The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1854-05-11


yond the rule Of three. "Never mind ,
said he to himself, II am a terrible feIloy
! for hanging on to anything when Iv
J once made up my mind and if a man ha
but ordinary capacity, and will set to worl
with heart and soul, and stick to it, he cal
do almost anything"
We forbear to 90 into the detail Of hi
preparations for the bar, and his frs
launch in the profession The same spir
it that had brought him on foot to Ken
lucky and made a huntsman of him, car
ried him on in his new career He wa
admitted to the bar just as he was cross
ing the threshold Of manhood. The coun
try town where the court was sitting wa,
thronged with country people. He was a
stranger there; an incident made him al
home as he entered the public room of the
inn, where there was some noise and
drinking; he saw rough bully of fell
low, who was partly intoxicated, strike an
old man. Duval knocked him down and
kicked him into the street. In moment
he had dozen rough shakes of the hand
and invitations to drink, and found him
self quite parsonage in the rough as.
sembly.
The next morning the court opened
lie took his seat among the lawyers as a
mere spectator. man was to be tried
for passing counterfeit money. He had
no lawyer. and was told to choose one
He looked around the court and selected
Duval. The latter was astonished at be-
ing chosen; he, beardless youngSter,
unpracticed at the bar, perfectly unknown.
His defense of his client was perfect hit;
that and the kicking of the bully out OF
doors set him up in business. Suits
crowded in upon him, and he soon be-
came eminent in his profession, especially
in the branch Of criminal law.
In 1912 he signalized himself in anoth-
er capacity, commanding company Of
Kentucky mounted volunteers. and pro-
tecting the frontier settlements in the val
ley of the Wabash, from the murderous
inroads of the savages. Whilst abroad
from home on this service, he was elected
by his neighbors to represent them in
Congress. Here was the realization of
his boyish boast; he might now return
with honest pride to his paternal home
lie had proved that he was not the tail
end of his family. .-
AS member of Congress, he acquit.
ted himself with ability and credit; but
after time, retired voluntarily from po-
litical life, and resumed his profession
Hewas now appointed judge in the courts
of Florida, and subsequently governor Of
that territory. Here he was er oGci0 su-
perintendent of Indian affairs. which he
administered with great judgment and hu-
manity. He appreciated the daring and
heroic characteristics of some Of the Flor
ida chieftains, gained their confidence,
and exercised surprising influence over
their tribes. He resigned this Office of
his own accord, after filing it for twelve
years.
Most of his children having settled in
Texas, he was persuaded, five or six years
since, to remove to that State. Business
recently brought him to w ashington,
where he was attacked by paralysis, which
ultimately was the cause of his death
when about seventy years of age.
Few men who have led such varied
life have left behind so pure and spotless a
name. His public services, and theinteg-
rity and ability with which he acquitted
himself in his public trusts, are widely
known. His dauntless courage, too, has
been proved on various trying occasions.
But it's among his intimates that his loss
will be more especially lamented among
those who delighted in his simple, unaf-
fected goodness, his genial humor, his de-
voted and unwavering friendship, in the
kind and generous qualities of his heart,
and the manly independence of his spirit
To such it will be satisfaction to learn
that throughout his illness he was exempt
from suffering, and although near hel pless
he was cheerful to the last and as he
closed his eyes in death smile played up.
on his venerable and beloved countenance,
seeming to reflect good will to the world
he was leaving. and hopes of happier
state in that to which he was going.
In concluding this hasty sketch, we
cannot butrepeat the words with which it
commemorative was type of the genu-
inc American character.
NoTE-Some of the facts in the above article
were published several years since in sketch
entitled, Experience of Ralph Ringwood," but
which gave incidents in the early life of Cover
nor Duval, taken from his own lips"
Overwhelming.
"Our fathers and mothers are still hale
and hearty, at sixty, seventy, or eighty
years of age, and yet they never bothered
themselves about the liver and stomach,
and digestion, and brown bread and baths,
and hair brushes; they lived in blissful
ignorance of the locality of the liver,
I;,.l,t te , or onvtb;nn also fbau tho ctop,