In one of the drawers of this he had left a parcel of forgotten papers, which I returned to him.

He made a joke of the secrets they covered and the fortunate circumstance that they had fallen into the hands of a friend and not of an enemy.
No man of his time could hold a candle to Mr.Blaine in what we call magnetism--that is, in manly charm, supported by facility and brain power.

Clay and Douglas had set the standard of party leadership before his time.

He made a good third to them.

I never knew Mr.Clay, but with Judge Douglas I was well acquainted, and the difference between him and Mr.Blaine in leadership might be called negligible.
Both were intellectually aggressive and individually amiable.