Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-15

and people of England as one Of especial
success from every point Of view.
His latest public service was as counsel
for 'he United States before the Bering
Sea Tribunal OF Arbitration. in Paris, in
1893, in which capacity he made the Lead
ing argument and added to his fame.
During the past ten years he had With
drawn for the most part from legal prac-
tice, only occasionally accepting a "ctlin-
or in some important case before the Unit
cd States Supreme Court and ne confined
his labofs chiefly to the duties of his chair
of law in Yale College.
Mr.. Phelps cannot be said to have had
political career. Originally a whis end
belonging, as his father did before him
to the wing of that party which insisted
upon the constitutional guarantees for the
institution Of slavery nc, with the rest Of
the silver Gray" wigs. became a demo-
crat, when tho republican party arose on
the issue of the ron-cxtonsion OF slavery
into tho territories. But he was not
great favorite with his party His indie
pcndcnCe Of partisan control was rereat-
edlY shown. He refused to vote with his
party for Horace Greeley. In local cleo
| tons he commonly voted for the man he
considered be st in character and qualidca-
| lions whether of his own or some other
party He accepted the democratic nom
nation for governor, in $780, but showed
| little interest in the canvass. making 40
speeches and going off on his customary
shooting expedition in the Northwest,
shortly before election. In the last pres
iden;ial campaign his letter, addressed to
the editor of this paper, urging democrats
in favor of an honest dollar to vote for
the republican nominee for governor in
Vermont and to support Mr.. Mckinley
upon the sound money issue, struck
powerful chord. 1t was circulated in mil
lions of newspaper issues, all over the
country. as well as in circulars and pam
phcts. and turned the vote of hesitating
democrats away from the free silver can
dldate in numbers sufficient to decide the
result of the national election, if it had
been closer than it was
Mr.. Phelps was a man of fine literary
taste. He enjoyed and was 1T home in
the society of scholars and leading artists
with good books, and the walls of his
home are hung with choice paintings and
pictures. He was a delightful host, enter
tanning with rare grace at his own table.
lie shone in conversation, his keen wit
fund of information and gift of expression
making him the centre of every socia,
circle around him. He was an effective
public speaker, and as a presiding officer
on occasions like that of the Benning ton
Centennial in 1871 his dignity, readiness
and tact in introducing dignitaries won
universal admiration. His chief emin-
once, however, was as lawyer. His
printed briefs Of arguments on important
cases are numbered by hundreds. His adj
dress on The Law of the Land" deliver
ed before the Philosophic Institution Of
Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1887, had a wide
circulation in England as well as on this
side of the water, three editions of it be
ing published in London, and two in New
York, and others OF his addresses before
the American Bar Association and the
Vermont Historical society have a perma-
ncnt value.
He was Vermonter through and
through, familiar with the history of his
State, glad to be known as one of her
sons proud Of her record in war and
peace proud also of the comparative puri-
" of her politics, even when least in ac-
cord with the controlling political princi-
pies OF her people, and interested in what
ever conduced to the welfare AMI prospect
ty Of the community in which he was
glad to keep his home.
While uniformly courteous. in his in
tcrcourse with others, Mr. Phelps was
somewhat exclusive in his friendships
From those who were privileged to be on
terms of intimate acquaintance with him
/ he commanded admrat ton and high re-
gard and many Will deeply mourn his loss
from the circles of which he was the orna-
mert and centre. A more formal sketch
OF his life will be found in another col
umn.