14.0 - T/ze HAZARD FAMILY

reason that he gave why the scrip was valueless was, that a certain man had glv- en some of it away, which he would not have done if it had been worth anything. Another was that one of the holders had a squeaking voice, which he mimicked till the house was in a roar. These things made many people mad, but they told on the final vote. They were low arts perhaps, but they have been used by Thad— deus Stevens and Benton and Palmerston and Charles James Fox and Demos— thenes, and all robust men who have wielded at will popular assemblies. Right or wrong, they killed the old State debt.

A very good member of the General Assembly once moved to translate all the Latin phrases in the statute, so that the common people could understand them. The exquisite folly of such a measure was by no means obvious to the great body of the Assembly. It was quite as likely to pass as not. A good solid argu- ment against it would probably have carried it through. Mr. Updike took the ground that it was of no advantage to have the people understand the laws. They were not afraid of anything which they understood. It was these Latin words that they were afraid of. “ Mr. Speaker, there was a man in South Kings— town about twenty years ago, a perfect nuisance, and nobody knew how to get rid of him. One day he was hoeing corn and he saw the sherilfcoming with a paper, and he asked what it was. Now if he had told him it was a writ, what would he have cared? but he told him it was a rapid: ad satisfaciena’um, and the man dropped his hoe and ran, and bar 7101‘ 56m Izmrd ofrz'me.” Nor has the propo— sition to translate the Latin words in the statutes. But such sallies of wit do not give a man any permanent influence. A merejoker is almost as tiresome as a man who never jokes at all. Under all this play of his faculties, Mr. Up- dike hmithesohd bask ofconunon sense and thorough earnest work towards practical and worthy ends. And these made him a power in the General Assem— bly for many years.

Mr. Updike had strong convictions, formed from his own observations more than from reading the thoughts of other men. Mr. Whipple thought and read much about Athens. Mr. Atwell was much exercised about the doings of the Barons of Runnymede. For anything that Mr. Updike cared, the human race might have had its origin in South Kingstown. He gave Roger Williams credit for his doctrine of soul— ~1iberty, but he did not like the man, and had a contempt for what he called his notions of equality. Mr. Updike s idea of a well ordered society, was a strong government, supported by the Episcopal Church, with the dificerent classes of society pretty distinct, and each minding 1ts own business. He loved to study individual character. He knew the exaét measure of the men he came in contaét with. He believed in blood, and loved to explore the history of families.

He loved to be known as a churchman. But he treated the Church as he did his friends. He cherished her substance and made fun of her shams. Who that ever heard can forget his account of the revival which, as he said, “ He and Elder White made in South Kingstown,” or his explanation to a friend, who was

shocked