ihe fruit Of disc pline it was a noble victor
IN Mr.. Choa,e we sawi The finest Of Instruments
always IN tune.
lido not think he hal any natural taste OF
affinity for legal studies and vet ] think the
Profession Of law was exactly that which
be { suited his mind and temperament. This
may seem sJmewhat p7radoXical, but / be-
iieve Il 70 be true. Mr.. Choate's opinion on =
point ef law-his adyice 20 client. especially
in an emergency where there was a conflict
between two opposite cources-would have
been less valuable than that Of some Of bis
cotemporariss. His mind was not judicial
He needed 20 have a side selected. and a D ost
assigned 7n4 then in behalf of that side, IN
defense Of that post. an his splendid powers
we're summoned The general public had only
an imperfect sense Of his greatness : enthusi-
astic a. was the admiration with which he
was followed. Thew saw the graceful flight,
but the power Of the swoop they did not sp
prehend. Only those who have been asso-
cistrd with him. OF opposed 70 him IN a long
and difficult jury trial could know how wonder
I'll a man he was. His conduit Of a jury
csuse was from beginning 10 end a matchless
and consummste piece Of art, most admired
hv those who approached nearest 10 him in
professional tact and experience. On this
point Mr. Lori1g's remarks DO him Justice and
no more than Justice.
II recalling Mr.. Choate's mental powers
we should not overlook one which, with OBJ
vious propriety, was but lightly touched upon
IN the resolutions and speeches Of the bar.
mean bis exquisite wit. u was Of a peculiar
quality and rare favor. Il was Of a delicate
edge, and there was never any venom on the
point. He eXeslled in the nice conduct Of a
subtle and playful irony. How many spark
ling epigrams dronped from bis lips in CONVEX
s%ation, or in spsakingi
-sirv-i- Ave- v,-is long.
sparkle or-vrr.v
Some Boswell ought &, gather up these pearls
o. speech, and transmit them 20 those who
cone af-er Us.
Mr.. Dane said truly that Mr.. Choate did not
seem the natural ard spontaneous grow b Of
fhe soil Of New Englond. He was something
unique and peculiar he was like no one else.
could be compared with none. The re-
mark mirht be verified further bv = reference
% some points In which be was deficient : for
he had very little Of that manual knack. or f.
which most Yankee boys who are
Up in the country insiirctivelv ae-
quirp. He gag very unhandv with his hanfs 4