cago, which sum was curtailed a little, however, by debts contracted in Pittsburg in 1867 and by two or more failures among subscribers. Thus, although he himself died in financial distress, his family was placed in permanent comfort. CHAPTER LXX. SIDELIGHTS-GLEAMS OF CHARACTER. No man in American history has been so thoroughly misunderstood as Stanton. Much as he loved and trusted certain men, he really trusted no man fully. One friend or counselor was permitted to know all about this or that matter, and another all about something else; but he was completely confidential with no two persons on the same subject. Each man who knew him at all intimately knew things not known to any one else, and thus arose the many differing views which, however, are all essential to the final picture which shall have some approach to completeness and correctness. Annie Collier Meredith of Omaha, who was reared with him, says: Mr. Stanton was an angel in his family and to the weak and poor, but the very fury in the pursuit of his purposes among men. The exhibition of his tremendous energy sometimes injured the feelings of his best friends; but he always made amends afterwards and was grieved over the havoc that had been wrought. One of my childhood tasks was to recite Longfellow's "Psalm of Life" for him. He liked the verse, "Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act, act in the living Present! When I had finished he would invariably say, in his impetuous way, "Say it again; please do." Then he would look thoughtful and remain quiet for some time. An old friend, Davison Filson of Steubenville, Ohio, contributes this: When I was carrying on house and sign painting here, I did all of Mr. Stanton's work in that line. He was not a man to dicker and try to get his work done cheap. He never asked me what a thing would cost, but explained what he wanted and then, "Do it and make out your bill." He never objected to or delayed paying a bill. He was a man of businessfull to over-flowing all the time, scarcely taking time for his meals. You could never catch him napping. He was always wide awake, and true to his convictions to a dot. When court called he was there and ready with his cases, all of them. In his house I have often been, and a more pleasant home did not exist-all mildness; but when he was among men he was another creature, exerting his great powers, and was the leader. When he was a boy he was the leader of boys, and that characteristic followed him through life. He knew his power and did not hesitate to use it; the wreckage thus made he attended to later, after he had won. Colonel Charles Shaler of Washington recalls some of Stanton's qualities: When in partnership with my father, in Pittsburg, it was Mr. Stanton's habit, as a big case came on, to shut himself up in his room over the office, sending down for the books and papers that he needed, and work night and day till his task was done. As he lighted the gas at such times, he never knew night from day. When he emerged he was a formidable adversary. In fact he was dreaded by all attorneys, and some of them were careful not to take cases against him. He studied as thoroughly against as for his clients and, as father said, always went into court under arms, aggressive, powerful, and destructive, losing sight of everything except a determination to win. He thus made enemies that he really did not deserve or wish, for, as a matter of fact, he was the most tender and kind-hearted man in the world. To me, and as I saw him in private intercourse, he was sweet and lovely, but I often realized what a rough-riding bull-dog he was when, under full headway, he contended with all his might for his clients as though life depended upon winning. Thus David McGowan of Steubenville: After he had made a great reputation, the toughest cases naturally came to Stanton for defense. I recall, however, when he first began to practise, that he refused a very large fee offered by a criminal for defense. He said he could better go without money than be defeated, as he certainly should be. He wanted to acquire the reputation of being a winner, knowing that in time such a reputation would bring fees enough. He practised to the full that part of the ancient oath of an English barrister which bound him "to make war for his clients," and he cordially agreed with Lord Brougham that "a lawyer's fealty to his client is above that to his king." The venerable Judge Thomas Mellon of Pittsburg analyzes Stanton's powers: Mr. Stanton's forte did not lie in formal orations or eloquent display of language, but in plain, clear, forcible statement and logical argument. On these lines he was nearly invincible; and in the examination or cross-ex amination of witnesses he was remarkably successful in getting out testimony to his advantage. He asked questions in so plain and natural a manner as to disarm the witness of all suspicion of being led into statements favoring the examiner's theory. This feature of his skill resembled the precision of statement and logical result of a proposition in Euclid. He never became boisterous, but always was so audible and explicit that the court and jury and those interested in the case could hear and feel the force of every word he said. His speeches and arguments were more noted for brevity than profusion. Every element of his argument seemed to fit its place so well that any other conclusion than that intended was precluded. He had another element of professional ability to a degree that was marvelous-preparation. In a few, brief, but pregnant questions to his client he could ascertain clearly the leading principles involved in the controversy and could state them and place them in the most logical position available for his purpose. When he once settled on a procedure it had to go through on the lines laid down unless defeated by invincible law or fact presented on the other side, and he always had his case so well prepared before going to trial that the trial more resembled the placing of the well-fitting parts of a complicated machine than the discussion of disputed facts and legal propositions. Of course he was successful-more so than any lawyer I ever knew. I believe his executive ability was beyond any limit the ordinary mind can fix. Judge William Johnston of Cincinnati thus discloses Stanton's sympathetic heart: When Mr. Stanton lived in Steubenville and practised law in Pittsburg, passing back and forth on the river steamers, he found a man lying on the forward deck one evening, with a broken leg. "Why is this sufferer not attended to?" he inquired of the captain, who replied that the man lived in Pittsburg and would receive attention there. From a carpenter's chest he secured a saw and ax with which to cut splints, and, taking a sheet from a stateroom, set and bandaged the fracture. He then brought vinegar and water from the cook's room with which to steep the swollen parts, and during the ninety miles of the trip from Steubenville, sat by the injured man applying the bath. When the boat reached Pittsburg he hired a carriage and took his patient home. And so he was through life-great in emergencies, available when all others failed. Reverend Joseph Buchanan of Steubenville describes Stanton's habits: My friend Stanton was a man of tenderness and austerity. His own habits were exemplary, and he watched the morals of his son Eddie with steady care. I was Eddie's tutor for several years. On a certain occasion I wished him to attend some lectures and experiments in chemistry, |