The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-02-21
DANIEL WEBSTER.
The Nearest He Ever Came to " Down
Right Row.

DANIEL WEBSTER.
The Nearest He Ever Came to 4" A Down
Right Row.
from Harvey's Reminiscences1
Mr.. Webster gave Mr.. Harvey the fol-
lowing account of qttarrel with William
Pinckney, which, he said, was the nearest
he ever came "to a downright row.
After describing Pinckney's position at
the bar of the Supreme Court as one
who received the briefs prepared by
other lawyers and argued their cases for
them for the lions share of the fees, he
continued:
I was a lawyer who had my living to
get, and felt that, al Though could 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 I should do the work myself. did
not propose to practice law in the Su-
preme Court by proxy. I think that in
some pretty important cases | had Mr..
Pinckney rather expected that [ should
fall into the current of his admirers, and
divide my fees with him. This I utterly
refused to do. In some important case
q 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. 1 had felt that, on
several occasions, his manner was, to say
the least, very annoying and aggravating.
NV intercourse with him, 30 far as I had
any, was always marked with courtesy
and Difference [ regarded him as the
leader of the American bar; he had that
reputation, and Justly He was very
great lawyer. On the occasion to which
I refer, in some collo4uial discussion
upon various minor points of the case,
he treated me with contempt. He
pooh poohed, as much as to say it was
not worth while to argue point I did
not know anything about; that was no
lawyer. think he spoke of the "gen-
tleman 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 it. It
was very hard for me to restrain my tenn
per and keep cool, but did so, knowing
in what presence I stood. I think he
construed my apparent humility into
want of what he would call spirit in re-
senting, and as sort of acquiescence in
his rule. However, the incident passed;
for adjournment came, and the court adj
took his whip and gloves, threw his
cloak over his arm, and began to saunter
away. went up to him and said very
calmly, "Can [ see you alone in one
of the lobbies?" He replied, "Certain-
ly." I suppose that he thought / was
going to beg his pardon and ask his as
sistance. We passed into one of the
ante-rooms of the Capitol. I looked in
to one of the Grand Jury rooms, rather
remote from the main courtroom
There was no one in it, and we entered.
AS we did so / looked in the door and
found there was a key in the lock and,
unobserved by him, I turned the key
and put it in my pocket. Mr.. Pinckney
seemed to be waiting with some astonish-
ment. I advanced toward him and said:
Mr.. Pinckney, you grossly insulted
me this morning in the courtroom, and
not for the first time either. in defer
ence to your position, and to the respect
in which I hold the court, [ did not
answer you as I was tempted to do on
the spot" He began to parley. I con-
tinued "You know you did; don't
ada another sin to that don't deny it :;
you know you did it. and you know it
was premeditated. It was deliberate :;
it was purposely done and if you deny
it, you state an untruth. Now" went
on, [ am here TO say to you, once for
all, that you must ask my pardon, and
go into court tomorrow morning and
repeat the apology, or else either you or
L Will go out of this room in different
condition from that in which we entered
it. [ was never more i'll earnest. He
looked at me and saw that my eyes were
pretty dark and firm. He began to say
something. L interrupted HIM. "No
explanations, said I; "admit the fact,
and take it back. do not want another
word from you, except that. will hear
no explanations nothing but that you
admit it and recall it." He trembled
like an aspen leaf. He again attempted
to explain. sSaid I: "There is no
other course. [ have the key in my
pocket, and you must apologize, or take
what L give you At that he humbled
down. and said to me "You are right
[ am sorry: did intend to bluff you. I
regret it, and ask your pardon p
Enough" / promptly replied. "now.
one promise before open the door and
that is that you will tomorrow morning
| state III the court that you have said
things that wounded my feelings, and
that you regret it" Pinckney replied :
g will do so." Then I unlocked the
door and passed out. The next morning,
when the court met, MIR. Pinckney at
once rose and stated to the court that
very unpleasant affair had occurred the
morning before, as might have been OBJ
served by their Honors that his friend,
MIR. Webster, had felt grieved at some
thing which had dropped from his lips );
that his zeal for his client might have
led him to say some things which he
should not have said and that he was
sorry for having thus spoken. "From
that day, while at the bar. there was no
man, said Mr.. Webster, who treated
me with so much respect and Difference
as Mr.. William Pinckney'