Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-08-31
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES
OF
THOMAS ERSKINE.
fCon,;n,,ad !

IN the month of May, 1859, Mr.. Er.
kline received che honor OF ELK gown
lis majefy's letters Of presidency being
:onferred eRon him, as it has been faid,
a, the pe11orhs faggeaioa OF the venerable
lord Mansfield. To this diRia&tion, h.
,ortion Of the buGneis, and his acknowledge
a talents, gave him an unanfwerahle pre-
enticn. Mr.. Er&ine is remarkable in-
lance of a rapid advancement to this .ho-
nor, not having been at the bar quite Ave
ycars-.His buinels was now coraaezably
augmented, and lie fucceeded to that place
which lad been 70 long occupied BY MIR.
Dunning.
1t would be impoGble, with the fpace
allotted to this article, to give an account
of the caufes pleaded by Mr.. Erkine, his
excrtions being, for the,noa part, occupied
in the tranlatSons Of daily occurrence
which are diit ulTed in our courts OF jul
tice: of thefe there are no other docu-
ments than the journals of the day, from
which fidelity CT Gatesnens cannot be ex-
peeed.
In no part Of his prolefional engage
nents has MIR. Erkine deierved or aceu:r-
cd an higher reputation than in the mode
Of conducting trials for Grim. con. 1t has
:r.qlen,ly fallen to his lot to be concerned
in behalf Of plaintiffs in thele actions, cir
cumitance which has given him condder-
able advantage; for, befdes the attention
which is ture to be afforded to acculing
eloquence, the fympath;es ct mankind are
in alliance with him who hurls
his inyettive againf the genial bed, and
ii. ;axaAes-of con;agal happinels and a
farming as lie frequency Of theie cau!es
may be, yet the torrent Of public lieent;-
oufnefs has received no flight impeachment
from the indignant feelings of the world
and the exemplary damages awarded by
juries. To nis honorable and ufeful end,
the eloquence Of tie advocate is iubleTvl-
callsinto activity the Numbering
emotions and the virtuous ienab.iitles OF
men, into tort of league againa the crime
he denouncs. Mr.. ErAine's ipeech, IN
the memorable caufe Of Sykes and Par
flow, is Oil remembered by thole who
who heard i, as an uncommon effort OF
rhetorical ability.
Mr.. Eri.ine has alto been concerned IN
fome of the remarkable caules tor cR1M.
CON. on behalf of defendants. His ex-
ertions are we'll known in the memorable
cafe of Baldwin againa Oliver, tired at
York, and the recent one OF SIR Henry
Vane Tempea, in both which cafes there
was but one lhilling damages the hut
bands having 10, loole their wives upon the
world, and, IN Tome reipett, being accei-
fairy to their protitution. And, on tEe'e
locations, M. Erkine has done equal ter
vice to the caaie of morality ard virtue,
by pointing out the intamy OF unyokins
the female pailions from the reitralnts o.
coniugal projection and doneaic attach
ments. Ills tpeech In no" ara ssH'''
Bingham will long be remembered at the
bar It contains mott affecting apology
for the lady, who was married againa her
confent, while her affections had been be-
flowed upon another it ahounds whip
,hetic remarks on theharlnne!s aud cruelty
Of Claiming down to man, whom ihe
hated, young and beautiful woman, and
for purpoies Of family arrangement or am
bition, defeating her life to reluctant
dlcharee of duties, the obligations OF
which 1he could not perceive, and the cen
ditions of which Che could not luftain. In
this ipeeeh there is no apology for vice,
but an execute FOR human frailty, which IS
pleaded with great warmth and great elo-
.quence.
From the Infinite variety of thefe caules
in which be has been Concerned, 1t is not
extraordinary thar he thould have acquired
too artificial and common Place netkod
OF putting his topics but It cannot juttiy
be reproachedto MIR. Erkine, tia. the PER.