The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-02-12
arely seen visage more full of sleepless

was inStantaneously arrested by his strik
ing appearance | had been so fortunate
as to obtain seat within the railing; anc
from the spot where | sat. could easily
take in, at a single glance, all those ply
steal details which help to make up hi:
personal presence. The tail, bent figure
dressed with scrupulous elegance, but
thin almost to tenuity, the bold classica
profile, the high narrow brow, indicating
a perceptive rather thana comprehension
intellect, the checks completely denudeC
of flesh. the eyes bright but never atlamt
the scanty sidewiskers kept in Il state Of
sedulous and habtual representations
Of these things escaped me-but at the
same time there was something else in
the presence of Mr.. Wallis which it is
much harder to analyze--a certain refine,
ment which seemed to pervade the entire
personality of the man, his dress, his
bearing, his manner-a refinement per-
haps rs mucl: instructive as intellectual
but which will always be found. more OF
less, in every nature that has been ciias-
tened by culture-in the poet. i'll the art.
ist-cven i'll the lawyer who has not per-
mitted his profession like some devour-
ing nav. to swallow up every generous
pursuit and liberal taste.
AS the speaker proceeded, Is was easy
enough to grasp those distinctive charac
teristics that have won him such COM
handing position at the Baltimore Bar
The high reputation which Mr.. Wallis
enjoys is undoubtedly due in great
measure to his attachments rs scholar.
No quibbling Mr.. Contrat or petit
Jogging Mr.. Battery could be more asSid-
uOuS i'll the discharge OF his profession
than he has been; yet in spite of this
fact he has given nights and days to the
cultivation of those accomplishments,
without which Law becomes, what some
one has declared it to have been before
the days of Blackstone, a skeleton Of dry
bones devoid OF all form, color OF COM
pleXion.
Few men, even among those whose
lives have been devoted to letters. are
more familiar with the English classics
than Mr.. Wallis. He often relieves the
dullest controversy between John Doe
and Richard Roe with a quotation from
one Of the old writers. Very notably
was this the case at that stage of his ar
gument. when he was abiding to the
diversified experience of Mr.. Poe in the
canal cases. Who he asked knows
more about canals than my brother Mr.
Poe?' and then while that able and
genial lawyer was the very picture of ex-
pectant merriment, the learned counsel
went on to say that the way in which his
brother had been i'll and out canal
eases reminded him of the feet in the old
ballad ("Sir John Suckliny') which:
Beneath her petticoat,
Like little mice, stole in and ont
is II they .tcoI. tie EJht.
Those classics which Mr.. Wallis is so
fond of quoting have left a permanent i'll
iiuence upon his style. Even when tried
by the most searching tests OF literary
criticism. nothing can be finer than the
diction OF this distinguished lawyer. lie
is fluent, perhaps at times too fluent, but
i'll the higher power of clothing his
thoughts i'll felicitouS language, we doubt
whether he is equalled by any lawyer at
the American Bar. In this respect indeed
it would be hard to exaggerate the
merits of Mr.. Wallis as speaker. AS
Charles James Fox said of VIM. Pitt. he
is not only never at u loss for word, but
he is never at Il loss for the word. His
faculty of expression, too, is something
more than mere mastery over words. 1t
extends to every possible form of gram
NAUTICAL construction OF Syntactical ar
rangement. While he is speaking the
ear is never offended by an of those
slovenly expressions which. as rule,
seem to be inevitable in e;,temporized
languages. There are no shipwrecked
periods. no verbal catastrophes. no mis-
placed clauses, no painful struggles with
refractory parts of speech; but his ideas
issue from his lips in one rapid stream of
clear. crisp, perfect sentences to which
we can never listen without recalling
that
Troop Of echoes whose sweet duty.
Was but to sing,
In voices of surprising beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their King.
The manner of Mr.. Wallis is singularly
in keeping with his flowing and incisive
style. He is now past the grand climac-
terie; but when he speaks, every move
ment is still full of fire, animation and
earnestness. His action is alert and
spirited. His gesture is quick and encr-
getic. while his elocution is fluent and
rapid almost to impetuusity. Indeed. if
We were disposed to find fault with Mr..
Wallis in his character as a forensic
speaker we should say that there is just
il triile too much rapidity in his whole
manner. In his relations with iuries he
seems to forget that the hare must pause
if the tortoise is to catch up. There is
no steady pressure of the seal upon the
wax. One striking argument is eXchang
ed for another before lie first has worked
it's painful way to that putative seat
where the intelligence of jurieS is sup
posed to reside.
In any other man the voice of Mr.
Wallis would probably be considered Il
defective one. 1t is weak, lacks volume
and is in every way i'll adapted to the
purposes of the political speaker: but at
the same time it would be hard to con-
ceive an organ more eXquisitely conform
able to the peculiar characteristics of
Mr.. Wallis as an orator. he very ply
sicial effort which it cost him to make
himself heard throughout a courtroom
gives to the thin, snappish intonations of
his voice degree of accented energy
which they might not otherwise possess.
When he is about to utter one OF those
pointed, sarcastic sentences which occur
50 often in his speeches, his whole ap-
pearance is highly picturesque. His
neck becomes strangely flexible. Every
muscle of his thin wiry form seems to be
dilated His head and shoulders are held
erect. then brought vigorously forward,
and his words issue from his lips with a
proectile force, which adds tenfold to
their effect. No man, however. is less
open to the charge of being either a VIC
lent or vociicrous speaker. Il shall
not" said he on one occasion, enter into
gymnastic contest with the learned ac-
robat who has just taken his seat
Such are the more superficial character
istics of Mr.. Wallis as an orator. If we
had space we would gladly speak Of those
higher qualities which he possesses to
such 4 conspicuous degree, and upon
which. after ALL the reputation OF an
| eminent lawyer must finally reSt-his
| power of skilllul discrimination. his adj
mirable readiness. his gift of clear, sue
cinct narration, and above all, that keen
DerceptiveuesS of intellect, perhaps the
most remarkable attribute of his genius
| which enables him to 90 with the inStinc
| of IN Aztec Priest right to the heart uI
every subject that he touches. But th'
| limits of the present paper are too cir
cumscribe for such an extended analysis
as this would require. To appreciate the
powers of Mr.. Wallis he must be hearC
| as the writer has heard HMM the Fed
eral or Superior kin.
with Il strange energy which irresistibll