Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 16.pdf/842

 Rh

VOL. XVI.

No. 12.

BOSTON.

DECEMBER, 1904.

HENRY WHEATON,1 BY FRANCIS R. JONES, Of the Boston Bar. art to reconstruct Wheaton's life may take THE attainments of Henry Wheaton, pub up the task and give to the world one more licist, historian, reporter of the deci great biography. sions of the Supreme Court of the United The purity of Wheaton's character, his States, accomplished diplomat, and au high sense of duty, his great and accurate thor of the authoritative treatise on In ternational Law, have received inadequate learning, his facile pen which wrote such recognition. The Government which he perspicuous English, and his pleasing mod successfully served for twenty years dis esty, are all gracious themes for a bio grapher. And I am persuaded that if it had missed him at the height of his influence and usefulness. No one of his many liter been his lot to have lived a generation ary friends collected and preserved his earlier, his name would have been engraved voluminous correspondence, or troubled to upon the same tablet of fame with those write the record of his life, which might of Washington, Hamilton, Marshall and well have served both as an entertaining Jay. The heroic age of the Republic had exposition of the customs and manners in passed when he came to manhood, and so great opportunity was lacking. But he did the United States, Denmark, Germany, what came to his hand in a fashion that France and England during the first half deserves praise, and he has left behind him of the nineteenth century, and as an in a memorial of greatness that has not been spiration to youth. Such a biography might superseded by any jurist of any nation. well have been not only useful, but dramatic. Henry Wheaton was of Welsh descent Great men would have moved through its and was born on November 27, 1785, at pages, Marshall and Story, Pinkney and Providence, Rhode Island. His father was Monroe, Webster and Washington Irving. Von Humboldt and Metternich. Great a successful merchant and after retiring be questions would have been discussed therein came the president of the Rhode Island and an interesting period of European his Branch of the United States Bank,—a po tory. And the end would have been pathetic sition that gave him prominence in the com tragedy, bitter, but dignified, disappoint munity. The son owed much to his father, but more to his uncle, Dr. Levi P. Wheaton, ment. If the materials for such a biography f to whom he was closely bound through life are still extant, it is to be earnestly wished by strong ties of affection and common that someone with the gift to see and the tastes, and whose daughter Catherine he 'The editor solicited this article at the last mo married in 1811. Henry Wheaton was edu ment before going to press. The short time and small amount of space then allotable rendered a cated at- the University Grammar School more adequate exposition of the subject impos which was the preparatory school for sible.—THE EDITOR.