he was exactly what he professed. His cor a grim satiric humor. He had abounding re diality, which was marked, and endeared sources and readiness, audacity equal to the most him to a great many men throughout the surprising occasion, unfailing patience and com Union, — especially to younger members of mand of his temper. He elevated and dignified the bar, — was entirely sincere. A lawyer common disputes, while never passing the boundary who knew him well said to me a few days ago between pathos and bathos. ... So has departed that when acting as senior, Porter could make the second of the three greatest advocates of our State, who contested the Beecher case. There it always appear, if anything went wrong in have always been men in every human occupation a case, that he, the senior, was blamable, — who were peculiarly the admiration of their breth that he ought to have done this or that; ren in the same occupation; and it has always or that it was his oversight or his over- seemed to us that Porter was the lawyers' ideal confidence, etc., that had led to the error. advocate." And my friend declared that no amount of protest would make Porter concede the point. John K. Porter was born at Waterford, Still, I have known him to be unsparing N. Y., on the 12th of January, 1819. His and unforgiving to ignorance or incompe father was a physician in excellent practice tency, when accompanied by vanity or will there, and gave his son a superior education, ingness to play a perfunctory part. So, ending with his graduation from Union Col also, when successful in a case, he was lege, to which institution he was always quick to inform the client of the efficiency greatly attached. of the junior's preparation, and of the im It is said that he wished his son to adopt portant influence of that preparation on the the medical profession, but that a few result, etc. Juniors never lost clients through months' trial led him to say : " John, I do him, but, on the contrary, generally found not know what sort of a lawyer you might their confidence strengthened after an expe make, but you will make a very poor doc rience with Porter as senior. In short, he tor." This is a little surprising; for among was an open-hearted, generous, high-spirited, other peculiarities, Judge Porter evinced the faithful, inscrutable character. The inscru- greatest interest in " cures," and had in tableness I shall not try to exhibit by exam scrap-books and note-books a large collection ples; and it is alluded to only because I of so-called remedies, varying in therapeu cannot conscientiously speak — and do not tical importance from a horse-chestnut worn wish so to speak to those who knew us both in the pocket, to the most complex prescrip — of Judge Porter as if believing that the tions, and covering every ailment, from plain general and superficial aspects of character obvious toothache to whatever bodily disease which I may be able to show, give or can is hardest to understand. These he cher be made to give any really complete view ished, and with benevolent zeal communi of the man. cated to his suffering friends. Perhaps the The general opinion of him in our pro old doctor had witnessed the beginning of fession during his career is justly expressed this collection, and, on the whole, knew by a short article in the " Albany Law Jour what he was talking about. nal," from which I quote in part : — The moral character of Judge Porter was cast in an heroic mould, which was doubt "After several years' retirement and physical heaviness, Judge John K. Porter has died, at the less matter of heritage. His grandfather age of seventy-three years; and so has passed was a Major in the Revolutionary army, away one of the greatest American advocates. . . . who fougtit at the battle of Bemis Heights, and participated in the capture of Burgoyne; He was master of a remarkably beautiful extem poraneous style, — vivid, original, and brilliant. but although his military career had been His tact was exquisite and unerring. He had much to his credit, at the close of the war
