abilities there is now no question, and it is a curious subject of speculation, what a change it might have made in American politics, if he had been inaugur ated as President. Yours very truly, Wm. C. Todd. LEGAL ANTIQUITIES. Philip of Macedon was king, judge, and law giver; and a poor woman had often tried in vain to get him to listen to the story of her wrongs. The King at last abruptly told her " he was not at leisure to hear her." " Xo! " she exclaimed, "then you are not at leisure to be king!" Philip was confounded at this way of putting it, and seeing no answer to it, he called on her to proceed with her case. He ever after made it a rule to listen attentively to all applications ad dressed to him.
FACETIÆ. Lord Hermand, a Scotch judge, was very apt to say, "My laards, I feel my law — here, my laards," striking his heart. Hence he made little ceremony in disdaining the authority of an act of Parliament, when he and it happened to differ. He once got rid of one by saying, in his snorting contemptuous way, and with an emphasis on every syllable, " But then we're told, that there's a statut' against all this. A statut'! What's a statut'? Words! mere words! And am I to be tied down by words? No, my laards; I go by the law of right reason."
I a trial in Georgia in which Tom Carnes was engaged, the opposing counsel had spoken of a syllogism, the major and minor proposition, and the consequence, etc. Carnes, in reply, to convince the jury that the gentleman had lugged in immaterial matter, because he had nothing material to offer, complained of the indelicacy of mentioning in court the names of a very respect able, peaceable family residing over in Lincoln, who had never had anything to do with courts; that old Major Syllogism would be exceedingly alarmed did he know that his name had been mentioned in a court house; that they must know the minor Syllogism could never have been in court, being a minor; and the crudest cut of
all was to name the blushing Miss Consequence, who hardly knew there was such a thing as a court-house. He spoke of the Syllogisms as being a large and respectable family in Georgia. "What time of night was it when you saw the prisoner in your room? " asked the defendant's attorney in a recent suit. "About three o'clock." "Was there any light in the room at the time?" "Xo sir, it was quite dark." "Could you see your husband at your side?" "No, sir." "Then, madam," said the attorney trium phantly, "please explain how you could see the prisoner, and could not see your husband." "My husband was out of town, sir." A case was before Judge Verplanck of Buffalo, N.Y., in which the reputation of one of the parties was involved. "What is the general character of the defendant?" asked the prose cuting officer. "Character for what?" "Why, his morals?" This particular point was just what the witness was not over-desirous of answering, and knowing the Judge quite well, he cast toward him an appealing look. The Judge took in the situation, and, with a face of stony gravity, suggested that the answer desired might perhaps be attained by a slight variation of the question. " Suppose you ask him, "How are his /'/»morals? The witness with a relieved expression replied, " Well, Judge, I should say his ////morals stand very high ."' Down in North Carolina lately a case was tried before a magistrate, in which the defendant's character having been impeached, it was sought to bolster it up by showing he had reformed and joined the church. The witness, who belonged to the same church, insisted that as the defendant was now a Christian man, of course his character was better. Counsel asked him, " Don't he drink just as much as he ever did? " The witness, who was colored and evidently embarrassed by the inquiry, slowly raised his eyes and said with much deliberation, " I think he do, but he carries it more better."
