The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1868-05-09
Judge- Curtis as he Appeared
to Mack.

Judge Curtis as ne Appeareo
to Mack.
The opening speech for the de-
fence was quiet and grave re-
minder of a sort of legal elo-
ouence that was trite forty years
aao. It brought to mind in it's
stately periods, dispassionately,
nationally. concisely uttered, the
davs of Marshall, Kent and Story.
Mr., Curtis is a man without a
smile or a trifie. Sombre is his
vesture, purple is his color. He
is very like Daniel Webster in
stature, face, and manner. lie
seldom walks in any body's com
pany-but with a slow, deliberate
stride, leaning ona cane, he comes
alone to the capitol, ponderously
mounts the steps, wipes his fore
head in the ante-room, and, en-
tering the Senate, sits in condi-
ton of vigilant retirement, like a
turkey gobbler bottling up his
rage and working his craw. He ex-
changes no words with his legal
brethren. IF he is introduced to
anybody in any pause or recess,
he shakes hands with that gravity
that Webster used to revel in. He
weighs about one hundred and
ninety pounds, perhaps more. Ma
ture gave him a good, large, Web
sterian head, and his face is a fine
old liver-color. He perspires with
great freedom, but never through
excitement. His paunch is stately;
his cloth CATERS are eminently le-
gal; no gold seal disturbs the de-
mureness of his vest; his blue
eyes retreat into his brows, and
his head into his standing collar,
and he listens like a phosphores-
cent bulldog i'm dark cellar.
Such is Judge Curtis, with the
additions of straight, brown hair,
and a face smoothly shayen.
Rising to speak to-day, there
were about twenty books of refer
ence before him. eput his hands
on the baize table, looked his
gloomy grandest, and begun with
the manner of a funeral grafton.
His voice is not strong, but natu-
rally trained by the temperament
of the man, and pitched upon the
same easy key, it reaches the ear
very pleasantly, and strives to do
no more. As it carried so it's
calm burden of argument at an
equal pace, the minds of all of us
left the domain of politics and
rose with its cadenees into the at
mosphere of law. Insensibly, we
all began to feel that Gen. But
ler's speech, which we all had sup
posed a great performance, had
been no more than q smart au-
dacity. This old-time man, never
in hurry, never in zeal, address
ed himself to the supposition
that his auditors were all learned
and self-respecting gentlemen.
Every time he said Senators !"
he made a cold chill go through
the Senate, for during the past
two weeks one-half the Senators
have forgotten their rank. / ven
ture the supposition that this
speech got more respect in every
Senator's silent mind than any
utterance of his own had for a
year past. / did not follow it
closely enough to tell you the eff
feet OF it asan argument. But it
did this-Which Butler, Stanbery,
Wilson and Bingham had failed
to dot reminded the Senate of
itself and of the occasion. Every
thing that had been said before
grew little and mean after Curtis
had talked an hour. In all that
time he never changed his place,
never faltered for word, nor used
any undignifed expression what
soeVer. Judge Chase heard the
argument with the gravest care.
1t was study to look at the Chief
Justice and the solid old pleader,
taking his time so tremendously.
Cor. Cincinnati Commercial.