ShaiswooiL] r,"| A [December 4. 



He immediately commenced the study of the law-in the office 

 of bis fatLier, then in the heiglit of his honorable professional ca- 

 reer, and after the usual clerkship of three years, was admitted 

 to the bar June 2, 1807. He soon found himself in a large and 

 lucrative practice. I have not been al)le to find his first docket, 

 but in one commencing with December, 1813, little more than six 

 years after his admission, the average number of cases brought 

 by him in the District Court and the Court of Common Pleas 

 of this count}', was upwards of fift}^ to each term, and to this 

 must be added a ver}^ considerable practice in the Supreme Court 

 of the State, and in the Federal Courts of this District. His 

 first reported case among the decisions of the Supreme Court 

 of Pennsylvania, was Wehh achnr. of Edivai-ds v. Uiisar^ 3 Bin- 

 ney, 329, which he argued for the defendant in 1811. His first 

 reported case in the Supreme Court of the United States, was 

 Fitzsimmons, et. al.^ v. 0(jden^ et. al., 7 Cranch, 2, in 1812, for 

 the complainants. It would be an interesting task to trace in 

 detail the history of his professional career, but it would be out 

 of place. Few men at the bar of Philadelphia ever enjoyed so 

 varied as well as so important a liiie of practice. His reputa- 

 tion for fiiithful attention to the business entrusted to him — his 

 popular manners and pleasing address — his readiness and elo- 

 quence — combined to secure him numerous and valuable clients. 

 That he was able to attend to it all, and do it so well, he owed 

 to his methodical industry. He appeared never to flag, though 

 his bodil}' and intellectual powers were taxed to the utmost. His 

 favorite exercise was a ride on horseback — usually before break- 

 fast in the morning. During all this busiest period of his life he 

 was a close and S3'stematic student — reading ever}' new law book 

 of au}^ note which came out— and not confining himself to his 

 professionnl reading, but extending it to general literature and 

 science. Tliere were no domains of knowledge, interesting or 

 useful, which he does not appear to have explored. He prepared 

 all his cases thoroughly — not only by research into authority — 

 but b}' making himself acquainted with whatever subjects were 

 incidental and auxiliary. Thus he seemed equally at home in 

 questions of Medical Jurisprudence, on Mechanics and Chemis- 

 try in Patent cases, and on general matters of Geography and 

 Commerce. He tried to master every case, and with industry 

 and perseverance, united witli his naturally quick perception, he 



