instance, as those of New England-paid the full amount of the sums due to the Federal treasury; whereas other States, whose banks were at a heavy discount, defrauded the Government sometimes as much as twenty-five per cent. by paying their dues in the notes of the banks of those States, which did not bear par value. The resolutions offered by Mr. Webster, while they were perfectly just and equitable in the abstract, were also highly favorable to the interests of New England, and as such they greatly increased his popularity and influence with his constituents. At the termination of this session of Congress Mr. Webster returned home covered with laurels. He now determined to seek a more enlarged arena for his future professional labors; and he resolved to remove either to Boston or Albany, in both of which places he had many influential friends. After some deliberations, he selected Boston as his future home, and in August, 1816, he removed his family thither. He had, indeed, another session to serve in Congress as representative for New Hampshire; but the events of that session were unimportant, and nothing occurred in it in reference to Mr. Webster which needs to be recapitulated in this narration of his history. At its close he refused all further political honors, and devoted himself to his professional duties in Boston. Great as were his talents, it was necessary even for him to exert himself, in order to acquire a lucrative and eminent position at such a bar as the capital of New England then possessed; and during some years Mr. Webster devoted himself assiduously to the duties of his profession. He rapidly rose to the first place at the bar of his adopted State. As may readily be supposed, his natural gifts and his acquired powers made him facile princeps among a host of able and distinguished advocates. Among his rivals there were indeed men who were his equals, perhaps his superiors, in one single gift or intellectual accomplishment. Some may have had more technical legal learning, others more experience at the bar, and more craft. But he was unequalled for a rare and admirable combination of great gifts, which constituted in him a stupendous and unequalled whole. Mr. Webster's practice soon became extensive and profitable. He entered into both civil and criminal causes. Some of these were of the first importance, and of general interest throughout the community. The ability, the eloquence, the learning and the success with which he conducted them won for him a wide reputation as an advocate, and added the laurels of the forum to the plaudits of the Senate, which he already enjoyed. One of these law-suits deserves to be described more minutely, from the degree of general attention which it attracted at the time. It was the case of the Kennistons vs. Goodridge. The latter was a respectable young man who resided at Bangor in Maine. On his way to Boston with a considerable sum of money, he was reported to have been robbed. Before commencing his journey, he procured a pair of pistols; and upon each piece of money which he carried he had made a private mark, by which he could readily identify it again. Mr. Marston of Newburyport, who was associated with Mr. Webster in the trial, thus describes the succeeding incidents of the case: "When he arrived at Exeter, New Hampshire, he procured nine balls, and then, for the first time, made no secret of having pistols. At this place he left his sleigh, obtained a saddle, and started for Newburyport on horseback, late in the afternoon of the 19th of December, 1817, passing the Essex Merrimack bridge a few minutes before nine o'clock. On the brow of the hill, a short distance from the bridge, is the place of the robbery, in full view of several houses, on a great thoroughfare, where people are constantly passing, and where the mail-coach. and two wagons were known to have passed within a few minutes of the time of the alleged robbery. "The major's story was as follows: Three men suddenly appeared before him, one of whom seized the bridle of the horse, presented a pistol, and demanded his money. The major, pretending to be getting his money, seized a pistol from his portmanteau with his right hand, grasped the ruffian at the horse's head with his left, and both discharged their pistols at the same instant, the ball of his adversary passing through the major's hand. The three robbers then pulled him from his horse, dragged him over the frozen ground, and over the fence, beating him till he was senseless, and robbed him of about seventeen hundred dollars in gold and paper money, and left him with his gold watch and all his papers in the field. Recovering in about half an hour, he went back to the bridge, passed several houses without calling, and, at the toll-house, accused the first person he met with-a female-of robbing him; and so continued charging various people about him with the robbery. After some time, a lantern was procured, and himself with others started for the place of the robbery, where were found his watch, papers, penknife, and other articles. He represented to them that the robbers had bruised his head, stamped upon his breast, and stabbed him in several places. Physicians were called; and he appeared to be insane. The next day he went to Newburyport, and was confined to his bed for several weeks. A reward of three hundred dollars, soon increased by voluntary subscriptions to one thousand, was offered for the detection of the robbers and the recovery of the money. As soon as the major was able to leave his bed, he went to Danvers, consulted his friends there; and the result of his deliberations and inquiries was the arrest of the Kennistons, who were found in an obscure part of the town of New Market, New Hampshire, their place of residence. In their house the major found some pieces of his marked gold deposited under a pork-barrel in the cellar. He also found there a ten-dollar note, which he identified as his own. "This was proof indeed of the facts of the robbery, which seemed for a time effectually fastened on the Kennistons. But one circumstance after another came to light in regard to the transaction, until some people felt doubts creeping over their minds as to the truthfulness of the major's story. These were few in number, it is true; but such an intimation, coming from any respectable source, was enough to startle the major and his friends from their apathy and incite them to renewed efforts to probe this dark and mysterious transaction to its depths. The result was to search the house of Mr. Pearson, the toll-gatherer at the bridge; but here nothing was found. They then procured the services of an old conjurer of Danvers, Swimmington by name, and, under his direction, with witch-hazel and metallic rods, renewed their search upon Mr. Pearson's premises, this time discovering the major's gold and paper wrappers. Mr. Pearson was arrested, carried to Newburyport, examined before two magistrates, and discharged at once. This operation proved most unpropitious to the major's plans. So great was the indignation of Mr. Pearson's friends-for he was a respectable man-that they lost all control over themselves, and, after the examination, detaching the horses from the sleigh, they drew him home themselves. "It now became more necessary than ever that some one should be found who might be connected with the Kennistons in the robbery; for the circumstances in re lation to these men were such that the public could not believe that they had received a portion of the spoil. The next step, therefore, was to arrest one Taber of Boston, who had formerly lived in Portland, and whom Goodridge said he had seen at Alfred on his way up, and from whom he pretended to have obtained information in regard to the Kennistons. In Taber's house were found a number of the marked wrappers which the major had put round his gold before leaving home. Taber was likewise brought to Newburyport, examined, and bound over for trial with the Kennistons. "Notwithstanding all this accumulation of evidence, the public were not satisfied. It seemed to be necessary that somebody living near the bridge should be connected with the transaction; and Mr. Joseph Jackman was fastened upon as that unfortunate man, he having left Newbury for New York very soon after the alleged robbery. Thither Goodridge immediately proceeded, found Jackman, who was living then with his brother, searched the house, and in the garret, among some old rubbish, found a large number of his marked wrappers! The major's touch was magical, and underneath his fingers gold and bank-notes grew in plenty. Jackman was arrested and lodged in the Tombs,' while Goodridge returned to Boston, got a requisition from the governor, and had him brought in irons to Ipswich, where the supreme judicial court was then in session. The grand jury had risen; but he was examined before a magistrate, and ordered to recognize to appear at the next term, which he did, and was discharged. An indictment had been found against the Kennistons and Taber; and the time of trial had arrived. Notwithstanding the doubts and suspicions which had been excited by the conduct of Goodridge, yet the evidence against the Kennistons, |