The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-28

George Tfcknor CURTIS ON the story
Of Their Quarrel.


Of Their Quarrel.
New York star.l
The Albany Law Journal Of August
I'd last contained letter from Bishop
Pinckney, of Baltimore, protesting
against the probability Of the story re-
lated in Mr.. Harney's "reminiscences Of
Webster once extorting an apology from
Pinekney for language used in the Su-
preme Court, by shutting Mr.. Pinckney
up in room and threatening him with
personal chastisement. have often
been asked whether believe this story.
do not; and perhaps have some reason
to discredit it.
In the year 1S4S | was associated with
my brother, the late Judge Curtis, in
very important patent cause which was
to be tried in Boston before Judge
Sprague and jury. Our client desired
that Mr.. Webster should be retained to
make the closing argument to the jury
against Mr.. Choate, who was for the de-
fendant. Of course we assented, and
Mr.. Webster came from Washington and
took part in the trial. 1t was at first
rather heavy work to instruct him in the
details of the case, and to get him to feel
at home in it,.
He was much engaged in politics and
public business at the time, and at such
times when he had TO be carried through
case by his Junior associates it was often
heavy burden. But then when he did
understand the case, he had wonderful
power OF making the most of it, and of
presenting it in new lights, with imagery,
illustrations and thought that were his
own. In the case which l refer he was
for several days an apparently uninter-
ested listener to what was taking place in
the court; but when he rose to address
the jury he was thoroughly master of
every detail in the cause, and his argu-
ment was in every way worthy of his
great powers 1t gained the verdict. But
your readers will ask what this has to do
with Pinekney? They shall learn.
One day, in the course Of the trial,
Mr.. Webstet dined at my house, in COM
pany with Mr.. Choate; my uncle, MIR.
Tcknor; my kinsman, Mr.. G. P. Curtis;
my brother, Mr.. B. r. Curtis, and Mr..
Fletcher Webster. All of us were per-
sons with whom Mr. Webster would talk
as freely about anything as he would
with any persons whom he was in the
habit of meeting. In the course of the
dinner Mr.. Choate asked Mr.. Webster
something about Mr.. Pinckney. This
led to a good deal of conversation about
Pinckney, and Mr.. Webster gave us a
very full description of his foppish dress,
manners and conversation; his atfectations
and his style of speaking; saying that,
with all the weakness of his character, he
was person Of prodigious intellectual
power, and the greatest lawyer he had
ever knewn excepting one.
That one was, with Mr.. Webster,
always jeremiah Mason. 1t is very dis
tinctly in my recollection that Mr. Web
ster spoke of his personal relations with
Mr.. Pinckney, and said that they never
had any personal difficulty. 1t has
always seemed to me that if he had occa-
sion to compel Mr.. Pinckney to make
apology he would have related it there to
the intimate friends around my table;
and it has, moreover, always seemed to
me that at no time in his life was Mr..
Webster likely to have shut himself up
with another man, lock the door, put the
key into his pocket, and threaten the
other man with fogging if he did not
apologize for some insult. 1t does not
sound like Daniel Webster
have never before taken any public
notice Of this story, but now that it has
been questioned by others l may as well
say what l think of it. ! am quite una
bic to account for it.
Your obedient servant,
GEORGE TICKNoR CURTIS.
New YORK. Oct. II.