The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-04-22
Judge Curtis Speech,

The opening speech for the defense
was quiet and grave reminder OF a
sort of legal eloquence that was trite
forty years ago. It brought to mind,
in its stately periods, dispassionately,
nationally, concisely uttered, the days
of Marshall, Kent and Story.
Mr.. Curtis is a man without q smile
or a trile. Somberin his vesture, pur-
pie is his color. He is very like Daniel
Webster in stature, face and manner.
He seldom walks in anybody's COM
pany-but with o slow, deliberate
stride, leaning on cane, he comes
along to the Capitol, ponderously
mounts the steps, wipes his foreheadin
the ante-room, and, entering the Sen
ate, sits in a condition of vigilant re-
tirement, like a turkey gobbler bot
thing his rage and working his craw.--
He exchanges no words with his legal
brethren. If he is introduced to any
body in any pause or recess, he shakes
hands with that gravity that Webster
used to revel in. He weighs about a
hundred and ninety pounds, perhaps
more. Nature gave him good, large,
Websterian head; and his face is a fine
old liver color. He perspires with
great freedom, but never through ex-
element. His paunch is stately his
cloth CATERS are eminently legal; no
gold seal disturbs the occurrences Of his
vest his blue eyes retreat into his
brows, and his head into his standing
collar, and he listens like a phospho-
resent bulldog in q dark celler.-
Such is Judge Curtis, with the addi-
tions of straight, brown hair, anda face
smoothly shaver.
Rising to speak, there were about
twenty books Of reference before him
He put his hands on the baize table
looked his gloomy grandest, and began
with the manner of a funeral GRAFTON
His voice is not strong, but naturally
trained by the temperament OF the
man, and pitched upon the same easy
key, it reaches the ear very pleasantly
and strives to do more. AS it carrie(
so its calm burden of argument at al
equal pace, the minds Of all OF US lef
the domain Of politics, and rose will
it's cadences into the atmosphere o
law. Insensibly we oil began to fee
| that Gen. Buffers speech, which we al
had supposed great performance, hat
been no more than q smart audacity.---
| This old time man, never in o hurry
never in zeal, addressed himself to tn
suppositiOn that his auditors were al
learned and self-respecting gentlemen
Every time he said Hsenators J" h
made cold chill go through the Sen
ate; for during the past two week
one-half the senators have forgotte
their rank. venture the suppositio
that this speech got more respect j
every senator's silent mind than an
utterance of his own has had fora yes
, past. / did not follow it clearly en-
ough to tell you the effect Of it as a
J argument. But it did this which Bu
Ter, Stanberry, Wilson and Bingham
had failed to dot reminded the Ser
ate of itself and Of the occasion. Evt
5 rything that had been said before gre
little and mean after Curtis had talke
all hour. In all that time he nev'
changed his place, never faltered for
!, word, nor used any undignifed expre
sion whatsoever. Judge Chase heal
t the argument with the gravest care.-
: Tt was q study to look at the chief ju
tice and the solid old pleader, takir
{ his time SO tremendously Washing
ton correspondence Cincinnati Con
: mercial. as s IS ''il'.5s.''