Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-10-31

ents formidable until the case was settled.
and was Indifferent to the amount OF the
fee only after he had succeeded.
CHoATE AS A PoLITICI.N.-But he was
not only an accomplished lawyer; he was,
at times, an eager politician. | will try TO
recall some sentences in his popular adj
dresses. In a campaign appeal to the
Boston Wings. when Polk, a comparatively
unknown man, was the Democratic candi-
date for the Presidency. Mr.. Choata gave
full play TO his peculiar wit and fancy
I'VE will'' he exclaimed, return James
h. Polk to the Convention that diScorercd
him" In depicting Pols's sure defeat, he
declared that he would disappear like
the lost Pieiad, where no telescope could
| find him." In reading an ''open letter" of
! the Free-soil Democrats 'surreptitiously'
published in the New York Evening Post,
he paused at the end. as ii overcome by
surprise. Il find. gentlemen, that this
letter is marked private aud confidential,
| and such, | trust. you will consider II -
The idea OF conhding 4 secret OF that sort
to three thousand people, struck every
| man in the audience with a sense OF its hu-
| NOR. and there was a roar Of applause,
which for some minutes prevented the ora
tor from proceeding. On another occa-
sion he addressed Union meeting in Fan
| Gull Hall. composed equally of Whigs and
| Democrats. | wish types could express
! the wit of one passage by indicating the
! rise. elimination. and sudden fall of his
voice. "'Iou Wing" he exclaimed. .'aud
! YoU DEMOCRAT WHO ARE JUST AS
! GOOD As \ WlllG--in your opinion"
! The last clause should be printed in the
smallest type which the printer can com
mand The laughter which succeeded
the qualification was dcatening and it came
I h, . sft-.-
( When Mr.. summers first election to the
/ Senate OF the United States was in doubt.
/ Sumner met Choatc a. he was entering the
/ Courthouse. ''Ah. Mr. ChOate," said sum
! ner. pleasantly. marching, | suppose to
another forensic triumph" ChoAtc had
! On his old camlet cloak-kuown 10 all mem
! bcrs of the bar-and drawing il meludra.
! matically up over his weird face. and look
/ ing like one OF the witches in NdrLsth, he
I muckiuZly answered, in his deepest tones.
/ "Glami, thou art. and Cawlor" and then
! disappeared through the door. Sumuer
was accused OF lacking the PERCEPTION oi
| humor, but he always told this incident as
| il he had it in high degree.
\ distinguished Frcc-soilcr. after the
nomination of Taylor for the Presidency
, accosted Mr.. thuatc in the street. and told
Z him that the Frcc-,oii section of the Nhig
| party WAS determined TO oppose the uoml-
/ nation al the polls. What can YOU do?"
said Mr. Choate. Perhaps little" wa. the
| reply; but at least Massachusetts, can lire
/ her gun in the air" y cs." at once rctort-
ed Mr.. Choate. "and Int her guardian
| angel in the Eye"
CHoATE'S toNvIEsATIoN.-Ou OF the
! charms of Mr. thualc's conversation va,
/ his habit OF cNI.gcration. To attend the
! performance oi MOzirt's DIM GioUu,Hi va,
] a. =.
| oStS OF birds. He knew no cxaggeratiou in
mere word, could adequately expires the
I delight that a sympathetic mind feels In
I coming into vital acquaintance with a wOrk
/ OF transcendent %eniu, ln any department
/ of literature aud the fine arts. Zen thpu>-
aud birds would be- a sma.l testimony 10
/ the melodies OF Mozart: but ten thousand
| forests of birds is a comparison which indi-
Gates the rapture OF wonder and admiration
which MoZirts masterpiece cxctcs In all
/ souls capable of feeling its beauty. With
! this tendency 10 verbal eXaggeration
! Choate had that instantaneous humorous
recoil from eXIravagant assertion charac-,
I terisic OF ardent natures whose sense OF
the ludcfous is as quick as their sense of
the beautiful and the sublime. 'lnterpret
| 10 me the libretto." he said to his daught-
| er, lest dilate at the wrong emotion
/ Sydney Smith never said anything better
! than that
CHoATE's lRoNY.-Nobody at the bar
ever equaled him in paying iromical com
pliments to the judges who blocked hi,
way TO the hearts and understandings of
juric-. Judge Shaw was specially noted
tor the gruf way in which he inteTposrd
such obstacles. and Shaw's depth of legal
learning was not more conspicuous than
I his force OF character. Ills MT so, Mr..
( "A To- ON ne
! Shaw was on the bench. and Choate was
arguing Il case before him. Choate'- side
remarks on the judge have passed into the
| stereotyped jokes of the bar, aud are now
somewhat venerable. One i, think, not
| commonly stated in the exact words. II
always approach Judge shaw" he said,
las Il savage approac hes his fetch. know
ing that he l. ugly, but feeling that he is
great" OF Judge story he once remarked.
81 never heard him pronounce a judgment in
which he did not argue the case better than
the counsel ON either side; and for which.
! he added. with a twinkle in his eye. "he
might very properly have been impeached." d"
lie delighted in gravely joking with a
! judge. Thus he once asked that 4 case
! might be postponed, owing to his engage
| ment in another court. The judge replied
that the case was one in which he might
! write out his argument. With mock
| solemnity, which it always seemed To me
no other human countenance could so
| readily assume, lie replied, II write well.
your Honor, but siOtciy.' As his hand
writing resembled the tracks of wild cats,
with their claws dipped in ink. nadly dash.
ing over the surface of a folio sheet of
white paper, the assembled bar could not
restrain their laughter. Indeed, ii is al
firmed that he could not decipher bis own
| handwriting after a case was concluded
aud had to call in experts TO explain il to
himself He congratulated himself on the
fact that il ne failed to get IA living at the
bar, he could still 90 to China and suppor;
himself by his pen; that is, by decorating
tea-chests.
CHoATE AND WEBsTER.-Perhaps the
weight and power of Webster's character
were due as much to the hours he spent in
the woods and fields and on the ocean.
chatting with farmers or sailors as he was
engaged in hunting or fishing, as TO the
hours spent ia his study.
Now Choate, superior to Webster in
qlckness of apprehension and imagina-
ton. was an in-doors man. The larger
portion of his mature life was passed in
the sitting atmosphere OF the courts, or in
what Milton calls 1.-The still air of delight
fol studies" that is, in his library. He, OF
| course, was not so foolish as to neglect
exercise; but his exercise was commonly
confined to long walks through the streets
or around the Common of Boston. No one
ever enjoyed Nature more intensely; but
he never sojourned with her. His friend
Charles q. Loring, one OF his competitors
for the leadership of The Suffolk bar. once
invited him to pass a summer day at his
| beautiful residence on the Beverly shore
Mr.. ChOate was foil of enthusiasm as he
walked among the woodland paths or
gazed at the various aspects of sny and
ocean, he doubtless stored up in his mind
images of uatarai beauty which flashed out
afterward in maay popular speech or lie
gal argument; but he exhausted the capaci-
ty of the place to feed his eye and ina gina.
I tion in half dozen hours. my deaT
Loring.'' he said. in parting. "there his
not been twentieth part of "A minute since
| entered this terrestrial paradise that
have not enjoyed to the top of my bent
but let me tell you that should you confint
, / hare FIJI frou yyOrL