Autobiography of Charles Clinton Nourse: Prepared for use of Members of the FamilyNourse, Charles Clinton
History
Autobiography of Charles Clinton Nourse: Prepared for use of Members of the Family
Nourse, Charles Clinton
Iowa -- Politics and government; Lawyers -- Iowa -- Biography; Nourse, Charles Clinton, 1829-
demurred very strongly, insisting that as Mr. Kasson was at least a
political opponent and enemy of mine I ought to be willing to defend
their case for an opportunity to ventilate the character of the
plaintiff in the suit. I stated to Mr. Clarkson that if I engaged in
that suit it would be for the purpose of performing my duty as an
attorney and officer of the court, and that I should under no
circumstances allow any personal matters of my own to influence what I
might have to do or say in regard to the case; that the court room was
not the place for a lawyer to gratify his personal feelings toward any
of the parties to the litigation. This conference terminated without
any agreement as to my employment. Afterwards, Mr. Savery came to me to
see me alone and stated that Colonel Gatch had named a very small sum
that he was willing to accept as compensation for assisting in the
trial of the case. Mr. Savery urged upon me that he was then in poor
circumstances financially and not able to pay any large fee; that he
had been my client and paid me considerable sums of money in times past
and urged upon me that I ought to stand by him now in the time of his
trouble; that if I would accept of a like amount that Colonel Gatch had
agreed to take for his services, he, Mr. Savery would pay half, and the
Clarksons would pay the other half. I finally agreed to these terms. I
tried the case. It consumed very considerable time in its preparation
and trial. I copy here for information as to the character and scope of
this case the opening statement that I made to the jury in regard to
the issues involved, and the evidence that the defendants would offer
in support of their defense. I always regarded the opening statement of
a case as very important and that it should give to the jury a clear
idea of the case they were to try, and of the facts upon which my
client relied. I always believed strongly in the importance of first
impressions, and I give this as a specimen of my skill in that behalf
and for the further purpose of showing that it is utterly free from
personal feeling or ill will toward the plaintiff. The following is the
opening statement as made and reported and published at that time:
With permission of the Court, Gentlemen: In a case like this, it is
hard for jurors to divest themselves entirely of their relations,
politically and socially, to parties, and come to the consideration
of it as a dry question of fact under the instruction of the court.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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