Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 20.pdf/461

 THE GREEN BAG

be served by Jonathan at the top of his stature for twelve dollars a month, and Betty in pink ribbons Sundays, 'only till spring," when she is to be married perchance, or go to Lowell. You perceive that I am ready to return home so far as the disposition is concerned, but when that blessed day will dawn is deplorably uncertain. Judge Wayne is not arrived. He usually comes to New York in a packet. . . The Court has as yet done nothing but meet and adjourn, in the hope that by tomorrow he may be here, when our cause will be taken up, it being the first for argument. As soon as the argument is closed I shall start for home on the wings of steam. I am with you daily in imagination and trust that you are by this time fairly at work. Give my affectionate regards to the members of the school, one and all, for they are capital fellows and I love them as my own brothers." On January 24, 1837, Greenleaf wrote: "For a week I have had scarcely a thought that was not upon Warren Bridge. The argument was begun Thursday by Mr. Button, who concluded Saturday morning. I spoke about two hours on Saturday and nearly three on Monday, and yet merely went straight over my brief, answering, by the way, a few objections on the other side. Mr. Davis followed me yesterday and concluded in three hours to-day, in a most cogent, close, clear and convincing argument. Peters the Supreme Court Reporter says the cause was not nearly as well argued before as now; and in proof of it says that his own opinion is changed by it and that he now goes for the Def'ts! Mr. Webster spoke about an hour this afternoon on general and miscellaneous topics in the cause, and will probably occupy all day to-morrow, as he said he should consume considerable time. He told us he should 'tear our arguments to pieces,' and abuse me. The former will t puzzle him; the latter I doubt not he will 'do, as he was observed to be very uneasy and moody during the whole defense. Both Mr. Davis and I avoided everything ' peoplish ' in our remarks, confining our selves closely to legal views alone. But we expect a great effort from Mr. W. tomorrow. It causes me much uneasiness to be absent from the Law School so long; but I was delighted to learn from your letter to the Judge that things go on so well They are

capital fellows, and possess a large share of my affections. Present to them my hearty love and good will, and tell them I hope to see them all next week. . . . Had Judge Wayne been here at the opening of the Court, I should have been on my return as early within a day as I anticipated before I left home. But it is now well understood that he and Cuthbert staid at home to work at the elec tion of a member of Congress. It has given me a fortnight's residence in Washington and the opportunity to see a little of this great world. Most of the great men, as usually happens on a near view, appear smaller than before, and some who were scarcely seen in the distance, appear greater. The newspapers, as you know by similar experience, give us a very imperfect and often erroneous view of things here. . . My present judgment is that political life is not to be coveted; that at the present day and in this country, whatever it may have been in the proud days of the old school, the corruptions of public places are great and that it requires no small degree of virtue to withstand them. I think that many a man used to the world comes here in his complete simplicity and is mortally polluted in a single session — thought here are any others who may remain for years unscathed. After all, give me New England and her sons. There is, to be sure, excellent pluck in the south — men of worth and of valor too — but I cannot sigh with the poet for "a beaker full, of the warm south," nor, on the other hand should I prefer our land, for the same reason given by him who "longed to see white women and yellow butter " once more. . . . Heaven bless you." Sumner wrote on January 25, 1837: "Many thanks for your cordial letter of the nth from Washington;. . . Pray stay as long as your affection requires, with your daughter, and banish all thought of the law school. All are cheerful, respectful and contented, and seem to receive the law with perfect faith from their pro tern professor. A murmur, slight as that of a distant brook, has reached me from a counsel against whom I decided in a moot-court case, with an expression of an intention to appeal to Caesar on his return. The parties were, however, entirely respectful, and none have given me any reason to be uneasy. Starkie