318 A brief Memoir of the late Walter Folger. 
Having at different periods engaged in the study of the law 
and acted some years as an attorney, he received the appointment 
He interested himself also in the politics of the day; was a 
member of the legislature of his native state several years during 
the period of the most rabid party divisions. As in science so in 
politics, he was a friend of Jefferson, and belonged to the old 
democratic party, and was twice elected to Congress. While at 
Washington he was not unmindful of his favorite themes, and it 
was proverbial among his colleagues, that in the recess of the sit- 
tings or when his seat was vacant, he could always be found at 
the Patent Office. 
While his conscientiousness was a sufficient guaranty that no 
item of duty would for a moment, under any circumstances, be 
neglected, we are not among those who believe that the square 
and dividers are adapted to political purposes, however desirable a 
measure of the exact may be in the government of men and 
policy of the state; andthe history of La Place is not the only 
comment upon this philosophy. 
Folger than to comment upon his moral qualities. In reference 
to the latter, however, much might be said of his rigid virtnes 
aud abstemious habits; and although like Count Rumfo' _ he 
seemed at times soured and disappointed that men did not col 
duct themselves more in conformity with his own exact views, 
et it was easy amid all this to perceive traces of good and be- 
nevolent impulses. He died on the 8th of the 9th month, 1849, 
at the age of 84. ; 
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