Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-11-18
"Reminiscences of the Richmond Bar.
by Ex-Presfdent Tyler.

by Ex-Presfdent Tyler.
Ex-President Tyler delivered lecture on
Thursday evening last. before the Mechanics
Institute at Richmond. HIS subject was
"Rchmond and its Memories He gave
the following pleasant "reminiscences of the
bar of Richmond. at the time when he first
appeared as counsel in Richmond court, at
the age of twenty-one years:
'At the time to which my narrative chiefly
relates. the Richmond bar was equal to any
other in the Union. 1t consisted. without
metaphor of a constellation of talent-Mr.
Wickman. Mr.. Writ. Mr.. Call. Mr.. Worden-
along with others scarcely inferior in abilities.
Chief Justice Marshall had years before put
on the robes OF the Chief Justice. How he
wore them is too well known to require me
to say. Mr.. Wickman occupied the foremost
rank in the profession. The accomplishments
of his mind, great as they were, were fully
equalled by the accomplishments of his per-
son. His form light. airy. and elastic !;
his manners highly cultivated: his address
admirable: his conversational powers rarely
surpassed: his wit racy and sparkling while
his large lustrous eyes, accompanied by the
smile that played on his lips, seemed to light
up all around.
never knew a man who was letter suited
to all the purposes of exalted station. |
mean not merely those accomplishments so
necessary to be cultivated by all in order to
make the social circle of ones neighbOrhoOd
agreeable but something more. As diplomat
be would have been admirable; as a Secretary
of State indispensable. | have not reference
to party pOlitics-none whatever. j speak
only of men and their capacity for us fulness.
William Writ was at the time in the height OF
his fame. He had rendered himself conspicu-
Gus, as well by his writings as by his displays
at the bar. His speech. some years before, at
| the trial of Aaron Burr, will long be cited as
one of the choicest gems of American
| elOquence. He was the Antagonist counsel of
Mr.. Wickman in that celebrated trial, as well
as in other important cases from time to time
| occurring in the courts, and il was difficult TO
| d, eide which most to admire. the splendid
| imagery of the one or the keen and cutting
| satire of the other. The idea almost universal
| ly prevails that high and brilliant eloquence
| is rarely associated with great reasoning
! powers. / think there is much error in this
| The garden of the mind is rendared more
attractive and beautiful by the many flowers
that adOrn it: and where they grow without
being arlifcially forced. they not only give
lustre to the reasoning faculty. but tighten
the whole pathway, and make the ficulty
| more clear and bright-nay. often metaphor
condenses into a single sentence the entire
! argument.
| might illustrate this in the most fOrcible
| mann,r by quoting the words OF Patrick
| Henry. in the Convention of 1873, upon the
| subtct of adopting the Constitution without
previously amending fects which all adj
mitted to exist: What. sir!' said he: will
YOU 90 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 GoverDment-its forts at the mouths
of all the principal rivers. its army, its navy,
its power to levy and collect duties. taxes and
nposts. You see. you feel, you touch the
power YOU are parting with. and the hazard
you run in conceding it, before surrounding
| yourself with guarantees and securities
| While Mr. Wirt's style was classic. figurative
| and flowing his reasoning was powerful, and
| often overwhelming. At after day he
| changed his residence to Baltimore. where he
| measured swords with William Pinckney OF
Maryland; and it is praise enough to say that
| he lost nothing by the conflict. OF George
| Hay and Daniel Call I can Fpeak but briefly.
| Mr. Hays manner of speaking was like him.
| self stately and studied. His style in writing
| gives Just idea of his style in speaking His
letters, published in the Enquirer about the
| time to which | refer, over the signature of
| Hortensius, were universally read and much
admired
As the United States District Attorney, he
prosecuted Aaron Burr with marked ability.
| Mr. Call pretended to no display-to no trick
| of oratory. He accomplished everything by
his extensive and well digcsted legal learn
| ing. which constituted him. on all occasions,
an adversary Of great power. John Worden
cannot be so hurredly parted with. Nature,
so generally beautiful in all her productions,
| sometimes apparently distorts and disfgures
as if for the sole purpose of rendering more
| to be admired her more perfect handiwork.-
| So had she acted in the case of John Worden
Old Jock. as he was Familiarity called at the
! bar His structure was seemingly reversed
| and everything out of place. His mouth was
| enormously large, and yet his tongue was too
large for his mouth, which rendered his ar.
ticulation muddy and indistinct. Any one
| could sketch his likeness. IL was on all the
! walls of the capitol. | remember one sketch
| in particular which was exceedingly striking
| and had written over it what was supposed tC
| be his epitaph. The last lines | only retain
in my memory:
| Reader, tread lightly DER his sod,
| For ii be cares You are gone, by -.
| He often facetiously declared that his pa
rents had twelve children. and that he was
| the handsomest Of the set; and yet if natur,
in freak so lily made up his person. sh,
| fully compensated for it in the formation o
| his mind. That was IA gem OF much value
and caused one to forget the defects of tn,
setting. PROFESSIONALLY the best convey
| ANGER in the State, possessing much wit, pro
foundly versed in the law, and adding to al
these pleasantly and good humor, every ont
| liked him and he was accordingly surroundt
with clients. These brilliant lights of the ba
haye all passed away. They have been succeed
ed by Others, and these others have had thei
SUCCESSORS; and yet il may well be questioned
whether any of the more modern knights q
the forum could poise a lance with more skill
or strike an adversary heavier blow