The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1869-08-21

since Che day hs lesitie'l "a Deny BE |
heart ~ love. l'y,anse be pfi'Ic fs |
fovolte'l ., wedding . woman whom
he thought Incapable n sgvfe,iai.
ing bis honor. llo wsa not. ike hef.
g s,fis'ian. and could NJ, under
stand The terrible dread upon her
mind lcst such a mode N vindics,
ing his honor should b. murder In
the eyes Of God There wss no
weakness In the man even his
faulta bore an element u greatness
In themi 80, instead Of yielding 10
depression In his disappointment,
be entered with rcdoubled energy
into his profession and made that
his mistress. lie babe his heart
hush Ia murmurings, aud worked
his brain incessantly. No time was
allowed for repining, and the result
was that he soon became as noted
for his knowledge and judgment Of
the law Os he had already become
Tor the eloqucnce Of his pleadings.
Fearless of man, he gave full force
to his powers in holding up crime
and dishonor 10 the derision Of his
hearers. Nor did he spare persons,
when the case of his client demand
ed the publicity of their shame. The
soul of honor himself, he hated dis
honor in another, and when it be-
came necessary for him to hold it
up to public scorn, he did so with
the scathing, burning tongue of true
eloquence; hence it was not un.
frequent that he was called upon to
sustain his remarks in court by that
code of honor which he acknowl-
|
edged from man to man; or rather
upon several occasions he was at
tackled by the parties he had thus
assailed. One of these is worthy of
note, as showing his calm skill and
determined bravery under danger.
-Four men, armed to the teeth, fol-
/. lowed him through town, watching
a favorable locality for killing him
he perceived their purpose, stepped
!, into store and armed himself with
a knife and revolvers and went forth
again upon the street. Toward the
: close of the day, despairlng ol
catching him off the public street
one of the four, with few words Of
insult, advanced upon him. HI
knew that his resistance would b,
the signal for the others to join hi
- y assailant, so stepping quickly back
= - he braced himself against a ston
wall, and thus situated he defed tn
J. four; yet his calmness was such
. that although he wounded three
not one received q mortal hurt
T., After this, he was never called upol
- to sustain regular fight. The com
~ munity had learned that he was no
q man to be attacked, unless hi
opponent was prepared to take a'
odds against himself.
The above mentioned occurrence
Is was after he had removed to Ala
At bama, and had established himsel
g at the bar in that State. Here h
y held the Supreme Judgeship Of tn
ID State, which he accepted most re
er luctantly, for it drew so much upo
3 his time as to withdraw it in grea
te degree from the close study, whic
te it was his delight to give to bis pre-
IN fession, up to the time when sick
ness prostrated him upon q be
ne which proved to be his death-bet
ne He did not run for the Office, bu
O. accepted it from the appointmer
n of the Governor, to fill a vacanc
ne occasioned by the death of the pr
er vious Judge. He was repeated
solicited to run for Office, and one
d. was brought forward for Governt
he by his party, even without his col
nm sent, and nearly elected, althoug
o. he had repeatedly said he would nj
in accept 1t. Finding himself abou
ala to be elected, he hastened a purpo
he of settling in Mississippi, which
,es had for some time been oontempla
va ing and left the State q short tin
;or before the election. lie refused
no take an active part In politics, b
70 cause he so loved and honored
W. profession that he would give 1t
,ro divided attention. AT the time
chose 1t he told his mother that
nd would never relax the energy of
sed devotion toit until he had so esta
Inc lished himself in it that he cou
ag- choose his side Of case. This
an soon accomplished.
ins Never did he accept a fee of
.of- vninisfnr or n willow or ornbana