The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-15
Judge Curtis as he Appeared to mack.

Judge Curtis as he Appeared to Mack,
The opening speech for the defence wa,
q quiet and grave reminder of a sort OF
legal eloquencc that was trite forty year.
ago. It brought to mind, in its stately
periods dispassionately, nationally, con.
cisely uttered, the days of Marshall, Kent,
and Story.
Mr.. Curtis is a man without a smile or a
trife. Sombre is his vesture, purple is bis
color. He is very like Daniel Webster in
stature, face, and manner He seldom
walks In anybody's company-but with a
slow, deliberate stride, leaning on a cane,
he comes alone to the capitol, ponderously
mounts the steps, wipes his forehead,in the
ante. room, and, entering the Senate, sits in
a condition of vigilant retirement, like a
turkey gobbler bottling up his rage and
working his craw. He exchanges no words
with his legal brethren. IF he is intro.
duced 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, per.
haps more. Nature gave him a good,
large, Websterian head, and his face is a
fine old ver-color.s He perspires with
great freedom, but. never through excite
ment. 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 lis
tens like a phosphorescent bulldog in a
| dark cellar.
Suchis Judge Curtis, with the additions
Of straight, brown hair, and a face smoothly
| shaven.
Rising to speak to-day, there were
about twenty books Of reference before
him. He put his hands on the baize table,
looked his gloomy grandest, and began
voice is not strong, but naturally trained
by the temperament of the man, and
pitched upon the same easy key, breaches
the ear very pleasantly, and strives to do
no more. AS it carried 80 its calm bur-
den of argument at an equal pace, the
minds Of all of US left the domain of poll.
tics and rose with its cadences into the at
mosphere of law. Insensibly we all be-
gan to feel that General Buffers speech,
which we all had supposed a great per.
formance, had been no more than a smart
audacity. This old-time man, never in
hurry, never in zeal, addressed him.
self to the supposition that his au,
ditors were all learned and self-respect.
ing gentlemen. Every time he said
3" Senators J" he made a cold chill GO
through the Senate, for during the past
two weeks one-half the senators have for.
gotten their rank. l venture the supposi.
ton that this speech got more respect in
every senator's silent mind than any utter
ance of his own has had for a year past. ]
did not follow it closely enough to tell you
the effect Of it as an argument. But it did
this, which Butler, Stanbery, Wilson, and
Bingham had failed to dot reminded the
Senate of itself and of the occasion. Eve.
rything that had been said before grew
little and mean after Curtis had talked ar
hour. In all that time he never changed
his place, never faltered for a word, mol
used any %undignified expression whatso.
ever. Judge Chase heard the argument
with the gravest care. 1t was a study tt
look at the Chief Justice and the solid ole
pleader, taking his time so tremendously
Cincinnati Commercial.