Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-10-23
HN REV PLINY fl. WHITE.

ni rLINY fl. WHITE.
During the past year death has been unu-
suaIlv busy with the bar of Vermont
Bradley, Butler, Colby Henry, Hutchinson.
Peck-what amount and variety of talent
do these names represent, and how great are
the vacancies upon the dockets once thickIy
studded with those names. 1t is no dispar-
agement to any Of the others to say that
wherein he most excclcd, therein he was
himself excelled by William c. Bradley.
More learned in the law than Peck, more Sc
ductive in oratory, and more charming in
conversation than Colby, more shrewd III
the ta, lies of a case than Butler he had
also intellectual equipments and adornments
t. which neither Of them made any prctencc.
Suitably to commemorate such man de-
Inlnds an ability approximating to his for
the conscious lack Of which, not few. my
self among the number, have declined II
make the attempt this occasion. Bat
we shall wait long, too long, for IA memorial
Of him by one OF his peers. 1t is not with
the expectation Of doing justice to his mem
orv, but rather u satisfy my own feelings of
rcverential affection for him, that lay this
wreath of mingled cypress and laurel upon
the grave Of him t. whom | am indebted not
only for my Introduction 70 - the gladsOmc
Iirito Jurisprudence, " but also for impulse
and guidance in the still more gladsnme
pursuits OF history.
William C. Bradley was born in West
minister. 23d March. I7S2, a year memorable
in American history as that which gave
birth ais, u Webster, Calhoun. Cass, and
Benton. not u mention others inferior only
t. them in law and craftsmanship. He died
at Westminster. }d March, 1867, having out
lived all who were his associates in public
life at Washington, well as many of the
distinguished citizens Of our own State, who
were his compeers and competitors at the
bar and before the people Skinner, VIII
liams. Van Ness, Prentiss, Chase, Hutchin-
son, Collamer, Marsh, = and many more, too
long"
lie was of ancient and honorable descent.
Iii. great grandfather was a soldier in Crom-
wells famous - Ironsides. His father
stephen r. Bradley, served in the Revolu-
tionarv War. and came ID Vermont at an
early dav. where he did good service in lay
inr the foundations of our institutions. was
leading lawyer and statesman, a Judge Of
the Supreme Court, the first Senator from
Vermont and twice chosen President Of the
senate William c. Bradley pursued aca-
dcmical studies at Charleston, y. H.. and
entered Yale College, amply prepared, at
the aye of fourteen. but did not complete
the course Returning to Westminster he
entered upon the study Of law in his father :
Office. and continued it with Simeon Strong
Esq, Of Amherst. Mass, and Eli F.
Ashman ESQ, of Blandford. In early
youth he exhibited remarkable powers of
mind When only seventeen years old he
was invited To deliver a Fourth of July
Grafton in his native town, and acquitted
himself so admirably that his Grafton re-
ccived. what was then a much higher COM
pIiment than it now Is, publication in
pamphlet.
At the carly age of twenty he was admit
ted to the Wndham County bar, much bet
ter qualified for his profession than the ma
iority of It's older members. At that time
the practice of law in Vermont was in a
transition state. Legal learning had been
of small account. American Textbooks and
reports there were almost none, and those Of
English origin were treated with Indifference
and even contempt, not AT Hisi prfUS, but in
the court OF last resort. Such men In
crease Mosclv. Luke knowlton. and Theoph-
ilus Harrington. men Of strong mind and
much native good sense, but with the merest
smattering of legal knowledge, sat on the
bench of the highest tribunals. On one Oc-
cusion Mr.. Bradley appeared before Judge
Harrington with application for in
junction against the West River Bridge Com
panv. and fortified his point by numerous
array of authorities. Judge Harrington
inquired. What book are you reading,
Mr. Bradley - - English books, may it
please Your honpr. = frHaW rcPIlcd
the Judge. we don't want books brought
over the big puddle to tell us what the law
is
If such were the Judges, it may be i'm
acined what were the lawyers of those DAYS
Ethan Allen was leader among them. and
he placed no reliance, whatever, upon books
or preccdents. but reasoned from what lie
called :. the eternal fitness Of things" But
another generation of lawyers was just then
beginning t. take possession of the bar, and
not only to reason from the eternal fitness
ofthngs. but also to avail themselves of the
labnrs Of others. who having thus reasoned
had arrived ut sound conclusions, and re-
corded their conclusions in books. Mr..
Bradley was we'll qualified To bear his part
in this transition state, and to help it for
ward. lie had diligently studied his pro-
fcssion. and continued to do His tena-
cious memory gave him instant command of
all his legal lore, and when he assumed 4
position he fortified it with an array of
thorities that gave his brief almost the
weight of judicial opinion He showed
himself equally at home on the law and on
the chancery side Of the court fa-
miliar with the law of real estate, as with
that Of personal property, and was no less
powerful in the argument Of special de-
inurrer. than in the discussion Of question
of fact before =. the twelve
In 1904. when only twenty-five years old,
he was elected States Attorney-a response
bilitv almost never imposed upon so young
a man This Office he held for seven success
sivc years Vt the age of twenty-four he
was elected to represent his ratiye town in
the General Assembly, and was reelected the
succeeding year Reelection the second
wear is the rule in most towns, and therefore
il not so great an honor the loss OF re-
election is a dishonor. But not so in W est
minister, for that ancient town has not Tor
the last sixty years given any man two sue
cessjve elections When it gave two success
eive elections to a Young man of twenty-five,
it was very significant tribute to his great
merits In 1912 he was "A member OF the
Governor S Council. and the same year was
elected to Congress. the first native OF Yer
mont who received that honor, and the
Youngest man who has ever been elected
from this State.
It was no disgrace to be member OF Con
gress at that time. On the contrary, 1t was
prrna facie evidence that man was of re-
spectacle social standing, of good moral char
acter, and of more than average intellectual
ability and attIinments. :. There were
giants in the earth in those days and some
ofthe mightiest of them were in the Thirteenth
Congress, the famous War Congress. There
was Webster in the first flush of his power and
fame. having by sheer force of intellect and
profound knowledge of craftsmanship, over
feaped all the steps by which ordinary men
rise to distinction and taken his seat, pT7naus
inter par res, in the national councils. There was
Iowndes of South Carolina, only d month
older than Mr.. Bradley. but already leader
in the House, by virtue Of his winning clo-
auence and ripe political wisdom There
was 81 Randolph Of Roanoke, tall, thin, and