St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-12-21
How Webster Conquered Pinckney.


Tor another letter. RADIX.
How Webster Conquered Pinckney.
From Peter Harvey's "Reminiscences
Mr.. Webster gave Mr.. Harvey the
following account of quarrel with
William Pinckney, which. he said, was
the nearest he ever came E'te a down.
right row." After describing Pinck-
ney's position at the bar of the supreme
prepared by other lawyers and argued
their cases for them for the lions share
of the fees, he continued:
was lawyer who had my living to
get, and felt that, although / should
not argue my cases as well as he could,
still if my clients employed me they
should have the best ability | had to
give them, and | should do the work
myself. l did not propose to practice
law in the supreme court by proxy. l
think that in some pretty important
cases | had Mr.. Pinckney rather expect
ed that | should fall into the current of
his admirers, and divide my fees with
him. This | utterly refused to do. In
some important case Il have forgotten
now what the case was), Mr.. Pinckney
WAS employed to argue it against me.
/ was going to argue it for my client
myself. | had felt that, on several oc-
casions, his manner was, to say the
least, very annoying and aggravating.
My intercourse with him, so far as |
had any, was always marked by great
courtesy and Difference. l regarded
him as the leader of the American bar ;
he had that reputation, aad justly. He
was very great lawyer. On the Oc-
casion to which | refer, in some COLO
quial discussion upon various minor
points of the case, he treated me with
contempt. He phoO-poohed, as much
as to say it was not worth while to ar
que point that l did not know any
thing about; that | was no lawyer. l
think he spoke of the gentleman from
New Hampshire" At any rate, it was
thing that everybody in the court
house, including the judges, could not
fail to observe. Chief Justice Marshall
himself was panied by st. 1t was very
hard for me to restrain my temper and
keep cool but did so, knowing in
what presence | stood. / think he con-
strued my apparent humility into a
want of what ne would call spirit in re-
senting, and as a sort of acquiescence
in his rule. However, the incident
passed the case was not finished when
the hour for adjournment came, and the
court adjourned until the next morning.
Mr.. Pinckney took his whip and gloves,
threw his cloak over his arm and be-
gan to saunter away. | went up to
him and said very calmly, "Can / see
you alone in one of the lobbies ?n He
replied, Certainly" l suppose that he
thought | was going to beg his pardon
aud ask his assistance. We passed in
to one of the grand jury rooms, rather
remote from the main court room
There was no one in it, and we entered
As we did so l looked in the door and
found there was a key in the lock; and
unObserved by him, turned the key
and put it in my pocket. Mr.. Pinckney
seemed to be waiting with some aston
ishment. | advanced toward him and
said: "Mr. Pinckney, you grossly in
suited me this morning in the court
room, and not for the first time either
In Difference to your position, and to
the respect in which hold the court,
did not answer you as was tempted
to do on the spOtn He began to par
ley. | continued: "You know you
did don't add another sin to that don't
deny it; you know you did it, and you
know it was premeditated. 1t was de-
liberate it was purposely done; and
if you deny it you state an untruth
Now," l went on, 81 am here to say tC
you once for all, that you must ask my
pardon, and go into court tomorrow
morning and repeat the apology, ol
else either you or will go out of this
room in different condition from that
in which we entered it.n | was never
more in earnest. He looked at me and
saw that my eyes were pretty dark and
| firm. He began to say something.
interrupted him. mo explanations,
said /, .'admit the fact, and take il
back. | do not want another word
from you, except that. l will hear nc
explanations nothing but that you ad-
nit it and recall it," He trembled like
an aspen leaf. He again attempted to
explain. Said L: "There is no Other
course. l have the key in my pocket
and you must apologize or take what !
give you" At that he humbled down
and said to me: "You are right, am
wrong; L am sorry: L did intend &c
bluff you; regret it, and ask your par
don 2" Enough" promptly replied
''now one promise before l open the
door, and that is that you will tO-mor-
row morning state to the court that you
have said things which wounded my
feelings, and that you regret it." Pinck-
ney replied: 81 will do So" Then
unlocked the door, and passed out
The next morning, when the court met
Mr.. Pinckney at once rose and stated
to the court that very unpleasant at
fair had occurred the morning before,
as might have been observed by theiI
honors that his friend, Mr.. Webster,
had felt grieved at some things which
had dropped from his lips; that bis
zeal for his client might have led him
to say some things which he should not
have said I; and that he was very sorry
for having thus spoken. ''From that
day, while at the bar, there was nc
man, said Mr.. Webster, 'swho treated
me with so much respect and Difference
as Mr.. William Pinckney."
Sad History.