my memories of eighty years-第59节

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　it　would　travel　far。〃　　Of　course；　I　was　very　glad　of　the　opportunity　because　I　believed　in　him。　In　the　course　of　my　speech　I　told　a　story　which　had　wonderful　vogue。　　I　said：　　〃Mr。　Lincoln　told　me　of　an　experience　he　had　in　his　early　practice　when　he　was　defending　a　man　who　had　been　accused　of　a　vicious　assault　upon　a　neighbor。　　There　were　no　witnesses；　and　under　the　laws　of　evidence　at　that　time　the　accused　could　not　testify。　　So　the　complainant　had　it　all　his　own　way。　The　only　opportunity　Mr。　Lincoln　had　to　help　his　client　was　to　break　down　the　accuser　on　a　cross…examination。　　Mr。　Lincoln　said　he　saw　that　the　accuser　was　a　boastful　and　bumptious　man；　and　so　asked　him：　　'How　much　ground　was　there　over　which　you　and　my　client　fought？'　　The　witness　answered　proudly：　　'Six　acres；　Mr。　Lincoln。'　'Well；'　said　Lincoln；　'don't　you　think　this　was　a　mighty　small　crop　of　fight　to　raise　on　such　a　large　farm？'　　Mr。　Lincoln　said　the　judge　laughed　and　so　did　the　district　attorney　and　the　jury；　and　his　client　was　acquitted。〃

The　appositeness　was　in　the　six　acres　of　ground　of　the　Lincoln　trial　and　of　the　six　months　of　the　Beecher　trial。　　As　this　was　a　new　story　of　Lincoln's；　which　had　never　been　printed；　and　as　it　related　to　the　trial　of　the　most　famous　of　preachers　on　the　worst　of　charges　that　could　be　made　against　a　preacher；　the　story　was　printed　all　over　the　country；　and　from　friends　and　consular　agents　who　sent　me　clippings　I　found　was　copied　in　almost　every　country　in　the　world。

Mr。　Beecher　was　one　of　the　few　preachers　who　was　both　most　effective　in　the　pulpit　and；　if　possible；　more　eloquent　upon　the　platform。　When　there　was　a　moral　issue　involved　he　would　address　political　audiences。　　In　one　campaign　his　speeches　were　more　widely　printed　than　those　of　any　of　the　senators；　members　of　the　House；　or　governors　who　spoke。　　I　remember　one　illustration　of　his　about　his　dog；　Noble；　barking　for　hours　at　the　hole　from　which　a　squirrel　had　departed；　and　was　enjoying　the　music　sitting　calmly　in　the　crotch　of　a　tree。　　The　illustration　caught　the　fancy　of　the　country　and　turned　the　laugh　upon　the　opposition。

Hugh　J。　Hastings；　at　one　time　editor　and　proprietor　of　the　Albany　Knickerbocker；　and　subsequently　of　the　New　York　Commercial　Advertiser；　was　full　of　valuable　reminiscences。　　He　began　life　in　journalism　as　a　very　young　man　under　Thurlow　Weed。　　This　association　made　him　a　Whig。　　Very　few　Irishmen　belonged　to　that　party。　　Hastings　was　a　born　politician　and　organized　an　Irish　Whig　club。　　He　told　me　that　he　worshipped　Daniel　Webster。

Webster；　he　said；　once　stopped　over　at　Albany　while　passing　through　the　State；　and　became　a　guest　of　one　of　Albany's　leading　citizens　and　its　most　generous　host　and　entertainer。　　The　gentleman　gave　in　Webster's　honor　a　large　dinner　at　which　were　present　all　the　notables　of　the　capital。

Hastings　organized　a　procession　which　grew　to　enormous　proportions　by　the　time　it　reached　the　residence　where　Mr。　Webster　was　dining。　When　the　guests　came　out；　it　was　evident；　according　to　Hastings；　that　they　had　been　dining　too　well。　　This　was　not　singular；　because　then　no　dinner　was　perfect　in　Albany　unless　there　were　thirteen　courses　and　thirteen　different　kinds　of　wine；　and　the　whole　closed　up　with　the　famous　Regency　rum；　which　had　been　secured　by　Albany　bon…vivants　before　the　insurrection　in　the　West　Indies　had　stopped　its　manufacture。　　There　was　a　kick　in　it　which；　if　there　had　been　no　other　brands　preceding；　was　fatal　to　all　except　the　strongest　heads。　　I　tested　its　powers　myself　when　I　was　in　office　in　Albany　fifty…odd　years　ago。

Hastings　said　that　when　Webster　began　his　speech　he　was　as　near　his　idol　as　possible　and　stood　right　in　front　of　him。　　When　the　statesman　made　a　gesture　to　emphasize　a　sentence　he　lost　his　hold　on　the　balustrade　and　pitched　forward。　　The　young　Irishman　was　equal　to　the　occasion；　and　interposed　an　athletic　arm；　which　prevented　Mr。　Webster　from　falling；　and　held　him　until　he　had　finished　his　address。　　The　fact　that　he　could　continue　his　address　under　such　conditions　increased；　if　that　was　possible；　the　admiration　of　young　Hastings。　　Webster　was　one　of　the　few　men　who；　when　drunk　all　over；　had　a　sober　head。

The　speech　was　very　effective；　not　only　to　that　audience；　but；　as　reported；　all　over　the　country。　　Hastings　was　sent　for　and　escorted　to　the　dining…room；　where　the　guests　had　reassembled。　Webster　grasped　him　by　the　hand；　and　in　his　most　Jovian　way　exclaimed：　　〃Young　man；　you　prevented　me　from　disgracing　myself。　I　thank　you　and　will　never　forget　you。〃　　Hastings　reported　his　feelings　as　such　that　if　he　had　died　that　night　he　had　received　of　life　all　it　had　which　was　worth　living　for。

I　do　not　know　what　were　Mr。　Webster's　drinking　habits；　but　the　popular　reports　in　regard　to　them　had　a　very　injurious　effect　upon　young　men　and　especially　young　lawyers。　　It　was　the　universal　conversation　that　Webster　was　unable　to　do　his　best　work　and　have　his　mind　at　its　highest　efficiency　except　under　the　influence　of　copious　drafts　of　brandy。　　Many　a　young　lawyer　believing　this　drank　to　excess；　not　because　he　loved　alcohol；　but　because　he　believed　its　use　might　make　him　a　second　Webster。

Having　lived　in　that　atmosphere；　I　tried　the　experiment　myself。　Happily　for　me；　I　discovered　how　utterly　false　it　is。　　I　tried　the　hard　liquors；　brandy；　whiskey；　and　gin；　and　then　the　wines。　I　found　that　all　had　a　depressing　and　deadening　effect　upon　the　mind；　but　that　there　was　a　certain　exhilaration；　though　not　a　healthy　one；　in　champagne。　　I　also　discovered；　and　found　the　same　was　true　with　every　one　else；　that　the　mind　works　best　and　produces　the　more　satisfactory　results　without　any　alcohol　whatever。

I　doubt　if　any　speaker；　unless　he　has　become　dependent　upon　stimulants；　can　use　them　before　making　an　important　effort　without　having　his　mental　machinery　more　or　less　clogged。　　I　know　it　is　reported　that　Addison；　whose　English　has　been　the　model　of　succeeding　generations；　in　writing　his　best　essays　wore　the　carpet　out　while　walking　between　sentences　from　the　sideboard　where　the　brandy　was　to　his　writing…table。　　But　they　had　heroic　constitutions　and　iron…clad　digestive　apparatus　in　those　times；　which　have　not　been　transmitted　to　their　descendants。

I　heard　another　story　of　Webster　from　Horace　F。　Clarke；　a　famous　lawyer　of　New　York；　and　a　great　friend　of　his。　　Mr。　Clarke　said　that　he　had　a　case　involving　very　large　interests　before　the　chancellor。　　He　discovered　that　Mr。　Webster　was　at　the　Astor　House；　and　called　upon　him。　　Mr。　Webster　told　him　that　his　public　and　professional　engagements　were　overwhelming；　and　that　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　take　up　anything　new。　　Clarke　put　a　thousand　dollars　on　the　table　and　pleaded　with　Mr。　Webster　to　accept　a　retainer。　　Clarke　said　that　Webster　looked　longingly　at　the　money；　saying：　　〃Young　man；　you　cannot　imagine；　and　I　have　no　words　which　can　express　how　much　I　need　that　money；　but　it　is　impossible。　However；　let　me　see　your　brief。〃　　Webster　read　it　over　and　then　said　to　Clarke：　　〃You　will　not　win　on　that　brief；　but　if　you　will　incorporate　this；　I　think　your　case　is　all　right。〃　　Clarke　said　that　when　he　presented　the　brief　and　made　his　argument　before　the　chancellor；　the　chancellor　decided　in　his　favor；　wholly　on　the　suggestion　made　by　Mr。　Webster。　　An　eminent　lawyer　told　me　that　studying　Mr。　Webster's　arguments　before　the　Supreme　Court　and　the　decisions　made　in　those　cases　he　discovered　very　often　that　the　opinion　of　the　court　followed　the　reasoning　of　this　marvellous　advocate。

Henry　J。　Raymond　told　me　the　following　story　of　Mr。　William　H。　Seward。　He　said　that　one　morning　a　messenger　came　to　his　office　（Raymond　at　that　time　was　editor　of　the　New　York　Times）　and　said　that　Mr。　Seward　was　at　the　Astor　House　and　wanted　to　see　me。　　When　I　arrived　Mr。　Seward　said：　　〃I　am　on　my　way　to　my　home　at　Auburn；　where　I　am　expected　to　deliver　a　speech　for　the　whole　country　in　explanation　and　defense　of　our　administration。　　＇Johnson　was　president。＇　　When　I　am　ready　I　will　wire　you；　and　then　send　me　one　of　your　best　reporters。〃　　About　two　weeks　afterwards　Mr。　Raymond　received　this　cryptic　telegram　from　Mr。　Seward：　　〃Send　me　the　man　of　whom　I　spoke。〃

When　the　reporter　returned　he　said　to　Mr。　Raymond：　　〃When　I　arrived　at　Auburn　I　expected　that　a　great　meeting　had　been　advertised；　but　there　were　no　handbills；　notices；　or　anything　in　the　local　papers；　so　I　went　up　to　Mr。　Seward's　house。　　He　said　to　me：　　'I　am　very　glad　to　see　you。　　Have　you　your　pencil　and　note…book？　　If　so；　we　will　make　a　speech。'　　After　the　dictation　Mr。　Seward　said：　　'Please　write　that　out　on　every　third　line；　so　as　to　leave　room　for　corrections；　and　bring　it　back　to　me　in　the　morning。'　　When　I　gave　the　copy　to　Mr。　Seward；　he　took　it　and　kept　it　during　the　day；　and　when　I　returned　in　the　evening　the　vacant　space　had　been　filled　with　corrections　and　new　matter。　　Mr。　Seward　said　to　me：　'Now　make　me　a　clean　copy　as　corrected。'　　When　I　returned　with　the　corrected　copy　he　remarked：　　'I　think　you　and　I　made　a　very　poor　speech。　　Let　us　try　it　again。'　　The　same　process　was　repeated　a　second　time；　and　this　corrected　copy　of　the　speech　was　delivered　in　part　to　a　few　friends　who　were　called　into　Mr。　Seward's　library　for　the　occasion。　　T