Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-11-27

lalk lirht Oh for ain ~ earnest a''ni "t''
I i..y,. 10 aav-tuo mach IN earnest 80 uhuei-
axe to find fgrrcs oi rhetoric, % ansin'ia
by wrr Of establishment OF adornment-
Ii is perfectly obvious that he VINO nlaue
that sentence in that presence, ana IN ''.'.'
occasion. could not make fgarcs OF 5ie''.i
and would be likely TO make pe'1i.aI,' H1-
o, lay amusing use oi them. Il lie pe'ci'Ns'
.i,.,.iJ find them. His safety and his sue
crss consisted in his 81 talking night on as
.......ts- If b,,sine,s. - in earnest about what
he lad ~ sav''-and leaving the inGing ana
,,so n .fr,,res If rhetoric 10 those VINO might
feel the need Of something by way OF eni'ei-
ishmcnt or adJrnment'
TJ',,tt whether Judge Collamer gave any
-, ~ ancient classical learning after
Ga In c,lere nor did discover, in my as
s....;,t;o, with him, OF in his printed opinions
- Jrdre. or his speeches and reports, much
interest in. or conversancy with, Enslish class
;csI literature. lie had obviously never stu
5ied with the view Of achieving the character
If q classical or literary scholar. lie had not
formed to himself, nor pursued any course OF
systematic literary cultivation. lie mad read
extensively, bat mainly as matter oil business
incidentlv fu amusement and recreation,
prompted by the purpose Of qualifying HIM
self for the practical duties Of his profession
and his official positions.
In the law. within the scope of his practice
and his iudicial service, he was thoroughly
rounded in the substantial learning. 80 IN
it. various DEPARTMENTS and aspects, he was
master Of all history. all statistics, all prnci-
ples. In science and the practical arts ne
mastered what was needed for the purposes ana
occasions he was ca led on TO serve. For con-
siders,be period he was Professor OF Medical
Jurisprudence in the Vermont Medical Col
lege located at Woodstock, which for thea
litv Of it's Faculty. and the number OF ITS stu
dents. was for several years the foremost Me
deal School in New Nuglani. He gave to
tbe successive classes short but very instruc-
five course Of lectures in his department
From time t. time. beginning with 1913, he
made addresses before Agricultural Societies,
of the most interesting and ediiying charac-
ter. showing great luliness Of knowledge, de-
rived from reading, and intercourse, and Oh
seryation. upon the subjects and interests IN
ytlycd in their exhibition
Many of my audience know with what
iullness of instruction, with what Ineligible
plainness, with what point Of humorous Illus
tration. he was accustomed to address public
gatherings for political purposes. some ol
them must have an abiding impression oi
him the last time he appeared ia tins Han =
on an evening in November, 1851, then al
mos. seyentv-fuur years old, when, from tins
desk. he. for one hour and half, disooursed
to large assembly, as no other man IA Yer
mont. and few men in the nation could us
course, in exposing tAe sr9uniiessnesS ana
the wicked ab0mlnatipn Hi the doctrines MHieA
had led to secession. and brought forth the
horrors of the raging war-what lulliie77
and clearness in his analysis and marshallns
Of facts-what force Of reasoning what con-
clusivencss Of inference and result.
His biblical knowledge was thorough and
well dirested. lie had DO fondness for pole
mic Theology. and read lule in that line.
He was. however, strongly grounded and en-
tr,nrhed bv all the substantial evidences OF
the inspired authenticity Of the Holy Script
ure,. and deeply imbuei with their great
truths as =" the anchor of the soul. sure and
steadfst" In the earlier years Of IBIS resi-
dence in Woodstock be delivered a very iu-
structiye course of popular Hectares upon The
authenticity OF the Bible.
On the whole he was a very learned man, Do
the sense of having vast stores OF RHoaledgc
with great fullne-s and accuracy. upon all
subjects Of practical interest and importanee
in lis various vacations and relations IN lie.
While think he had not muca clnversau-
CIV with classic English literature in general.
he was obviously familiar with some of the
classic authors, a. Milton. and Shakespeare,
and Goldsmith, and Cowucr. and Campbell,
and Burns. | doubt, however. whether they
were read and admired by him mainly for
their qualities and merits as being poetry in
stead Of prose. lie once said to NE that be
deemed Campbell ar rhe best tot English poets,
and his " Pleasures Of Hon as the best
piece Of English poetry.
Excuse the introduction Of an incident.
submitted this manuscript 70 the Ierusal of q
friend. lie returned it witha note, in which
he said When reading this page, it came
% my mind that once the Judge and took
walk together in Washington, and as We
were passing the general Post5Hice, he re-
marked to me, don { claim to be a literary
man. but when ] was at the head of thatde-
partment, pointing to the Po,t)lIee,) Il
certainly was Nan Of Letters.
His style of speech and composition seems
10 Indicate that he had small appreciation OF
rhythm and euuhouy in the use OF language.
Ii would lead one to think that, when he had
got the words. which. in Themselves. and In
their c1llocariun. embodied lis idea as it laid
in his own mind. he felt no further iuteres.
IN the making up Of his expression or sen
teace doubt whether he ever changed q
word for its synonym, or changed the ar
rangemcnt of words in a sentence, OF omit
ted the repetition of the same word, with q
view TO the facility Of utterance, Or to en-
phonic grace or rhetorical eloquenee. 1t re
suited hence. that. while his style would hard
~ be accepted as a model Of classic elegance,
il may be referred to as distinguished for its
condensed comprehensiveness, precision and
perspicuity. Nobody ever failed to under
stand the meaning Of his expressions, and
they meant Just what he said.
He had none Of the Ielleyrandic faculty Of
using language " to conceal IDEAS" His
astuteness and precision in his apprehension
of the meaning and force Of words as mem
bers of a sentence, particularly in all matters
pertaining to law, and legislation, and the
accurate statement Of propositions, and the
linking Of a chain Of logic, We're hardly sur
passed by any Of the most skillful masters Of
the English tongue. Mr.. Sumner, one of its
most trained and accomplished masters. said of
nm AAAe III cNHNhN hNNuAdlNAN. anu llt
was accurate with his pen Perhaps nobody
was apter in the style or language Of legisla-
ton. lie was an excellent draughtsman, al
though, without doubt, too professional for a
taste not exclusively professional. "
His fondness and facility in the use of hui
norous anecd1te and incident by way Of nit,
and point and illustration. characterized
his debates on the gravest and most momen-
t0us subjects in the Halls Of Congress. and,
while in the main he was genial and COM
PLEASANT in expression and manner towards
his antagonists, Yet he gave them 70 feel that
he was not with Impunity to be triaed with,
sighted. or vilifed While the reports Of
the current proceedings in Congress abound
in instances of this kind, they contain but
one in which heopenly and defantly denounc-
Ell a fellow member.
Mr.. Joseph Morris Of Ohio, in a speech in
the House had charged that members of
the Committee on Public Lands had been I'M
der tie influence Of personal and private in
tere>t- in reporting certain bill On being
called on by Mr.. McClenand, and by Judge
Cullamer 10 specify whether he meant than,
and Morris refused to answer except by put
ting them b. d!-ciaim. as the condition of his
ez1ncration, Judge G.. said But if the
gentleman meant to persist in his charge.
and directed it against him he would here
say that the charge was unqualifedly and
absolutely FALSE. the false printed in cap
itals in the Glohe.-whence infer it was
rather emphatic when pr nounced. Norris
the next day took it all back.
One thing was noticeable throughout his
life Ia Congress, and especially during his
life in the Senate-yiz the readiness. and
apmess. and point with which he replied to
questions put to him in the progress Of bust
ness and debate, and particularly when put
by way Of quizzing interruption with view
20 his own embarrassment or to gain to the
other party. The instances are very rare in
which such adversary question did not get
something more unsatisfactory than a flea in
his ear
My sketch would he quite too incomplete
if should omit from it, briefnotice Of Judge
Cola uer IN his home relations.