are the rewards of a life of toil and sacrifice longer delayed than in this, and in none, when they do come, are they of more value or more highly from struggles. What I gained was obtained only after the same toils which, so far as I know, fall to the lot of almost every medical man." "But," remarked I, "your favorable oppor-appreciated. How many, while the more emitunities in Europe, and your connection with nent have been struggling painfully on their the college as a teacher of surgery, surely car-road to fame, have either engaged in other purried with them a prominence which could not fail to tell in your favor." "You forget," replied he, "that the city of that day and of this are not the same. Then, although commerce had already begun to bring in its train some cases of accidental surgery to the wards of the hospital, yet the whole surgical business of New York, without conjoining with it the practice of medicine, would not have af forded a decent revenue for a single practitioner, and hence no one devoted himself exclusively to surgery. Now the case is different, and country practitioners send, from a large extent of territory, surgical cases to be treated by city surgeons. This, together with the influx of a class of population which are especially the victims of surgical maladies, has made New York one of the first cities in the world for the prosecution of surgical science, and has given large professional revenues to many who devote themselves exclusively to this branch." suits, or, worn out with the delusive hope of ultimate but long-withheld reward, have ended a life of unsatisfied aspirations by filling a poor and perhaps a friendless grave, it is beyond the power of the writer to determine. Those who gain reputation or renown fill a space in the eyes of their fellows, by means of which their movements are easily chronicled; but those who fail in this endeavor are soon lost to the public gaze, and in the obscurity which disappointed ambition generally seeks for itself live unnoticed, and too often die unlamented. After devoting himself with great zeal to his profession for thirty-five years, an alarming indisposition, which assumed the form of syncope, or fainting, upon slight occasions, induced Dr. Mott, in 1834, to abandon it for the time, and seek in the recreation of foreign travel a remedy which medicine failed to supply. This holiday, which was extended to seven years, gave him an ample opportunity of seeing the Old World, and of giving proof to the great surgeons of the Eu ropcan cities, by absolute demonstration, of his great skill as an operating surgeon. It was during this visit that he met Sir Astley Cooper in London, in 1835, and that the interviews to which allusion has already been made took place. Just before leaving London for the Continent Sir Astley paid him a visit at his lodg I remarked that his case surely corroborated the general experience, and reminded me of that of Dr. Charles Bell Gibson, the present eminent Professor of Surgery in the Richmond Medical School. When Dr. Warner died, some ten years since, I added, Dr. Gibson was selected to fill his position in the college. He was at that time a resident of Baltimore, and was ranked as among the ablest of the surgeons of that city.ings, and in parting feelingly reminded him that I met him soon after his appointment and expressed my surprise that, after spending so many years to build up a practice in Baltimore, where he appeared to be doing a lucrative business, and already had a professorship, although not a remunerative one, he should be willing to forego these advantages for a hazardous experiment. "What," said he, in reply to my expostulations, "do you think my annual professional income is ?" it might be their last interview-a prediction that proved to be true-and asked his acceptance of a pocket case of instruments of his own arrangement, beautifully made, as a remembrancer. His nephew and successor in practice (for although twice married Sir Astley was childless) at the same time presented him with an elegantly-wrought case of amputating instruments, the handles of which were made of the wood of the old London Bridge, and the blades of iron from the same. The wood, which is of English oak, and, as appears from the inscription on them, was taken from timbers laid down 1176, and not removed until 1831, a space of 665 years. "Three or four thousand dollars," replied I. "I will now tell you,” said he, “what I have not before told any one. I have been in practice here for seven years. My relatives and as-in sociations, as you know, are among the wealthiest and most aristocratic of our citizens; and yet I declare to you that, with all these advantages, my professional revenue has never reached fifteen hundred dollars per year. With these facts, I ask you candidly if I had not better accept a position that insures me more than that sum and the chance of a lucrative practice?" He accepted the position, removed to Richmond, and now enjoys a high reputation as a surgeon, and is in the possession of a very considerable professional revenue. These facts, in regard to the early struggles of medical men, are stated in the hope that they may furnish both a warning and a consolation to those who are about to enter upon this career. In no pursuit During his long-continued residence in Paris, which was made doubly agreeable by his election as a member of the French Academy of Medicine a short time previous to his visit, he was placed on the most intimate terms with Velpeau, who had risen from a blacksmith's occupation to be one of the first surgeons of his age, and whose work on surgery Dr. Mott has annotated and given to the American public; with Lisfranc, the pupil of Dupuytren, and the head of the hospital La Pieté; with Civiale, of the Hospital Necker, and the author of the operation of lithotrity; with Roux, the successor of Dupuytren in the Hôtel Dieu, and the boldest and most frequent operator in Paris, who had ex tracted the cataract more that e- With Baron Larrey Mott was on the very "No," replied Larrey, sorrowfully, "I can never write that. It is too full of sad associations-too sorrowful a chapter in my own life; and yet," he added, "it had its episodes which I would not be unwilling to narrate, one of which came near being fatal to myself." "How was that?" asked Dr. Mott. UNIONISTS. "I was," replied Larrey, "on the field after the close of the battle on the third day. It was dark, and I was groping my way among the wounded and the dead, seeking for those who might stand in need of my services, whether among friends or foes. I had in the unevenness of the field lost my cap, and my hair, loose and long, partly concealed my face, which was rendered still less easily recognized by the effect of a wound on my forehead which I had received in a fall, and from which blood trickled over my face, and besmeared it. In this plight I was met by two English soldiers, who espied me by the glimmer of the night lamps, and mistaking me for the Emperor [they bore a strong personal resemblance to each other in figure], seized me, and dragging me along with violence, declared they would kill me—a threat which I have no doubt they would have speedily put into execution if we had not chanced to meet an English officer, who cried out, "That is Baron Larrey!' The soldiers, struck aback by the mistake, immediately released me." Surg Not allow her to assume the position of and the oppor at the time Ind. "There is nothing, Sire, "I had," said Baron Larreyk About this period Prince de Joiny... puted by the Government of Louis P transport the remains of Napoleon from to Paris, where they now repose. The p that accompanied the entrance of the mort mains of the Emperor into Paris, and atten them as laid out in state in the beautiful Chapel des Invalides, in the midst of his brave compan ions in arms in the battles of Lodi, of Marengo, of Austerlitz, and of Mount Jean, was probably the most brilliant ever witnessed even in pageant-loving Paris. Dr. Mott, with his old friend Larrey, who at the time was the surgeon of the Hôpital des Invalides, where the remains were brought, witnessed the intense affection exhibited by these old soldiers, to whom France is indebted for so much of her military renown, as they gazed once more on the face of their beloved Emperor with countenances bathed in tears, and marked by the intense emotions under which they labored. -ly Such was the respect paid to this really good man by friend and foe that his person was always held sacred from violence or molestation, and this was the only instance during his long and trying services when it was placed in jeopardy from this cause. At a later period he did write the memoirs of this campaign, urged, it Every thing pertaining to Napoleon was conhas been supposed, as much by the solicitations sidered by them as sacred, and Baron Larrey, of Dr. Mott as from any other cause, to under- who was known to be so intimate with him, take the task which at first appeared so distaste- seemed like a link connecting them with their ful to him. former commander, and exercised over them an "Pray tell me," said Dr. Mott, on one occa- unbounded influence. The hat worn by the old e Emperor, and was by him transferred to the head of his surgeon, because, as he pleasantly remarked, "it better became him." "There," said Larrey, as he jocosely placed the three-cornered chapeau upon the head of Dr. Mott, "you can now say that you have worn a hat that once graced the head of the greatest general the world ever knew." surgeon had been made for and worn by the | endeared himself by his tribute of one of their most illustrious dead. Throughout all Greece the name of Halleck was an honored one; and had he visited this classic land there is no doubt but an ovation would have been offered to him of which both he and his country would have had good reason to be proud. But this would not have been in accordance with his simple tastes; and however much he might have been delighted to meet the charming young daughter of his hero, who in her graceful Grecian costume, and with her dazzling beauty, so won upon his countrymen, I am satisfied that he would much rather perpetuate the memory of a hero than to be made a hero himself. An incident connected with this pageant was once mentioned to me by an American gentleman, which shows the high esteem in which the United States is held by Frenchmen. The coffin was covered by wreaths of immortelle, which were taken to pieces and scattered among the crowd prior to the final interment. The desire to obtain these was so intense that the gentleman above alluded to, after vainly endeavoring to approach near enough to possess himself of a branch, was about to abandon the attempt in despair, when he bethought himself that his country's name might aid him, and called out,practice of his profession, "with attachments," "An immortelle for an American!" The cry was instantly taken up by the crowd: "A wreath of immortelle for an American!" and, notwithstanding the desire to secure the memento, the whole wreath was passed from hand to hand and safely deposited in his possession. Prince de Joinville afterward visited America in the same vessel in which he had performed his pilgrimage to St. Helena, La Belle Poule, and was for a time the guest of Dr. Mott. He has since renewed this visit, and has always continued on the most friendly terms with Dr. Mott and his family. In his travels through the East his reputation as a learned member of the medical profession gave him valuable opportunities for seeing many things scarcely ever opened to the inspection of a stranger, and every where served as a passport to the pleasantest society. While in Greece, he was invited to a ball at the palace of the King, at Athens, where he had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of the brother and orphan children, a son and a daughter, of the chivalrous and lamented Marco Bozzaris, whose name has become so familiar to American readers through the noble ode of Halleck. After an absence of seven years, during which time his shattered constitution, completely undermined by the train of nervous diseases to which he was a victim, was, under the beneficial influence of foreign travel, almost entirely restored, he returned to his native country and the to use his own language, "ten-fold stronger than when he left." "I have come back," he remarks, “if possible a still better American than when I left; and, from the comparison of the condition of the population in other countries, am still more deeply impressed with the conviction that our republican form of government is infinitely and immeasurably preferable to any other that ever existed." Although at an age when most men seek repose, Dr. Mott is still attentive to the duties of his profession; and though he may lack somewhat of the boldness and daring which distinguished him in early life, yet his hand has lost none of its cunning, nor his mental vision any of the acuteness that fitted him for the performance of his duties in the first flush of his surgical career. "Each day," remarked he, "I grow more cautious in the use of the knife; and if I have any advice to give to young practitioners, it is to adopt the old and honored maxim of that great medical light of antiquity, Celsus: 'Make haste slowly. Never operate until well assured of its necessity, and then proceed with a full knowledge of the subject, and with the greatest caution." times, and amputated one thousand limbs, it certainly should induce him who thinks that the surgeon's art may be lightly exercised to pause and consider before he proceeds. The features of the daughter were classic, and bore a strong resemblance to those of her illustri- When such advice comes from one who has ous sire. When she spoke of him her eyes spark-operated for stone one hundred and sixty-five led with animation. She said she knew Dr. Mott and his party were from America, and America was the country of Halleck. She was struggling to learn the English language, although she made slow progress without a teacher, in order that she might read this poem in the original, in which she was told it was so beautiful. "It would," says Dr. Mott, "doubtless be gratifying to our distinguished countryman, Mr. Halleck, to know that this charming girl declared with all commendable frankness and naïveté imaginable that she had an ardent desire to go to America expressly to see him." Nor were the immediate relatives of the hero of Halleck's noblest ode the only ones to whom he had But it is perhaps in his capacity as a lecturer that his memory will be longest cherished by those who have had the opportunity of listening to him. Like Abernethy, who was never so well satisfied as when surrounded by his class, Dr. Mott seems never to tire in imparting the principles of his art to his class of attentive pupils; and few students, however careless or inattentive on ordinary occasions, ever enter his lecture-room without insensibly becoming compelled to listen to what he has to tell them. EARLY DISUNIONISTS. By long experience as a teacher he has stored his mind with precisely that sort of information which it is most desirable for them to acquire, and few questions can arise in which he has not apt and frequently graphic illustrations at hand drawn from his own large experience. would not allow her to assume the position of actions, and kept all familiarity of those not of "I speak of this particular part of the body," said he to his class, on one occasion when I was present as his guest, while he was lecturing upon the surgical relations of the axilla, or arm-pit, Perhaps, gen"as one of great interest to me. tlemen, you will be surprised at my frequent use of this expression; and you will doubtless conclude that I am such an enthusiastic admirer of my art that I consider all equally interesting. Well, gentlemen, I confess to you that to me they are all interesting. Apart from the wonderful beauty displayed in this master-piece of mechan-princely. They were exclusive in feelings and ism, which is developed by every fresh stroke of the knife of the anatomist, I can scarcely direct my attention to any part that has not been the seat of some surgical malady for which I have been called upon to operate. But, gentlemen, the part which I now show you displays the great axillary vein, nearly as large as your finger, which in a short distance further assumes the name of subclavian, and in a few inches deposits its tide of blood into the heart. People sometimes say that air may be admitted into the veins without detriment-I know better. I will not now say what has happened to myself; but the celebrated Dr. Warren, of Boston, whose sur-thankful. gical skill none could deny, in operating in this region accidentally made an opening into this vein which admitted the air, and his patient exI never had the bad luck pired in an instant. to open this vein; but, gentlemen, I say to you, be careful how you open large veins." This illustration is sufficient to show the emphatic manner in which he managed to impress any important fact upon the mind of his auditors. Dr. Mott prefers to lecture without notes, for two reasons: 1st, Because the manner of the speaker is usually more emphatic, and better succeeds in arresting the attention of the audience; and, 2d, Because it furnishes an opportunity to the lecturer to depart from the direct line of discourse when he perceives that he is not fully comprehended, and also to arouse the flagging attention by a well-timed anecdote or witty repartee. These are weapons which he manages with admirable tact; and hence his success in commanding the undivided attention of those who never dream of becoming surgeons. V EARLY DISUNIONISTS. IRGINIA stands peerless among the States in titular dignities. Because she was loyal to the bad dynasty of the Stuarts, and invited the profligate Charles the Second, when in exile at Breda, to come over and be her king, she was called The Old Dominion. Because seven of the chief magistrates of the republic were born within her borders, she has been called The Mother Because her State pride, which of Presidents. The Church of England was the beloved ec- Below the aristocracy were an exceedingly illiterate class, who were chiefly small planterssome owning a few slaves, and others tilling the soil with their own hands. Wages were almost unknown, because the poor white people, as well as the black bondsmen, were generally a sort of feudal dependents upon the rich minority, who were taught that those who lived beyond the borfashioned their opinions upon all subjects. They ders of Virginia were inferior people. The New Englanders were spoken of as a "Puritanical sect, with pharisaical peculiarities in their worship and behavior," and engaged in the immoral business of trade. They considered the Dutch of New York "a slippery people." The inhabitants of New Jersey were sneered at as nothing but "a swarm of Scots Quakers," having insufficient characters to be "tolerated to exercise the gift of the Spirit in their own country;" while Maryland was regarded as simply "a rehot." The Carolinas, a "region of pines and treat for Papists for whom England was too serpents," were inhabited by a people hardly In the opinion of the comworthy of notice.* mon mind of The Old Dominion, thus taught, the "first families of Virginia" possessed the only ladies and gentlemen on the continent, and her domain was the Garden of Eden-the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James rivers being the Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, and EuVirginia was governed before, and a long time phrates of the author of the Pentateuch. • See BYRD's Westover Papers. of the republic, he said, "I hate the Dons, and would delight to see Mexico reduced; but I would die in the last ditch before I would see the Union dissolved!" after, the Revolution by this proud landed aris- | spiracy in the Southwest against the integrity tocracy, whose rule, unprogressive as it was, was manifold more desirable than that of a race of speculative and speculating politicians who succeeded them. Theirs was an honest pride; and long possession of the reins of power made them › naturally haughty, boastful, and arbitrary. They were tenacious of distinction. That superiority, and the right to rule which they claimed for Virginia as a Colony, they also claimed for her as a State. That assumption, long cherished and so flattering to State pride, was and has ever been a powerful instrument in the hands of her trading politicians in the management of national affairs; sometimes used so offensively as to disturb the equanimity of the people of other States, particularly of those of New England. "I wish," wrote a leading New Englander as early as 1796-"I wish with all my heart that Virginia was out of the Union." Eight years later another (a United States Senator) wrote: "I feel, I freely confess, no affection for the General Government. It is Virginian all over. ......We feel that we are Virginia slaves now, and that we are to be delivered over to Kentucky and the other Western States when our Virginia masters are tired of us......I hope the time is not far distant when the people east of the North River will manage their own affairs in their own way, without being embarrassed by regulations from Virginia, and that the sound part will separate from the corrupt." A distinguished Massachusetts divine wrote: "If we [New England] were peaceably severed from the rest of the United States, with perhaps some other States joined with us, and left to manage our own affairs in our own way, I think we should do much better than we do now. Our empire is growing unwieldy, and must, I think, ere long, break in pieces.' Convinced that a dissolution of the Union was near, early in 1804 a National Senator of New Hampshire, who favored the project, wrote"The Government is Virginian; New England must soon feel its degraded condition, and I hope will have energy to assert and maintain its rights; and it will be of infinite importance that the necessary changes should be effected under the forms and by the authority of the existing State Governments." And a Connecticut statesman exclaimed in his place in the Senate of the United States in January, 1804: "I am an Eastern man; but while I am the representative of a State which is yet a member of the Union, I hope I shall have as much influence as if I were a Southern man.' Disunion sentiments were wide-spread in New England at that time; but they received a withering rebuke, not only from the distinguished victim of Burr's malice in New York, who was supposed to favor them, but by a voice that came speedily from the forests of the Cumberland, uttered by the lips of that incorruptible and stern patriot, who, almost thirty years later, placed his foot effectively upon Nullification in South Carolina. In reference to Burr's traitorous con The sentiments of disloyalty so prevalent among the leaders of a waning political party in New England at that time, and the political heresy pronounced by a New Hampshire Senator, that "our Government may be compared to a company in trade," were but the echoes of the sentiments of Virginians, which had been uttered in every form for more than ten years. The inexorable logic of the National Constitution humbled State pride and aroused its resentment; and the arguments based upon the doctrine of State Rights-the independent sovereignty of each commonwealth, the fatal error in the old Confederation-formed the heaviest batteries with which the opponents of that Constitution assailed it. It was the death-warrant of oligarchies of every kind. It denied the independence of the State sovereignties, and cut up by the roots the principles upon which all oligarchies rest for support. It took sovereign power from the political managers of States, who were always working exclusively for local interests unmindful of the general good, and gave it broadly and unreservedly into the hands of the whole people inhabiting the domain of the United States. Family and State pride were alike offended. Two of the Virginia delegates in the Convention that framed the Constitution refused to sign it; and many of her leading men, with Patrick Henry at their head, vehemently opposed it, chiefly because it established a consolidated Government. "Who authorized the Convention," asked Henry, "to speak the language of 'We the people,' instead of 'We the States?' Even from that illustrious man who saved us by his valor I would have a reason for his conduct." George Mason, Washington's neighbor and friend, denounced it because, as he said, it would change the confederation of the States into a consolidation, and annihilate the State govern ments. It was acknowledged by all that its powers, and those of the National Legislature under it, were supreme, and laws passed in accordance with its provisions were necessarily beyond the reach of State action, whose functions were by it made municipal and subordinate. And yet, as we shall observe presently, leading statesmen of Virginia-men whose memories we revere-ventured, for the accomplishment of polit ical party purposes, to array that State against the General Government, and prepared, in that precedent, the foundation of the theories and practices upon which the Great Rebellion of 1861 rests its claims to justification. Allusion is here made to the nullification resolutions prepared by a statesman of Virginia in 1798, and offered by a Virginian in the Legisla ture of Kentucky; also to the famous "Virginia Resolutions" of the same year. Evidences of disloyalty in The Old Dominion had been visible on every side from the close of |