Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-02-15


side, Mr.. L. told him 90. He then agai
patiently listened TO what could be proved
and after forming his 6nal opinion Of tn
merits of the case, he would say, IN,
friend, you arc in the right, but l don
think your evidence sufficiently strong, (sl
ways allowing q little for exsggerations
when so made to drive conviction homo I,
the minds Of the jury.) advise you I,
compromise, and IL you cant get this, ant
cant find other and further proofs, 1 advis'
you to drop the case and fling all thought o
II to the winds"
Sd. If q man came into his office ant
mado statement Of his case, and, afte
patiently listening to the whole story and al
the points, including evidences, and il ht
formed the opinion that his client was right
he said: "My friend, you are in the right
can 80 demonstrate it to the minds Of the
jury-send home the conviction to the mind
of the court Of its legality and justice.
have no reasonable doubt Of this but sd
wise you, as good man, to 60 to your
neiphbor and say to him what you have
said to me, and ask him kindly but firmly
10 do right and justly and If he will not do
it then I'll make him.; aud in this case
there was no failure in the end.
Nr. Lincoln was an extremely strong man
when in the right-a most powerful man.
His sincerity was all over his face, integrity
and honor we're there. On the weak side
Of case he was equally weak-a child,
helpless and pitiable. His fees we're stfiall
he only charged what he in conscience
thought his services we're worth. He never
sued client but once, to the knowledge Of
the lecturer, and that was the Central Rail
road and in that case he sued rather for
the insult than the fee Ii is said that Mr.,
Lincoln was an excellent nisi prius lawyer
!. e., good Circuit Court lawyer. To
reasonable men he had scarcely an element
of a nisi pri,s lawyer. as the world under
stands that term. The qualities Of
good nisi prius lawyer are quickness,
sharpness, versatility of mind-that can
move and leap here and there as occasi ems
and contingencies demand, and equally quick
to form an accurate Judgment Technical
ly, quick, analytic, sagacious, cunning minds;
cold, heartless, conscienceless men, succeed
in the Circuit Court, in bad and good cases
alike. The lecturer had seen Mr.. Lincoln
sent out of court many times. its cause,
fguratively speaking, an Il" was not dotted,
or 1T" crossed.
Mr.. Lincoln was great lawyer in the
Federal Courts, in the Supreme Court of
the State of illinois, and 10 the Circuit Courts
of the State where he had time to prepare
his cases. In the Federal Courts and Su.
preme Courts of this State. he took time,
and thoroughly prepared his cases. He
was then number one" lawyer. In the
Circuit Courts, however, the lecturer con-
sidered him but thirdra power. In a
conversation with Mr.. Lincoln, he (the
lecturer) repeated to him what celebrated
Judge once said was lawyers duty to his
client, namely: That his head, conscience,
heart and soul belonged to his client; all
his intelligence, tact and skill we're his. To
which Mr. Lincoln replied: mo client ever
had money rnough.to bribe my conscience.
or to stop its utterance against wrong and
oppression. My conscience is my Creators,
not mine. shall never sink the rights of
mankind to malice. wrong or avarice of an
others wishes, though those wishes come
to me in the relation Of client and attorney"
A noble sentiment.
In the same conversation, in which the
lecturer was reproving him for having lost
good case, as he supposed. from defective
practice, he made the following remark
about general reading:
II cannot read generally. never read
text books, for have no particular motive
to drive me to il. As am constituted, |
don't love to read and as | do not, | feel
no interest in what Is read-nor can re-
member such reading. When l have a
particular case in hand, have that motive,
and desire to ferret out the questions to the
bottom, love to dig them up by the roots,
aud hold them up and dry them before the
fires of the mind. l know that general
reading breadens the mind-makes it uni
versal, but it never makes precise, deep,
clear mind. The study Of particular cases
has that tendency, as l understand it
General reading has its advantages and dis
advantages, and the same may be said Of
special case readings"
Mr. Lincoln was indulgent to all the mem
bers of the bar, especially the younger ones,
whom he always assisted. He was deferen-
tial to the Court at all times. He respected
the feelings OF witnesses, and was never wont
to browbeat or bully them, no matter on
which side they testified. He was respectful
to Sheriffs, deputies and all under officers Of
the Court. His pleadings we're plain, short,
clear, and to the point at issue. ..pia.,
Mr.. Lincoln, was an unsuspecting man, and
supposed all men to be like himself. But
let witness verge toward perjury, aud woe
be to him. II Mr.. Lincoln entertained the
notion that the man was swearing to wilful
false hood, he chastised him with whips of
scorpions. To fee from Mr.. Lincoln and
conscience was impossible. In such situa-
tion he (the lecturer) had seen the witness
on the stand turn pale and tremble--great
drops of sweat bestudding his face-an un-
mistakable illustration OF poor fallen human
nature. ---- -.s-.-.--...--
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