on.
He was an excellent soldier. He sustained an injury to one
of his eyes, which caused him much pain through life, until
a few years before his death he lost the sight of that eye
altogether.
After his return from the war, he began the practice of the
law anew, in which he gained great distinction. For many
years, and until his death, he was the acknowledged leader
of the Bar of his State. He was a member of the State Legislature
of Minnesota in 1867, United States District Attorney from
1868 till 1873, and Governor of the State in 1874 and 1875.
He was one of the Regents of the State University of Minnesota
from 1892 to 1898. In 1887 he was elected United States Senator,
and reelected in 1893 and 1899. He held the office of Senator
until his death. He was Chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Relations from March, 1897, till his death. He was one of
the Commissioners who negotiated the Treaty of Paris with
Spain.
He was a great lover of books, of which he had a costly collection.
He knew Shakespeare very thoroughly, and was the author of
a book called "The Law of Shakespeare."
He was also a zealous and thorough student of the career
of Napoleon, whose civic and military career he greatly admired.
His mind was a marvellous storehouse of literary gems which
were unknown to most scholars, but rewarded his diligent search
and loving study of his books.
Many good stories are told by his companions of the Bar and
in public life of his apt quotations. It is said that he
once defended a Judge in an impeachment case. The point involved
was the power of the court to punish for contempt, and Davis
quoted in support of his position the splendid and well-known
lines of Henry the Fourth, in the famous scene where the Chief
Justice punishes the Prince of Wales for contempt of the judicial
office and authority. For this anecdote, the writer is indebted
to Senator Lodge. In the Senate, during the Hawaiian debate,
he quoted this passage from Juvenal:
Sed quo cecidit sub crimine; quisnam
Delator? quibus judiciis; quo teste probavit?
Nil horum; verbosa et grandis epistola venit
A Capreis. Bene habet; nul plus interrogo.
He then proceeded:
"My friend from Massachusetts (Mr. Hoar) requests me to translate
that. He does not need it, of course. But another Senator
(Mr. Washburn) suggests that some of the rest of us do. I
will not attempt to give a literal translation, but I will
give an accurate pa
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