Evening journal., 1911-01-27
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Last Days Of a Great
Lawyer
By "HoIland."

No man, since the days of the Civil
War ever entered the United States
with greater prestige than did William
M. Evarts. For years he had been rec
ognized as the leader Of the American
bar, he is to be numbered among the
few great lawyers who are assured Of
permanent recognition of his career.
He had been the spokesman for the
nomination of William II. Seward for
the presidency of 1860. During the
Civil War he had been sent on diplo-
matte mission to England by President
Lincoln. As President Johnson's senior
counsel, he did much to secure John
sons acquittal in the great iInpeach-
ment trial. He had been Attorney Gem
eral in Johnson's cabinet, and Secre-
tary of State under Hayes. He had
served as the leading counsel for the
Republicans before the Electoral Com
mission, appointed 10 decide the
Hayes-Tilden presidential election. He
had been chief counsel for his coun-
try before the famous Geneva court of
arbitration, and the cause for which
he pleaded had triumphed. Thus, when,
in 1885, Mr. Evarts was elected United
States Senator from New York State,
this selection was looked upon as
matter of national Importance, and
great things were expected Of him,
both by the Senate itself and the coun-
try at large.
But Mr.. Evarts had not been in his
seat in the Senate long before his col
leagues began wonderingly to whisper
among themselves, saying: Has this
great man found himself in an unfa-
miliar place? Are his abilities exclu-
sively those of a great lawyer, or dip
lomat? He seems to be lapsing into
spirit of Indifference"
More and more it was noticed that
Mr. Evarts was becoming almost a lay
figure I'm the Senate chamber, and IL
was frequently, although quietly, said
that his service as a Senator would
probably prove to be an anti-climax
TO his great career. IL was observed
that when he entered the chamber he
occasionally felt his way to his scat.
He seemed feeble. He was carefully
attended. AT last, it was assumed that
the extraordinary change was due to
i'll health.
After Senator Evarts retired from
tho Senate, in 1891, he gradually be-
gan to disappear from the places
which had long known him. Finally, il
became known that he was confined to
his house. He lived I'm a roomy. old
fashioned dwelling, which faced Stuy-
vesant Square IN New York, aud lay
In the shadow of st. Georges Church
Gradually. he was confined TO his
room. and at last to his bed. Then his
friends knew what he had known
when he was in the Senate, that he
was a victim of an hereditary disease
of the eyes, malignant physical taint
which was in the Roger Sherman
blood, from which, also, Mr. Evarts
cousin, the late Senator George f.
Hoar OF Massachusetts. suffered. And
Il was this affliction, secretly, bravely
borne that had caused him to seem
like another man when Senator.
Never was an invalid more patient
than this heroic figure when he was
brought TO bed In the summer, with
the window open, he could hear the
murmur of the city, and the children,
as they played in the square. The fra
GRANGE Of the blossoms he perceived
and greatly enjoyed, so that he could,
with mental vision, picture forth the
coming of the spring and early sum-
mer. But friends reported that, af-
ter all, he was finding his greatest
consolation in the unobscured mental
vision which was left him. BY means
of it he could picture forth the men
and incidents Of the historic events
with which be had been associated
And, thus consoled. thus occupied. with
the varied and fascinating mental like
nesses Of men and historic scenes. the
great American at last passed into per-
feet sleep.
Copyright, 1911, by e. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell
0TIotx a Ean,ouc Maine Mon uaUop an