St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-03-06
Matt. Carpenter.
lExtracts from his Biography.

Carpenter always defended his pro-
fessiOnal character, while other attacks
were passed by without notice. When
the catIclysm of political slander poured
its poisonous streams upon him, he
was fully consoled with the cheerful
remark well, have never vet been
accused of being ii bad lawyer When
his fellows in the senate evolved soph-
istical theories or high sounding clap
trap, or advocated an unconstitutional
measure, lre would say that being'Ouly
ii lawyer" he must oppose them, and
close by begging to be ''spared from
degenerating into II mere statesman"
One of the things that, more than any
other, eXasperated Charles Sumner
was Carpenters frequent taunt: "My
friend from Massachusetts, once ii
sound and upright lawyer, has been
degraded by public life to the blase
purlieus of Il common statesman, as
may be observed by the unsouBd views
he is advocating" He regarded a
learned and conscientious lawyer as
the only true and safe law making
statesman. 1t was well known that
James G.. Blaine was not. and never
had been. lawyer Therefore, when
he essayed to speak on legal ques-
ton, the mode of ridicule that gave
Carpenter the most abundant relish
was that of ironically praising the sen
ator from Maine as ''beyOnd all COM
parisOn IA distinguished and learned
attorney" As Burns was displeased
with any title save that of poet or
Highland bard, so Carpenter desired
no title of fdistinguiShment save that of
law-giver.
Young Carpenters first professional
engagement after returning from West
Point, was made early in lS46, when
he was between q and 22 years of age.
The opposing counsel was no less than
George F. Edmunds, then living ut
Richmond, something like twenty
miles down the WinOoski river. The
two tledglings, each afraid of the other,
met in little gray wooden school
house in the town of Bolton, in II gap
of the Green mountains, aud halfway
from Waterbury to Richmond. The
suit, small as it really was, attracted
no little attention from the peasants
of the neighbOrhO0d, and the artless
but attentive audience was present,
until far into the night, to listen to the
forensic efforts, the sharp retOrts, and
the crude legerdemain of the young
Blackstones.
His first case after settling III BGloit
was heard before ii justice of the peace
ut point in Rock County, ten or
dozen miles above BelOit. A farmer
named EbencZcr y. Baldwin came
down in search of Il lawyer, and, Oh
serving Carpenters sign, entered the
office and made known his errand. OF
course hc could ''go at once" and in
five minutes the Young attorney was
seated beside the farmer on the bewed
poles which constituted the box Of a
lumber wagon, and thus jOlted over
the rough, unworked roads Of new
country. As the twain assembled the
valley of the river the farmer recited
all the facts and circumstances of his
case. and when they arrived ut the
Office of the Justice Carpenter WAS
ready for trial. Who opposed him, or
what the cause of litigation was, is
wrapt in obscurity. Late ut night the
case was ended, aud the farmer
! brought Carpenter back to Beloit.
On inquiring what fee and charges
were to he paid, Carpenter replied
"Oh, | guess about il dollar =
The first case Carpenter carried to
| the supreme court of the United States
was that of Bronson and SOutter,
/ trustees, against the La Crosse and
| Milwaukee railway company ct al, III
which, February 20, 1863. he argued !,
motion to dismiss the cross-Ippeal nt
other parties. On February ,, 1864, he
appeared before the same court, i'll the
.l..it, r,
| make an argument on the merits of the
case. In one sense he was victorious,
and in another he was not The court
held that United States district
court, from which the appeal was
taken, exceeded its jurisdiction. but
decided, ''fOr the present" to withhold
the remedy. This was, III many re-
spects, the most extraordinary ease
that had been taken to the United
States supreme court.
Caleb Gushing once said to Henry
Wilson, as the twain sat in the chamber
and observed Carpenter entering, hi,
coat and vest unfastened on account
of excessive heat. bundle of paper:
aud II volume of reports in one hand
and IL large palm-l,at fan in the other
81 do love to watch the entry of tha
man into court; he comes in with sucl
> It sunshiny smile, such II b0yish indif
ference of step, and such rOguisl
twinkle of the eyes, as seem to say
Now listen while | have some spor
with these old codgers.'r
Wherever Matt went he bubblet
over with wit. Ii would be impossible
to pick up all his bright savings. Hi
biographer has certainly done well il
this respect.
He said President Hayes should hav
: been an insurance agent, he chad sucl
an extraordinary ability to get NJ
policies" Years ago Carpenter de
! scribed the late Alexander Stephens il
Z this wise: San empty coach halted "A
n the treasury department, and Alec
y Stephens got out of it, The sam
4 Joke was fitted to Bernhardt when i
t America, but it was original with Can
: penter.
I In one of his great railway suits Ia
/, turned to Il wealthy witness and said
ii "He commits perjury as gayly as
=, troubadour thumped his guitar
II Many bank cashier has been con
II vulsed by his checks. For instanc,
n one for his daughter read: Pay to tl'
l. order of the Celestial Pet Lillian til
e sum of SI0.n
II Mr.. James Long, an eminent Englis
e dairy authority, made this statemeI
% in a recent address to the Irish Dair
ii Fair in Dublin: II know county
d England, where in fifteen years. by ii
n introduction of the Channel Island
n breed, Jerseys, the quantity of butt,
n, has been doubled, while by carefi
1t breeding the loss of flesh has been pr
le vented"