The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-01-03
Howell Cobb, Of Georgia.


sentatives is occupied by Democrat; one,
in most creditable manner, without sac
rifcina one iota of personal or party lnde
pendence, That Mr.. CoBB will make an
admirable presiding officer, his past ca
reer warrants US in foretelling; and his
first address augurs we'll for the manner i'll
which he will dispense even-handed JUS
tice to all parties. We append few
brief extracts from an excellent sketch of
Mr.. C.'s life, which appeared in the Sep
teinber number of the Democratic Re
UteiC:
Howell Cobb was born at Cherry Hill,
Jefferson county, Ga. on the 7th of Sep
tember, 1915. He is a son of Col. John
A. Cobb, who, when quite boy. removed
from Greenville, N. c., with his father.
His mother, Sarah r. Cobb, was a daugh-
ter of the late Thomas Rootes, of Freder-
icksburg, Va. Howell, their eldest child,
was married or the 26th of May, 1885,
then not twenty years of age, to Mary
Ann Lamar, the daughter of the late Col.
Zachariah Lamar, of Milledgeville, Ga,
by whom he had six sons, three of whom
are dead, the two youngest dying at Wash
ington city, during the first session of the
thirtieth Congress.
At nineteen, in the year 1884, he gra-
duated at Franklin College, the Universe
ty Of Georgia, standing, of course, respec-
table in his class. His uucle, Howell
Cobb, after whom he was named, repre-
sented district of Georgia, in the Con-
gress of the United States, during the last
war with Britain; and his cousin, Thomas
Cobb, was, not many years since, an
United States Senator from the same
State.
In 1886, nearly two years after his mar
riage, the subject of this sketch was ad-
mitted to the bar, and at once gave such
evidence OF talents, character, and attain
ments, rarely possessed by one of his age,
that, in the ensuing year, he was elected
by the Legislature, Solicitor General of
the western circuit of the State, the region
in which he resided. This was, indeed,
a position well calculated 10 test the stuff
the man was made of; for, though barely
of age, and with but a years experience
In the practice of his profession, he was
compelled TO contend with the ripe abili-
ties, and long trained skill, of some OF the
first gentlemen of the bar of Georgia
His naturally cool judgment, and almost
intultive legal perception, however, made
amends for lack of experience; and 1t is
not too much to say, that Notwithstanding
his extreme youth, the office was never
filled, IN that circuit, with more skill, Wig
or, and unvarying success, than during
the three years in which il was held by
the subject of our sketch.
His legal knowledge and forensic apt
ness rapidly increased; and when, at the
expiration of the term. he was defeated
owing to the fact that his political oppo-
nents obtained majority in the Legisla-
ture-he left the office, ranking with the
first lawyers and advocates in the State.
For the succeeding three years Mr.. Cobb
DEVOTED himself with unremitted labor TO
the practice of his profession. His mind
is most happily adapted to the bar; rapidi-
ty of thought, decision, and energy OF ac-
ton, being his most prominent legal char
acteristics, while his feelings are strong
and warm, leading him to make his clients
cause thoroughly his own. The address
of Mr.. Cobb (before jury) is marked
amounting to vehemence, which happily
enforces attention, giving his eloquence
admirable effect.
As professional man, his character
has been moulded by the combined inf1u
ence of his own temperament, and the
customs of the country in which he for
the most part practised. The Western
Judicial Circuit of Georgia has never been
distinguished for devoted application TO
books. Situated in broken, and, in part,
mountainous county, with sterile soil
and wretched roads, the people are simple
and primitive In their ideas and habits,
and to this day remain untouched by the
progress of luxury or refinement. The
character of its bench and bar has as usu-
al assimilated itself to that of the country
and the proceedings of the court have
The ''Uiginti ar,aorane lucubrationes"
have never been much valued there. Courts
and juries in that region, therefore, are
more influenced by the arguments of a
strong though rough common sense, than
by the refnements and subIleness of legal
learning. The bar, consequently, have
been distinguished by quick and clear
apprehension of the prominent controlling
points of case, and by force and elo-
quence in presenting them TO courts and
juries, rather than by the display of pro-
fessional research and nice discrimination
of shades of principle. Of this general
character of the circuit, Mr.. Cobb is one
of the finest examples. Though, when
forced by circumstances to resort to books,
he readily shows that he can follow the