New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-25


was CONSERVATIVES lie had profound regard for
our organic laws To him the Constitution was
sacred. to he observed, or to Oe amenIco ~ .lc
/ orderly methods appointed. lie saw that slavery
was "A state institution, under the control o. ana 10
he abolished by. the States where 1t eXlstcdi ana
that Congress had no power TO touch the question
| whether il should lie continued or not lie he
precatcd fcversh and ruIteSS discussions as 10
the duties of the Southern StatcS,-our attempts 10
| regulate rs a matter of sentiment. an cNll Whlch
we could not cure even modify. This drew down
upon him the rcproach of party which claimed 10
represent the spirit of higher and more humane
laws than those which had been, or 10y our lnStrn-
/ mentality could be, enacted. Yet 1t cannot wei ne
suggested that the man who is now loyal 10 Tue
Constitution and to our laws is entitled to more re,
SpeCt than was MI Choate, who ever chcIlshcu
MIR Choatc soucht TO inspire the people with such
love for the Constitution and the Union as mlght
| mako secession impossible. Had he lived he would
doubtless have continued that instruction. IN the
hope that free men, acting faithfully anu ,WliH
patience might devise means for the cure OF an the
evils of the body polite. believe that, had me
| sentiment of the North and OF the South beeh Ile
for II, his plan would have been to purchase tic
freedom of the slaves. Bnt there was no hour in
! his lite when such scheme could nave neeh Sus-
gcstcd lie forcsaw the trouble when nj ast came
and with anxious heart solcltous TOT the pIcSeI-
walton of the Union, gave no uncertain lndiCallon
of what he would 10, Should he live until the day oil
| wrath and conflict.
| Edward Eleron Pratt, esq, gives me the sub
! stance of a conversation which he had with MT.
Choatc in the summer OF lS16 hey were St't ~
| on the rocks at Marblchead and looking over th9
waters in which the fIirate Constitution was chaStu
| 10y British cruisers in the war OF ISLE. MI.
Pratt saws In speaking of that war, inc question
arose as 20 the next struggle in which this country
might be engaged. Mr.. Choate sad ShaiI Iot
probably live to it, but fear there VIII ere 9hg
| be a civil war between the North and the South
expressed my horror at such an idea, and asked now
| that could be possible Said he: IL is very easy
thing to get mp such conflict when one large sec
ton of the country. iniamed by interest Prl9e ana
resentment. is hostile and united. We at the Nofth,
if we wished. could bring il about so could they at
the South; and the adverse FEELING is getting so
! bitter that side or the other may provoke the
! issue. If the Democrats, now about 10 eject bu-
| chanan, have prudence and good temper, theN can
tide the trouble for while. perhaps un1 theie
may come better understanding and more lrehdiy
Ges Bg fear Rfy T not a iS% dG To It
| probable that within ten years cry war WouIu
| break out, and told me that it would tie my duiy'
! the duty of all to do what was possible 10 mann
| tain the Union, whether war could or could not be
ayerted.'
DR.. Putnam refers as follows to ChOatc's remark
able chirogaphy:
! brief written Mt the time with his own hand is
! also in my possession, and Is curiosity IN MS way
| Its chirographv makes quite credible the story
which, however, comes to me from very eopn a
! authOrty,-that a now deceased member OF the
| MiddlescX bar once received from him letter re-
speeding n suit in which THE two were ASSOCIATED;
and, being unable to read it or to find anyone cse
! who could do So he took it back to the writer,
who was actually unable TO declphcr us strange
characters himself; And were the iattGr 60 TO re-,
appear among us after this lapse OF years lear ne
would he equally unsuccessful i'll making out the
brief have mentioned.
Mr.. Nesmith rightly calls him nondescrlpt
Mr. Choate has been rightly described TO YOU as
an original nOndescript. lie was Ike no Othcr PCT
son in his style of writing, or III hls 0ratoTy. lie
perceived quickly and acquired rapidly ne pos
scsscd a retentive memory appropnatmg 10 hlihSct
readily the thoughts of others. To his able reason
ing powers he united an Imagination "rchy per
fumed from Carmels nowery top" powerful, soar;
ing, unbounded. He seemed to have been fashioned
for a poet. He remarked to me one day that lac
loved poetry but poetry did not love him. AS 20
temper he was always indulgent and Kind speak
vi
others, he courteous and liberal 10 a iaut ne
was naturally gentle; but, when pressed hard' was
capable of inlictmg blows that left an impression
From Mr. Ncsmith's letter is cuIled the following
narrative of an incident IN stage-cOach ride with
Choate, Webster and Judge l.. p. Woodbury.:
asked Mr. Choate as to ms later reading He |
answered that he had recently been occupied IN the
perusal of Miltons prose ana poetry; MT. We9sItr
said to him As you are so recently out oil Para
disc will you tell me something about the tax tiat
Adam and Eve had before and after the fall Mr. |
Ch0ate said " DO YOU intend that as Il challenge 10
meY Webster answered: "les, | do ChoUe |
hcrcupon rectcd promptly portions of the addresses
Of Adam to Eve, and Eve to Adam much to the |
edifcaton Of his audience Webster reloned with |
the description of the conflict between Gabriel and
Satan, from the sixth book of "Paradise Lost |
His recitation was received with applause John !
Milton himself, had he been present, would have |
been satisfied with the performers on that occasion
AT my last interview With Mr.; Choate n Dos
ton " saws Mr.. NeSmith, after alludmg to his in
ccSSant and labor at the bar for many years
ne SAID he was literally worn out, and added, IN
others than for myself; have spent my strength
for naught' | reminded him that he had gained
high reputation in his profession, and also as a
scholar and that this his reward lie sad
We used TO read that this KIND OF fame
was but an empty bubble now know 1t IS nothing
else Such was Mr.. ChOatc'S estimate OF human
glory when consciously near the termination of his
eventful and hOnOrcd life. lie ADDED: My llght
here is soon to be extinguished. think often OF
the grave am animated by the hope OF that glorl-
Gus Immortality to be cnjoyed in kingdom where
sin and sorrow cannot come"
To the Rev Dr. Storrs we are indebted for this
truthful and excellent description OF Choate when
speaking:
The enthusiasm. 50 easily enknded. was as en-
during as it was Instantaneous II almost literally
knew no limit 1t saw every difficulty, faced every
juridical danger snatched every instrument OF M
preston watched tie face of every juror. took IN
slant suggestion from the eye or even the attitude
of the Judge. felt the subtitle force of the general
feeling peryadng the COURTROOM Kept All Ihe lacts
and all the principles necessarily IN NINA, trans |
figured them all in the radiance OF genius. and shot
his vivid Interpretation Of all upOn the jury. IN the
most plausible dceTential, captivating, command |
lug utterance which even lips $50 skilled and prac-
ticcd could attain. Weakness, languor sickness IT.
self vanished before this inynclbIe spirit: lag- |
gard wan after night of slecpleSs suffering, his
throat sore his head thTObbing. swathed in IAN |
nels buried under OvercOats, with wrappngs |
around his neck bandage on his knee, blister on
his chest, when he rose for his argument all facts
reported by witnesses IN the case, all the related
and governing preccdcnts, all legal principles bear |
ing upon II, all passages OF history letters, ne, |
that might illustrate his argument or COniOUnd his !
antagonists seemed ysiby present TO his mind. He |
thought of nothing but jury and verdict His eO- |
duence was then as completely independent OF /
technical rule as the screams of passion, or the !
shouts of mob. He was after favorable decision !
sharp SCATTERING words ratified like vOlleys before |
and after resOundng sentences. Language hcaped |
on his Inns Images delicate, hOmcly, startling |
blazed upon his pictured words The common |
court room became a scene Of tie most astonishing
intellectual action. Judge Shaw look ed at him as
he might have looked at the frm-set heavens. gilt
tering with mctcOrs. The farmers, mechanics, !
traders on the Jury seized. swept forward, |
stOrIned upon, with an utteTancc 50 unCOundcd III |
variety and energy sometimes so pathetic, some |
times so quaint, sometimes grOtcsquc, always 50
controlling and nnpe lent, as only his hearers ever |
had heard The velocity of hi speech was almost |