Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-05-09

xvarts-His manner ofPsrson ana Manner
Of speech.
Agate In a Washington letter 10 the
Cincinnati Gazette, thus happily refers
10 Mr.. Eyarts, whom he styles the lead
ing counsel OF the President:
Figure 20 yourselsesa slender, nervous,
hollow-chested person OF about the me-
dun hight, straight as an arrow, with
what IL called q "long head" marrow
from ear 10 ear. but swelling nobly above
the temples, covered with short black
hair, with q pincheJ, observation-disclosures
face. that always reminds one Of the Pic
lures and description Of the opium eater,
DeQuincy. The noseis long and hooked,
and the chin projects. as IL hali.minded
TO meet IL. This is Evarts, as he stood
up at the counsels table 10 address the
Senate for a man whom personally he
detested, but whose defense he believed
TO be legitimate. His voice is more re-
markable than his appearance, II seems
10 be a shrill tenor, OF very little volume,
but IL is wonderfully we'll managed. The
enunciation is simply perfect; aud so
this thin-voiced, narrow, chested speaker,
rarely rising above conversational tones,
is heard with distinotness that becomes
q positive pleasure. No man ever seemed
to speak more easily; sometimes, in the
sarcastic, or more impressive passages,
he throws some force into his utterance;
but generally without seeming effort, the
sentences fall from his lips, slow and
rounded, like drops from fountain, in
steady, easy succession, every word In
its place, every clause polished, without
a moments hesitation for an expression,
or q single recalled phrase. 1t is seldom
stirring, but it is throughout one Of
the rarest and most attractive Of
intellectual displays, the perfection
Of unimpassioned extempore speak
ing. He gesticulates feely, but not
often with any vehsmence. A favorite
position is with tho left hand thrust into
the back pocket of his frock coat, while
the right, holding the geld,rimmed eye
glasses which he uses whenever he has
occasion to refer to his notes or read an
authority, comes down toward the
audience at every emphatic word of the
sentence. His whole manner is that Of
perfect ease, of perfect satisfaction with
his audience and himself, of perfect de-
liberation. Nothing, it seems, could
hurry this man-nothing discomfort his
easy dignity and selfpossossion. What
he would do in the hurly-burly of the
House no mortal can conjecture; but
here, in the dignifed quiet of the Senate
chamber, his elegant bearing aud de.
liberate mode of speech make the hap
piest impression.
The passages of Mr.. Evarts speech
most enjoyed, both by the Senators and
the galleries, were those in which his del
icate but cutting sarcasm was given the
rein. The speech was full of these, and
they led to the most unrestrained merri-
ment in the Court Mr.. Evarts' manner
was perfect in these passages. As he
laid the train for his assault he was as
serious as Judge, and especially regard.
full Of those whom he was obout to attack.
Presently, when the Senate began to
catch the coming point, and the conta-
eious laughter spread through the cham
Der, his own face would light up, and as
he reached the point his features would
be aglow with an expression Of pleasure
as natural and simple as child's.
Nothing could have exceeded the inno-
cent and harmless delight expressed in
his face at the very moment that he was
skinning poor Boutwell, alive. That, by
the way, was the cruelest performance of
the four days speech Boutwell, sat
through it all at the table of the mana
gers, but his face was flushed, he made
very constrained effort at smiling, and
he looked thoroughly uncomfortable.
That night, and indeed for day or two,
his discontinue was the laughter of the
town. Scarcely less cruel we're the
thrusts and gibes at Butler-"the learned
manager who had the politeuess to say
that we are mere attorneys, whose intel
lects have been sharpened but not broad
ened by the practice of law" When,
after turning the ridicule of the
galleries and chuckling SEN
ate upon him by his laughable descrip-
ton Of his opening speech as an effort |
at argument by concussion, after the |
fashion of the Fort Fisher powder boat,
he finally brought up his declaration
that the practice in Congress or rather
the Judgment of the Senate, should be |
the rule as to the propriety of speech |
which the President and other officers |
should observe, and proceeded to quote |
the coarse abuse of each other in which |
Butler and Bingham had INDUCED in
the House. These gentlemen we're sit
ting next and facing each other, one at
the end, and the other at the side of their |
table. Bingham faced the speaker, put |
a good face on it, and seemed rather to |
enjoy the reading; but Butler was evil
IDENTIFY wrathful. At first he held book |
close up to his face, and affected to be
in its reading; then throwing
it down, he sank into dumpy heap on his