professional honors and rewards which continued to flow liberally upon him-and with the laurels he had won on the floor of the House of Representatives of the United States in defence of the war measures of President Madison, blooming freshly on his brow. In him Mr. Polk found not only a legal preceptor whose rich stores of learning were freely opened for his profit and instruction, but " an experienced Nestor," whose counsel and advice guided and directed his footsteps aright, upon the same road once travelled by himself, to the distinction and eminence which he had attained. He found him, also, a warm and sincere friend, who admitted him to his confidence and his heart, who sympathized with him over the difficulties that attended his first efforts to master the black-letter of his profession, who watched his progress with paternal solicitude and care, and who rejoiced most heartily at the success that rewarded his exertions. A friendship sprung up between them, cherished on the one side with all the ardor and disinterestedness of youth, and on the other, though less lavish, perhaps, in professions, marked by the calm and deep earnestness of age: it stood the test of years, and the changes of time and circumstance, and it was severed only by death, the great destroyer of human hopes and human ties.

Beside being the favorite student of Mr. Grundy, it was the good fortune of Mr. Polk, during his residence at Nashville, to attract the attention and to win the esteem of one who bound his friends to him with hooks of adamant, and whose favor could not be too highly prized; of one whose influence over him, powerful though it was, was at all times voluntarily and cheerfully acknowl

edged; of ANDREW JACKSON, the gallant defender of New Orleans, already occupying a proud position among the great men of the nation.* Both preceptor and pupil were ever welcome guests at the Hermitage; both contributed, in after years, to the elevation of its occupant to the highest station in the land, and, the one in the Senate, and the other in the House, sustained and defended his administration against whomsoever assailed it, in storm and in sunshine, from its commencement to its close. General Jackson was always warmly attached to Mr. Polk he looked upon him something in the light of a protégé, and took a deep interest in his political advancement. His feelings were often manifested in a manner that could not be mistaken, and particularly so at the presidential election in 1844, when, though trembling on the verge of the grave, he appeared at the polls, and deposited his ballot in favor of the republican candidates, James K. Polk and George M. Dallas.

Within two years from the time he entered the office of Mr. Grundy, Mr. Polk had made sufficient progress in his legal studies to entitle him to an examination, and near the close of 1820 he was regularly admitted to the bar. He now returned to Maury County, and established himself in practice at Columbia, among the companions of his boyhood, who had grown up with him to man's estate, among those who had known and esteemed him

*Recollections of the past undoubtedly aided to strengthen the friendship of General Jackson for Mr. Polk. When the former was obliged to fly with his mother and brother before the army of Cornwallis, in the war of the Revolution, they took refuge in Mecklenburg County, and resided for some time with the neighbors and friends of Mr. Polk's father and grandfather.-Foote's Sketches, pp. 199, 476.

from his earliest years. His advantages were great, in consequence of the connection of his family, by the ties of blood or of friendship, with most of the old inhabitants and their descendants. His success, therefore, was equal to his fondest hopes; yet this may be attributed far more to his personal qualities and conduct, than to any adventitious circumstances. "A republican in habits as well as principles, depending for the maintenance of his dignity upon the esteem of others, and not upon his own assumption, his manners conciliated the general good will. The confidence of his friends was justified by the result. His thorough academical preparation, his accurate knowledge of the law, his readiness and resources in debate, his unwearied application to business, secured him, at once, full employment, and in less than a year he was already a leading practitioner. Such prompt success in a profession where the early stages are proverbially slow and discouraging, falls to the lot of few."*

As a lawyer he was no more a sciolist, than he had been as a student in college. His learning was thorough and profound. Perfectly familiar with the lore of his profession, and prompt and accurate in judgment, his clients were accustomed to place the utmost reliance on his opinions. In the trial of causes he was wary and skilful, but frank and honorable; he disdained to avail himself of tricks or technicalities, but he never suffered his opponent to obtain any advantage through his own carelessness or neglect. In addressing a jury he was always animated and impressive in manner, though his language

*Democratic Review, May, 1838.

was impassioned or argumentative, as the occasion required. He was a close logician, an able reasoner; and in the argument of legal questions, he wielded the club of Hercules. His reputation was not confined to Maury alone; it extended to the adjoining counties, and throughout the state. Wherever he was known he was respected and esteemed for his talents, his courtesy, his kindness and generosity of heart, his uprightness and integrity; and this favorable estimation in which he was held, was no reluctant acknowledgment, yielded, like the bounty of the miser, sparingly and with regret, but a voluntary tribute to his worth.

Mr. Polk remained at the bar, it may be said, up to the time of his election as governor of Tennessee, but for several years he devoted himself exclusively to the laborious duties of his calling, constantly adding to his practice and his reputation, and annually reaping a rich harvest of professional emoluments. Though "there were giants in the land," he stood in the front rank among his cotemporaries. During some portion of this period he was associated with other practitioners in business, and at other times he was alone. Among his law partners were Aaron V. Brown, of Pulaski, for some years a representative in Congress from the sixth district (Tennessee) and governor of the state from 1845 to 1847, and Gideon J. Pillow, a major-general in the army during the war with Mexico.

Allusion has been already made to the politics of that branch of the Polk family who remained in Maryland. Those who migrated to North Carolina entertained similar sentiments. The father of the late President also

belonged to the Jeffersonian school; he supported its founder in the great contest of 1800, and up to the close of his life was the firm and consistent advocate of republican principles. The associations of Mr. Polk himself, in early life, and while he was reading law, naturally inclined him to adopt the same opinions; but the convictions of his matured judgment accorded with and approved them.

It is rarely the case, in this country, that the politician and the lawyer are not united in one and the same person; and Mr. Polk was not an exception to this general rule. As soon as he became a voter he attached himself to the republican party, and after his admission to the bar, was an active participant in the political contests of that day. His style and manner as a public speaker were eminently calculated to win the favor of a popular assembly, and he was often sent for many miles from his home to address the meetings of his party friends. His reputation in this respect was unrivalled, and it was ultimately conceded by men of all parties, that he richly merited the distinction generally awarded to him, of being the "Napoleon of the Stump" in Tennessee.

In his political harangues, however, he did not deviate from the ruling principle of his life,-to seek for the useful rather than the ornamental. He charmed his hearers, not by frothy declamation, but by his plain and practical common sense. He captivated and interested them by his sincerity, and led them imperceptibly to adopt his conclusions, by the simple beauty and cogency of his arguments, and his pertinent and forcible illustrations. He aimed to convince, not merely to produce an impression