Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-09

over the people. When the disturbances witt
Great Britain broke out, he took his >tan'
: firmly on the side of the Colony. What office:
he filed, and what services he rendered, boil
before and after the Declaration of lndcpcn
dencc. are recorded in history. 1t is ne
part of my purpose to give biographies. Ny
design is the more humble one of presenting
pencil-sketcheS. in which the mere outline Is
exhibited. When | became personally &C
ouaintcd with Mr.. Randolph. age had made its
inroadS upon him; but he, nevertheless, had
been gently dealt with by time His person
still bore its manly and majestic micn-his full,
black eve, still bcamcd with intclligcncc-and
one left him in doubt. which most to admire,
his commanding person. his elegance Of man
ncrs, or his sparkling, and, at the same time,
massive intellect. He required all these COM
bincd to restore him to his position ut the bar,
after having repeatedly abandoned it for high
political station and yet he achieved the dliii
cult task and. although surrounded by strong
and powerful athiete. he maintained his foot
ing firmly. and enjoyed Il large share i'll the
profits of his profession.
Charles Copeland remained III Williamsburg
for some years after the transfer ofthc General
Court. That old city still furnished 4 large
theatre for forensic laborS. and Mr.. Copeland
became the leading counsel in all cases of in
tcrcst. To secure his services was regarded
aS equivalent to securing the result of the caSc.
About that time, John Wickhain, quite Il young
man, appeared mt the bar, and soon became Il
man of mark. 1t was in my twcnty-iir>t ycar
that ! came to Richmond, Is counsel in a ca>,
which had been sent from Il county below. and
which had conducted in the court Of that
county. consented. after much urgency. to
come here. upon the understanding, with my
client. that should not he expected to dc
more than furnish Mr.. Wickham. who had
been employed BY nv client. with Il tatcincn
of the case. Mr.. Writ had been employed by
the defendant. stated to Mr.. Wickham the
simple purpose with which | had followed the
case. lie drew me without the court room to
cxpo>tulatc with me. Upon my declaring Ia
him my utter confusion at the idea of speak.
ing in n ease wherein Mr.. Writ and himself
were employed, he said
THAT is Il mere bugbear. When | went Ia the
bar, tsaidhc) | became engaged i'll a case in which
NV fee. dependent on success. was a large one.
The lion in my way was ChaS. Copeland. When
the dav arrived for the trial of the case, the
terror increased upon me. and so continued I'M.
I'll ! fell i'm with YOUR father, who was one Of
the Judges Of the court. who c%nquircd H. To
my success at the bar. replied that had on
that day Il case coming OH which would yield
me n good fee. but that | WAS terrified in hav-
Ing to encounter Mr.. Copeland. Pooh. pooh.
said the Judge, all nonsense; if the law is
with YOU. the court will take care Of the balance.
Thus encouraged entered on the argument.
aud gained the clri>c->o much. tSaid hc.l for
high sounding names at the lar. You must
open the east.
| did so in fear and trembling. however, and
soon after lost myself in the ingenious SallicS
made during the rest Of the day. between the
two eminent counsel. The StrceSS in the caSc
which he had mentioned To me was followed
shortly after by the removal of Mr.. Wickhan
to Richmond. Here he found ''foclncn worthy
of his steel At the time To which my MARIA
tive chiefly relates. the Richmond bar was
equal to any other in the UEion. 1t consisted.
without Il metaphor, ola constellation of talent.
Mr.. Randolph, Mr.. Wickham, Mr.. Writ, Mr..
Hay. Mr.. Call. Mr.. Warden, along with others
scarcely inferior in abilities. Chief Justice
Marshall had. years before, put ~ the rohc>o of
the Chief Justice. How he wore them is too
well known To require me 10 say. Mr.. Wick
ham occupied the foremost rank in the prolr>-
sion. The accomplishments ofhiS mind great AS
they were. We're fully cquallcd by the accom-
pli>hmcntS of his person. His form was light,
airy and elastic, his manners highly cultivated.
his address admirable. his Conversations pow
or rarely surpassed. his wit rary and sparkling.
while his large ~lu>trouS eyes. accompanied by
the smile that playclon his lips, seemed to light
up all around. / never knew a man who was
better suited to all the purposes Of exalted sta
ton. mean not merely those accomplishments
50 necessary to he cultivated by all in order
To make the social circle of ones ncighborhood
agreeable, but some thing more. SaDiplomat.
he would have been admirahlc-aS a Secretary
of State, indispensable. have no reference
to party politics. none whatever; | speak only
Of men and their capacity for usefulness.
William Writ was. at the time, in the height
Of his fame. lie had rendered himself con-
spicuon>, a. well by his writings As by his dis
PLAYS ut the bar. His speech, some years he.
fore, at the trial Of aaron Burr, will long be
cited aS one of the choicest gems of American
cloaucncc. He was the antagonist counsel Of
Mr.. Wickham in that celebrated trial, as
well as in other important cases. from
time to time occurring in the courts. and
it was difficult to decide which most
to admire. the splendid imagery Of the one, or
the keen and cutting satire of the other. The
idea almost universally prevails that high and
brilliant cloqucncc is rarely associated with
great reasoning power. | think there Is much
error in this. The garden of the mind Is rem
drrcd more attractive and beautiful by the
many flowers that adorn it: and where they
grow without being artiticially forced, they not
only give lllStrc to the reasoning faculty.
hut tighten the whole pathway, and make
that faculty more clear and bright; nay,
often a metaphor condcnscS into a single SEN
tcncc the entire argument. might illustrate
this in the most forciblc manner by quoting
the words of Patrick Henry in the Convention
of 17sS, upon the subject Of adopting the Con-
stitution. without previously amending defects
which all admitted 10 exist: What. sir,
said ne. xviii you 20 into a dungeon: and
for what: to get ont again? Beware. lest
the bolts and bars Of Federal authority shall
shut YOU in when YOU are once in. In
that brief sentence he surrounds YOU with
all the powers of the Federal Government
its forts at the mouths Of all principal
riverS-itS army. its navy, its power to lay
and collect duties. taxes and impoStS.-
You see. you feel, you touch the pow
cr you are parting with, and the hazard You"
run in conccting it, before surrounding your
self with guarantees and securities. While
Mr.. Wirt'S style was classic, tigllratlve and
flowing. his reasoning was powerful and often
overwhelming. At an after day he changed
his residence to Baltimore, where he measured
swords with Vim. Pinkncy. of Maryland; ana
il is praise enough 10 say that he lost nothing
by the conflict. ,,.
OF George Hay aud Daniel Gall, ! can speak !Iit
briefly. Mr.. Hays manner u speaking wa> IKE
himself, stately and studied. His style IN %r'i!ns
gives Il just idea OF hi, -;ylc i'll speaking. lis LEI
ters, published in the Enquier about the time to when
| refer. under the signature OF llortcnsius. were nni,
vs~rsally read and much admired. - the 1n n,rl
with marked ability. Mr.. Call pretended 70 n? dis
plav-to no trick of orstory. lie accomplished eve,
rything by his extensive and we'll di.c>,cd LEGAL
learning. which Constituted him, Oh all occ''''oh>' III
adversary of great power.
John Warden cannot be =" h~urricily parted with.