Evening journal., 1914-03-21
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How a Great Maryland
Lawyer Went into Court
By Holland.

Had Andrew Johnson died at any
time within a year of his succession
to the presidency in 1865, Lafayette
5. Foster, Senator from Connecticut,
would have taken the oath as Presi-
dent, since at that time the law pro-
vided in case OF vacancy in the presi-
dental office created by the death OF
resignation of one who had been
elected as Vice-President and who
had succeeded the President, that IL
be filled by the president of the
Senate
Judge Foster was for three terms
United States Senator, and in his last
term he had opportunity to become
acquainted with Reverdy Johnson,
Senator from Maryland For Senator
Johnson Judge Foster had great adj
miration.
He esteemed Johnson as one of the
ablest lawyers, perhaps the ablest,
who had been a colleague of his own
in the Senate. He admired, also. the
unostentatious personality, of Mr.
Johnson, who was conspicuous for a
certain democratic attitude in all
personal affairs, although that never
involved any loss of dignity.
After Judge Fosters term in the
Senate expired he was accustomed to
speak reminiscently to his Connecti-
cut friends, especially of an evening
during the session of the court. of
which Judge Foster had been elected
as judge shortly after his retirement
from the Senate.
II used sometimes to think" Judge
Foster would say, that the Senate
was not a place in which Reverdy
Johnson could call into being his
highest qualities. In my many con-
versations with him he seemed to me
to chafe a little in the Senate cham
ber He wanted to be free to prac-
tise his profession, and he apparently
had little or no understanding of the
peculiarities of political manipula-
ton or management.
He once told me that he began
his law study in the office of William
Pinkney, who had been attorney-gen-
eral of the United States and United
States Senator from Maryland, as
well as minister to Russia.
1T may be that Mr. johnson laid
the foundations for his extraordinary
learning as a lawyer while studying
in the office of William Pinkney, who
was one of the greatest men Mary
land ever furnished to the United
States in those early days when the
nation was establishing itself upon
a firm foundation. Mr.. Johnson had
a wonderful gift Of perfectly lucid
exposition Of even the most abstract
principles of the law. That was also
the gift of William Pinkney.
But there was this difference be-
~ fatH.
duleed in florid Oratory, classical in
its form and language and adorned
with quotations from the gr at
authors of the past. Reverdy John
son spoke directly and to the point,
and | have often thought that it was
in great measure due to Reverdy
Johnson that lawyers were inspired
to change from the old, formal. e1e-
CANT and florid style to the concise.
clear and unadorned style of later
years.
"There was one thing Reverdy
Johnson couldtnot do. He would not
have known how TO pose. That was
not the case of William Pinknev. I
was once told by a man who knew
Pinkney that when he had a great
argument to deliver before the Su-
preme Court he would work all night
preparing his argument, commit il
TO memory and then call for his horse
in the early morning ride. far out m
to the country, timing his arrival at
the capital at Just about the hour
when the Supreme Court met Then
he would appear in court in his rid
ing garments, his boots sometimes
spattered with mud, his face flushed
with the exertion of rapid riding,
and then, tossing his gloves upon the
table, would beg the indulgence of
the court for appearing before the
bench dressed in that manner Then
he would go on with his argument.
II was all a pose, all planned like a
dramatic situation upon the stage.
But il was very effective at that
time.
Reverdy Johnson could not have
done that"
Those who heard judge Foster
speak in this way Of William Pink
ney were inclined to think that his
authority for the anecdote was prob
ably Reverdy Johnson himself.
Copyright 1914, by +. j. Edwards