Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-11-14

picture Of their attractions so graphcaiy
the latter part OF that celebrated passage.
nob;sc,n Dercgrinantur, ruSticantur HIS DOCKS WEI.
hs,nspoatabe companions, whether al nome, Ut aoioa
they passed the night with hun, they uaVei'eu W
HIM they accompanied MN IN ms oceas'1"a, ,ir, v
,ro, ;.nlous economist Of time, ana partlcu'at'S
n, p,;ve 10 husband those odd fragments OF i'su'e
which repulary intervene IN the routine OF oa'y e
poyment and which, by most PERSONS are 'hlo" ."
a. us.lsss he was fortunate, eVen than tue a"e
nh,losooher who reproached himself with the loss o.
ono d,u IN the course of long life. Legarc never los
an 49, Far however small the interval OF time which
foil ,non his hands, unoccupied by the necessary oe
mands nj business, the cherished society Vi c"
circle of friends, twas never wasteo ooon' ~
or tram of thought be resumed was always al haho
n abso,b and employ usefuy; for so perfect was Tue
di.cinlne of mind he had established, through lons
habits of industry and study, that he turned ms a'e
ton n, WILL TO mhatever subject seemed, al lhe mo-
ment 6itest TO engage u. ,ha
| 49, sob,lar he stood without rival among thr
nnhc mon of America OF his day, and IT. even ID ina,
| class of learned men who make the CULTIVATION a"o
onrs,, of letters the sole business of their lives ne
had any superior in scholarship, II would be uicu,'
I, saw who that superior was. His acquaintance WIN,
the great writers of antiquity, the master mhos Vi
Greece and Rome was intimate, thorough and iamiaf
pIac,ng al his ready and perfect command all those
hidden treasures of thought, philosophy ana WISDOM,
all those exquisite models of taste, eoquence ana pow
err which lie enshrined IN their immortal WORKS -"
tho languages and literature of modern Europe ne was
erfectly al home. He not only read, but wrote ana
spoke the languages OF France and Germany win tne
ease and elegance OF native and was proiounuiy
yersed in their history and literature. lie mad ex-
pored with particular industry and success, The rcb
mines of learning and historical discooery, $50 10
speak which the acute and recondne researches OF
modern German writers have opened and enlarged MS
own accumulated stores by the superadd'tion OF the
fruits Of their valuable labors. With all this af1urnce
OF intellectual wealth, III made ostentatious display
of his acquisitions. They were assmllated INTO the
sod nutrinent Of his mind, and their enect was
seen rather in the enlarged scope and vgor OF MS con
cep ions, than in any exhibition of mere learning
As speaker and r,te, the style of his eloquence
was ornate and rich But, like the gorgeousness Of
Burke, this the unbdden effect oil the rfep1essoe
exuberance of his genius No one despIsed more IMAM
h. did the mere glitter OF words, or held III l'gher es
teen the studied arts of the proiessed rhetorclan-
Whatever the elevation and richness OF his dcuon'
was uniformly supported by corresponding richness
and elevation of thought The stream OF his eloquenct
fed from copous and nexhaustible fountains ana
its majestic current fertlized and uctted, even wneh
ii inundated its banks
His character and abilities as a profound and accom-
pshpd jurist have been already given TO the world I'M
der the seal Of the highest authority 10 the question:
he eminent lanyer, Judge Story, IN h,s oeaut'
ful and touching address to The Law School al mar
vard while the funeral bells Of Boston were yet toll
ing the knell Of his departed spirit, answered en-
phatically and unhesitatngl y-"no man 'oas more
so" Aud, certainly, il profound acquaintance with
the most renowned systems OF ancient and moaefn
law, with the common law OF England the civil law
of Rome, the codes of France and Germany, added
to a familiar knowledge of the laws and constitutions
of our country, and u thorough indoctrnation
in the principles Of universal Jurisprudence, can
make able and accomplished lawyer, Legarc was
such All this breadth and scope OF knowledge, how
ever superhuous it may be deemed for the lawyer
who to use the words of Cicero, nothing more than
ieguieius quidam cautuS, CT acutuS prec0 dcaonam,
cantor formularum, auceps syta6arun, was necessary
to fill Mr.. Legarcs conception OF the character OF
great lawyer, worthy of the name, and OF calling
which boasts its rank among the learned professions
One of the great secrets Of his superiority was to place
before him the highest standards OF excellence
every department. as the beau IDEAL ateasf, winch
true and lofty ambition should ann to approximate MS
possible, if not able fully to attain HIS idea
the nobleness and grandeur of the law in its true
dignity, that which Bongbroke has so Justly and
eoqnently portrayed, and his representations OF that
idea were the Bacons the Carendons, the Somers, the
MansfeIds of Engand-the Marshalls, the Pinkneys
of America.
The and unworthy prejudice against learn
ing pat,be with professional emnence, which
has been SO properly rebuked by Judge Story, some
times ventu,ed to question The claims OF Mr. Legare 10
the character OF able lawyer, the very ground oil
his ack no wedged pre- .emnence in the aainments of
elegant literature. The same Gothic prejudice, We
learn from contemporary memorials boldly called IN
question The legal abilities of Lord Mansheld and was
humorously satrzed, at the time, IN some lines OF
of the Temple, "who deemed each other oraces OF
law, exutng in grave self-compacency, in the
fancIed profoundness Of their legal attanme nts,
while
each shook his head Murray wit"
And yet thus Murray rapidly through all the gra
datlons Of professional em,nance, to the Chef Justice
ship of the Kings Bench in which court he presided,
with unrlvallrd lustre and ability, for hrywo years
having been three offered also the great seal of Lord
Oh ,ncenr aud such almost the miraculous Infa.
hbty displayed by him a Judge that, out Of the
numerous decisions rendered by hun during that long
p-rmd f time, but two three of h judgments were
reversed, and about equal number OF Instances
occurred which any of his brethren fered IN OPT
mon from hlm. With such ilnstrious example be-
for u.s. shall be slow To believe that the superior Ii
rerary ACCOMPLISHMENTS of Mr.. Legare likely /"
prove hlnderance 10 him in the path OF professional
reputation and success, to prevent him from fulfill
his destiny becoming OF the chiefest glorIes
of the American bar.
As Statesman the merits and talents of Mr.. LIE
care were of the very first ORDER He early conceived
noble ambition of usefully serving his country, moi
CRAFTY selfish vanity, or 10 promote any private or
person end, but from 6al devotion to her glo
ry, and from generous and magnanlmous desire to
his part uphodng the honor and success OF her
model institutions His whole training was one of ad-
nrrabs pre- paratlon for this high There s no
branch Of knowledge proper to an American States
man in which he not profound adept. He had
thoroughly studied the genius of popular Government,
well It's essential principles, as IN all ITS great his
torcl examples with what sagacInuS ana dsCriHI-
nang research he pored the history and institutions
of the master States of antiquity, the Republics of
Greece and Rome, he has gwen to the world the proud
and endure g evidence, in writings which will long
him. and which poster,ty, assuredy, twill not
willingly let die. He had traced and meditaed with
equal diligence and care the progress of civil and poll
ca liberty among Brush ancestors and all those
great social and political revolutions, which have
changed the face Of modern Europe alike familiar
his mind, in their causes incidents and results, and
with all the monltory and instructive lessons with
which they richly fraught With these pre-
para,ory lights, he made own peculiar, happy
and plcated system of popular and federatve Go
vernnent the subject of his profoundest study, and
deeply imbued with its spirit, as he was tho
roughly initiated in its principles and famarly con
with its constitutional action. To these pr
mary qualifications of all true American Statesman
ship, he added that enlarged ledge Of the sound
principles of political economy, and OF the fundamental
laws of trade, currency, revenue and finance, which
are indispensable guides to enlightened practical le
gislation. With the public law Of nations, which re-
gulates, in peace and in war, the mutual rights and
duties of civilized and independent States, the dplo.
matte position he had filled abroad with much honor
to his country and TO HIMSELF less than his early
studies, made him intimately acquainted and TO
all these civic accomplishments and advantages, he
had enjoyed the precious opportunity of observation
I O amid of huua af-