AND THE SENTIMENT OF UNION 369 



pleasure in public speaking, and his eloquence soon 

 attracted so much notice that in 1800 the townspeople 

 of Hanover selected this undergraduate to deliver the 

 Fourth of July oration. There he began to preach that 

 love for the Constitution and the Union which was to 

 form his chief theme throughout life. After leaving 

 college he went into a lawyer's office in Salisbury, and 

 began studying law ; but he had made up his mind to 

 help his elder brother Ezekiel, of whom he was devot- 

 edly fond, to go through college, and this made it nec- 

 essary for him to earn money by teaching in a country 

 school. In July, 1804, he came to Boston in search of 

 employment in some office where he might complete 

 his studies. He was so fortunate as to find favour in 

 the eyes of Christopher Gore, just returned from his 

 mission to England. In Mr. Gore's office, as student 

 and clerk, he could see some of the most eminent men 

 in New England. In 1805 he went to Boscawen, and 

 in two years' time had acquired a good country prac- 

 tice, which he turned over to his brother Ezekiel. He 

 now removed to Portsmouth, where his reputation 

 grew rapidly, so that he was soon considered a worthy 

 antagonist to Jeremiah Mason, one of the greatest 

 lawyers this country has ever produced. In June, 

 1808, he married Miss Grace Fletcher, of Hopkinton, 

 New Hampshire. 



His first important political pamphlet, published 

 that year, was a criticism on the embargo. 1 In 1812, 



1 In connection with the Embargo that aroused such wide controversy in 

 New England, a correspondent called Dr. Fiske's attention to a jingle that was 

 passed from one to another of the wits of that generation, and was attributed 

 by some to Lucius Manlius Sargent. It ran as follows: 



" Take nothing from nothing and nothing remains ; 



Who votes for the Embargo is a fool for his pains." 

 2 B 



