aditions of his great power with juries remained. I
was once or twice a guest in his house, and once or twice
heard him make political speeches.

My father, who had encountered all the great advocates of his
time in New England--Webster, Choate, Jeremiah Mason, Dexter--
used to say that John Davis was the toughest antagonist he
ever encountered. Mr. Davis had no graces of oratory or person.
He was not without a certain awkward dignity. His head was
covered with thick and rather coarse white hair. He reminded
you a little, in look and movement, of a great white bear.
But he had a gift of driving his point home to the apprehension
of juries and of the people which was rarely equalled. He
was a man of few words and infrequent speech, without wit
or imagination. He thoroughly mastered the subjects with
which he dealt. When he had inserted his wedge, he drove
it home with a few sledge-hammer blows. It was commonly
impossible for anybody to extract it. It was only the great
weight of his authority, and the importance of the matters
with which he dealt, which kept him from seeming exceedingly
tedious. I remember thinking when I heard him make a speech
in behalf of General Scott in the City Hall, in the autumn
of 1852, that if any man but John Davis were talking the audience
could not be kept awake. He spoke very slowly, with the tone
and manner of an ordinary conversation. "The Whigs, fellow-
citizens, have presented for your suffrages this year, for
the office of President of the United States, the name of
Major-General Winfield Scott. I know General Scott. I have
had good opportunity to acquaint myself with his character
and public service. I think you may give him your confidence,
gentlemen." That was pretty much the whole speech. At any
rate, there was nothing more exciting in it. But it was John
Davis that said it, and it had great effect upon his audience.

Mr. Davis supported General Taylor for President in 1848,
thereby, on the one hand, offending Mr. Webster, with whom
his relations had for some time been exceedingly strained,
and the anti-slavery men in Massachusetts on the other. It
was understood also that he had displeased Governor Lincoln
at the time of his election to the Senate, Governor Lincoln
thinking that Mr. Davis had taken an undue advantage of his
official influence as Governor to promote his own selection.
But the two united in the support of General Taylor, which
led Charles Al