The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-12-09
HOW WEBSTER STUDIED LAW,

idHu, anu uc DOTIOWeu anu TedQ
also 'sBlackstone's Commentaries"
He committed to memory Fisher
Ames' celebrated speech on the Brit
ish treaty. He studied law in the
old way, hardest books first, and
lost much time." He brushed up
his Latin and translated Horace
''into poor English rhyme" Even
then he fished and shot and rode
without companion. 81 loved this
occasional solitude," he says, 'then,
and love it still.' He was partial to
it, because "when thinking is to be
done one must of course be alone.
No man knows himself who does not
thus sometimes keep his own COM
pany." In note Mr.. Webster men
tions that the argument in the Dart
mouth College case was mainly ar
ranged during journey on profes-
sional business from Boston TO Barn
stable and back that John Adams
speech was composed, not in Phila-
delphia, but in Massachusetts in a
New England chaise. The address
for Bunker Hill was, in great part,
composed in Marshbee Brook.
In 1904 Mr.. Webster narrates that
with money he was "heinously un
provided" He went to seek his
fortune in Boston, and with his usual
generosity found a school for his
brother Ezekiel to keep. He, when
he had earned little, sent for Daniel
to come and study law. The sum-
mons was obeyed. He knew hardly
anybody in Boston, but then he "was
sangnine and light-hearted." He
found place in the office of Mr..
Gore, who had just returned from
England. He managed to get into
the presence of that great man and
explained his circumstances and
wishes. He said that he could write
to New Hampshire for letters of rec
ommendation; but Mr.. Gore, at the
end, answered pleasantly: "My young
friend, you look as If you might be
trusted. You say you came to study
and not waste time. l will take you
at your word. You may as well
hang up your hat at once; go into
the other room; take your book and
sit down to reading it, AID. write at
your convenience to New Hampshire
for your letters" So Daniel Web
ster became the pupil of Christopher
Gore! 1t was a notable conjunction.
Something was sure to come of it.
Certainly a good deal of hard legal
study came, for men were not turned
out then ready-made lawyers in a
few weeks or months, as they some
times are now. No student now
goes, as MIR. Webster tells us that he
did, through Saunders Reports"
abstracting and putting into English
out of Latin and Norman French, ali
the pleadings. Pleadings, alas! in
their strict sense are obsolete; wheth-
er we have come any nearer to sub
stantial justice by abolishing them 1
shall not undertake to decide. But
when I read of young Mr.. Webster
digging through Viner and Bacon,
Puffendorf and Roccus, understand
why the Webster of later years was
great lawyer.
While Mr.. Webster was in Mr..
Cores Office the Clerk of the Court
of Common Pleas for the county of
Hillsboro, resigned. The place was
offered to Mr.. Webster by his father,
who was the judge of the Court, and
had the power of appointment. He
(Mr. Webster would have taken the
place if NJ. Gore had not strenuouslv
dissuaded him. The salary was 81, :
500 year, and the yonng man chad
felt The res angustae till his bones
ached." When he told his father
that he meant to be lawyer, and
could not take the place, the old
man, seriously angry, cried: swell,
my son, your mother always said
you would come to something or
nothing, she was not sure which; I
think you are now about settling
that doubt for her." So he was. only
not in the way which was uppermost
in the old mans mind. The law
studies were continued, and in 1907
Mr.. Webster was admitted to the
New Hampshire bar. Soon after
began the happy years in Ports
mouth-"very happy years. says
Mr.. Webster, though there were only
nine of them. Upon the whole I
am disposed to regard them as alto
gether the happiest years of the great
mans life. Practice came in plenty.
E. L