The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-04-23
Judge Curtis Speech.

Mack, the Washington correspondent Of
the Cincinnati Con.mrcial. thus describes
Judge Curtis aad his opening speech 10
defense e the president:
The opening speech for the defense gas
2 quiet and grave reminder cf 4 sort of ie-
gal eioqRenco that was trite forty years
ago. It brought 10 mind il is stately
periods. Passionately, raJiopaiiy, coaci=s-
J uttered, The days of Marshall, Kaot,
aud Story.
iIr. Curtis is nan without a smile CT a
triie. Sober is his vesture, Trrple is his
color. He is very Ike Daniel Webster in
stature, face. and manner. ITe seldom
walks n any body's co3lPaay-but With =
slow, deliberate stride, ieaa:ng CT a Gaze,
lie comes alone 10 the capitol, ponderously
MOUNTS the steps, wipes lis forehead ia
the auteroom, and, catering the senate, si;s
il g condition Ct yigilant retirement, Ike
a. turkey gojb,er boiil;nS - his rage and
working lis craw. lie exchanges 10
words with lis legal brethren. II he IA
introduced 10 anybody in aay pause CT re-
cess, he shakes hands with that gravity
that Webster used 70 reyel u. lie weighs
about Z huudfel and ninety pounds, per-
haps more. Nature gave him a good large
Websterian head and his face IS ire Old
l;ver-eolor. lie rcrsp;res with great free
dom, bat never through excitement. Ills
paun-h IS stately his cloth CATERS are en-
ineu;ly legal; no gold seal disiurls The de-
mureuess of his vest his blue eyes retreat
in;o his brows, and lis head in.o his
standing collar, Ind he listens Ike phos-
phorcscent bull dog IN a dark cellar.
Sach is judge Curtis. win the add;;ons
Of straight, brown hair, and i lace smooth
| ly shayeu.
Rising to speak to-day there were a6oat
twenty books Of reference before him. lie
put lis hands on The baiz table, looked hi.
gloomg graa3est, and began with the nan.
nor g. funeral Grafton Ills voice is not
strong, but naturally trained BY the tem.
permanent of the man, and p.tc!.ed upon
the same easy key, 1t reaches the ear very
pleasantly aad strives to DO no more. as
1t carrie! so its calm burden or argument
at an equal pace, the minds OF ali Of us
left the domain Of politics, and rose with
its cadences into the atmosphere Of law.
Ensensibly We all began 70 feel that Gener-
al Buffers speech. which We had all sup
posed great performance, lad beea 10
more than smart aulaciiy. This old
time man. never in a hurry, never 10 zeal.
addressed himself 10 ,he supposition tba.
his auditors we're ali learned aud selfre.
spectlng gentlemen. Every time lie said
- senator's he made cold chill! 20 through
tie senate for during the past Two weeks
one-halt Of Tie senators have forgotten
their rank venture the supposition
that this speech got more respect IN every
senator silent mind than any utieranco
of his own has had for year past. | did
not follow ii closely enough 10 tell yoa the
effect Of it as an argument But il did
! this, which Butler. S;anberry, Wilson,
aud Bingham had failed to dot remind.
ed the senate Of itself AID Of the occasi on
Everything that had been said before grew
little and mean after Curtis had talked an
hour Ia all that time he never changed
his place, never filtered for a word, nor
used any urdignified expression whatsoey-
er Judge Chase heard the argumcn,
with the srayest care. 1t was study 10
look at the chief justice and the solid oh
pieader, taking bis time SO tremendously.