Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER m. Clinton enters upon the Study of the Law, and is admitted to its Practice.—He is appointed Private Secretary to his Uncle the Governor.—His Career as a Political Writer.—He retires to Private Life, and applies himself to Scientific Pursuits.—He marries.—Character of his Wife. Upon leaving college Clinton entered immediately upon the study of the law. For this purpose he was placed in the office of the Hon. Samuel Jones, who at that time held a high rank at the bar of the State of New-York. This learned jurist had taken no active part in the war of revolution; and, from his quiet acquiescence in the sway exerted by England over the counties occupied by her armies, had even been accused of the sentiments called Tory. Like many others in the same position, this acquiescence arose from no hostile feeling to the cause of independence, but from the necessity of the case. Enveloped, with their families, by an armed force, and cut off from all communication with their countrymen, they had no choice but submission. On the evacuation of New-York, Mr. Jones resumed his profession, and took at once the highest place among the barristers of the day.His legal eminence descended to his sons; one of whom has reached the high office of chancellor of the state, and still presides in one of the most important courts. The intimacy between the families of Jones and Clinton, whether renewed or growing out of the position in which young Clinton was placed, has continued from that time, and has been cemented by more than one intermarriage. The routine of a lawyer's office affords little opportunity for the exhibition of more than steady industry, and in this respect both the teacher and scholar appear to have been mutually satisfied with each other. Practice in forensic disputation wa...