The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-03-20

ed IN all ancient and modern liter.
atnre, Hugh s. Legare had few
equals in Europe or America
The Grecian and Roman classics
were as familiar to him az house.
hold words. He spoke and wrote
with great purity. the French,
Italian. Spanish. and German Ian.
gnages, and had read ard studied
their standard works. In order to
master all this learning and knowl
edge, he studied from his earliest
school days, seventeen hours in
twenty.four- He spoke French
with SO much accuracy, that a
French lady said to him, that he
was too Attic to be an Athenian,
abiding to the story of q foreigner
who protessed to be a Grecian, and
was detected by the accuracy with
which, lie spoke the language. He
had acquired his knowledge of it
from books, which was more Der
feet than if the language bad been
his mother tongue. .r-rr .'.
The contributions of Legare to
the Southern ReU;eso aud New
York Revteso on Grecian and Eso
man literature, the civil law, life
OF Byron, and various other sub
jects, are not surpassed by any of
the essays of Lord McCauley.-
The style of Washington Irving,
was greatly admired in England
for it's purity and classic taste, but
that of Legare was more perfect
and classic, with greater strength
and beauty. ....
The fame Of Hugh s. Les are as
an orator and literary man. induced
tho mnlt tude to suppose that he
could not be profound lawyer,
and consequently his practice, for
many vears,in Charleston. was very
limited. But after his election as
Attorney General OF the State, il
became known that he was great
lawyer. as we'll as a great scholar,
orator and writer. He went on To
Washington to attend to some case
there in the Supreme Court, and
his argument showed such tamil.
iarity with the civil law, that it at
tracted the attention of Mr.. Liv.
ingston, then Seer etary of State,
who procured for him the appoint.
ment of Minister to Belgium.
where he wonld have an opportu
nifty of perfecting his study of the
civil law. Alter his return to the
United States, and his appoint
ment as Acknowledgement under
the administration of President
Tyler. he distinguished himself in
the argument of several cases in
the Supreme Court, and Mr.. Jus.
tice Story pronounced him one of
the protoundest lawyers who had
ever appeared in his court.
ln:his appearance, Mr.. Legare
was a very remarkable man. His
bust was noble one, and he ap.
peared 10 great advantange seated
III his chair, in the House of Rep
resentatives, but when he rose to
speak, his legs were SO short that he
seemed dwarfed. 1t is said when
a child, lis limbs were well pro.
portioned, but some disease alter.
wards deformed them. His head
and face were very fine and strik.
ing. But in walking lie was un.
gainl y, and / noticed thar he
seld"m " al k e d to or from
the State House in company
with any one. He never married.
Judge uuger told me that the la
dies were all pleased with him,
until he began to talk love to them.
Although his conversation was 90
interesting, they could not fancy
him as a lover. He was very sen.
sirive and morbid on lie subject
OF his personal appearance. l have
understood that he said he would
give al! his learning and talents
for the manly and graceful form of
Preston His article on Lord By
ron, and his allusion to his de.
for,nity, and his Lordship's sensi.
tiveness ON that subject, seemed to
have been written with great feel.
ing and sympathy. '''
In his manners aud intercourse
will the world, Legare was austere
and retcent. He had none of the
arts or feelings Of the demagogus or
popular inan. Hence his popular
i,y and official honOrs were owing
entirely Ia lis talents and attain.
ments. When he wac elected AT.
tOrney. General of South Carolina.
he was in o minority, q Union man,
and had but little personal popu.
larity, in the Legislature. There
was somethirg beautiful and touch.
ing in his devotion through li,e. to
his noble mother, on whom had
devolved solely his education and
rearing He thonght of her graft.