Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-08-18
William Pinkney.

sweep his floors. He would spend
his spare time in looking into the books.
He cultivated quite a fondness for legal
subjects. Friends let him have the money,
and he studied law. He was at once very
successful. He had an immense command
of language and of authorities. He had
great sagacity in resOrting to just what he
wanted. He never used superfuous cita-
ton, but if there was in all the range of
legal literature anything he wished to use
in his argument, he had it. 1t was a dis
puted point who was the stronger in logic,
he or Webster. In rhetoric he was far
ahead. He had all of Choate's elegance of
language, but great deal more elegance
of delivery.
Az legal orator he had a mysterious
pove-, now frequently called magnetism.
He ha1 an attractive manner of delivery,
securing and holding the attention Of his
hearers until he brought to bear the power
of ST. d ling their minds. Webster opposed
him =, ais last case,-a patent question,
involving something about a part Of cot
ton loom. There could be no drier subject
in all the range of the law. His argument
covered two whole days. There was no
time during the whole of it when the Court
House and all the ways around 1t were not
crowded full of the elite of Washington. He
had peculiar charm of gesture which at
tracted the attention OF every one. He
would not confne himself to one spot, but
in the course of his argument he would
move about before the Court. Let him
talk upon what subject he would-you
could not help list ening, and listening be-
ing convinced. AS man, he was perfect
ly kind and courteous toward all, but he
had one weakness which swallowed up all
the rest. He was the vainest person alive.
He was vain of his vanity. While / was in
Russia, 1 and another attdche were sitting
in his parlor, waiting for him to come to
dinner. He came in, after long while,
black and dirty as any man. Without say
ing word he walked up to the sofa, jerk
ed off his hat, threw it and his sword down.
At last Mrs. Pinkney returned, and asked,
"What is the natter" "Matterl / have
been insulted, madami That is what is
the matter" At this Jour narrator says
my sword and that OF my friend. as il by
magic, leapsd from their scabbards tc
avenge the insult. / ventured to ask
''How?" Turning to me, he said, ''Sir! l.
not man OF my name, my position, my
country, insulted when he is TO get up at {
o'clock to pay homage to little girl "a
Russian Princess2" ventured to sugges
that we were invited at IL. ''Can gentle
man dress in less than three hours?"
He used to battle every day, and, aftel
bathing, he would throw thin gauZ'
over himself and have two body ser
wants throw fine salt at him. He hao
heard, he said, salt would preserve thu
skim 1t was true that his complexioi
was fine. so much so that there was ru
NOR spread that he painted. This was no
true, for our narrator has, time and again
seen him plunge his head into basin an,
give his face such a rubbing that M
paint in the world could remain on it
He paraded his efforts in making this show
He liked to hear sdch rumors of himself
He was 54 when in st. Petersburg and 81
when in Washington. though he looked
like 80 when he went into company. Ill
was not very fond of society, and woul,
not remain longer than 10 o'clock at
party When he came out he would say,
"Let us 60 home and have a chat" which
our narror was most willing TO do. Whel
he got there, he would begin to uIiuak
himself. He was laced in every direction
He would wear the fashionable cravat O
that day, which was an immense piece O
silk, about yard and half-square. /
was folded diagonally. corners turned in
and that filed with a long piece of pad
: ding, or, as it was commonly called, pud
ding, which was made for that purpose
1t was then folded and drawn tightly roun,
the neck, his more than ordinarily so. Hi
whole dress was faultless and beautiful, a
| well as most fashionable. The only thinI
that troubled him was his thin hair, though
! he was not bald. After he had all his tigh
clothes off he would fall back into his chat
I ar fell To hrip rtla n,
peach drink" which was no other thai
most excellent punch, made with old peacl
brandy. He would turn to our nafrato
and say: MIR. P, viii you have
glass of peach drink" 'sYes, l think
will" There we would sit and talk unit
very late.
On one occasion l told him would lik
very much to hear him in the Senate, an
1 would be glad if he would let me kno,
when he was going to speak upon an
, question, He replied: 81 do not kno,
, that l will have much to say this term
do not know of any topic which will com
before the Senate upon which will be like
ly to speak, unless the Sen tie gets into
confused, chaotic state, and will need IN
E to set them right" Our narrator once toll
3 Webster of this, who did not like him. II
; said: sit was all exactly so, only he was
. great fool to say it"
After nights hard study, he woul
come into court, and, In discussing ques
ton, would in the course of his argumer
say: Il think your honors will find an at
, thority for-that-in-the first of east, abou
9 604-yes-I should say about 604-and o
1, the right-hand side" While he knew il
having just examined it. All this was don
: for effect, in order to make the populac
+ think he knew not only the law, but h
i knew the location on the page.
1t was generally supposed that he die
from over-exertion in the case in which h
was opposed by Webster, though KNOWN
his habits of life as did, do not thin
, that was so.-Lecture Room Talk by Pro
Parsons, Of Reading.
The 'REsoNANT CASE another colum
will be noticed an advertisement OF a me-