my memories of eighty years-第66章

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　Beecher　admirers；　which　I　was　permitted　to　attend；　would　reproduce　these　informal　talks　of　Mr。　Beecher。　　He　was　the　most　ready　orator；　and　with　his　almost　feminine　sympathies　and　emotional　nature　would　add　immensely　to　his　formal　speech　by　ideas　which　would　occur　to　him　in　the　heat　of　delivery；　or　with　comment　upon　conversations　which　he　had　heard　on　the　way　to　church　or　meeting。

I　happened　to　be　on　a　train　with　him　on　an　all…day　journey；　and　he　never　ceased　talking　in　the　most　interesting　and　effective　way；　and　pouring　out　from　his　rich　and　inexhaustible　stores　with　remarkable　lucidity　and　eloquence　his　views　upon　current　topics；　as　well　as　upon　recent　literature；　art；　and　world　movements。

Beecher's　famous　trial　on　charges　made　by　Theodore　Tilton　against　him　on　relations　with　Tilton's　wife　engrossed　the　attention　of　the　world。　　The　charge　was　a　shock　to　the　religious　and　moral　sense　of　countless　millions　of　people。　　When　the　trial　was　over　the　public　was　practically　convinced　of　Mr。　Beecher's　innocence。　　The　jury；　however；　disagreed；　a　few　holding　out　against　him。　　The　case　was　never　again　brought　to　trial。　　The　trial　lasted　six　months。

One　evening　when　I　was　in　Peekskill　I　went　from　our　old　homestead　into　the　crowded　part　of　the　village；　to　be　with　old　friends。　I　saw　there　a　large　crowd　and　also　the　village　military　and　fire　companies。　　I　asked　what　it　was　all　about；　and　was　informed　that　the　whole　town　was　going　out　to　Mr。　Beecher's　house；　which　was　about　one　and　one…half　miles　from　the　village；　to　join　in　a　demonstration　for　his　vindication。　　I　took　step　with　one　of　the　companies　to　which　I　belonged　when　I　was　a　boy；　and　marched　out　with　the　crowd。

The　president　of　the　village　and　leading　citizens；　one　after　another；　mounted　the　platform；　which　was　the　piazza　of　Mr。　Beecher's　house；　and　expressed　their　confidence　in　him　and　the　confidence　of　his　neighbors；　the　villagers。　　Then　Mr。　Beecher　said　to　me：　〃You　were　born　in　this　town　and　are　known　all　over　the　country。　If　you　feel　like　saying　something　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　b