The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-06-05
- "REMINISCENCES
PUBLIC MEN.
BY Ex.aovERNoR b. +. PERRY.
CooNrrNuED FRO FROM LAST wEExJ
JOB JOHNSTON.

SHShCeIlor johnston was one OF
our ablest and m ostl learned
Judges He possessed very clear
and logical mind, which was high
ly cultivated. and his judicial opin.
ions in the Court of Appeals, as
we'll as his DEGREES as a Chancellor,
were always lucia and able. In
social intercourse, he was one of
the most agreeable and pleasant
gentlemen l ever met. He was
atable, natural and simple, and
always sociable, witty and hamor.
QUE. There was no assumption Of
dignity, or austerity of manner
about him, in his intercourse with
his friends and associates. But on
the Bench, he was often irritable
and captious. Throughout the in
vestigation of a case, he seemed
always to be hunting up .dif6cnl>
ties and taking exceptions. 1t was
very seldom an order or paper was
drawn to suit him by the counsel
employed in a case. He suggest
ed some alteration or amendment.
Trivial mistakes, which other
Judges would pass over, were in.
variably corrected by him, or at.
tention called to them. This made
him, often, unpleasant on the
Bench, and so different from what
he was in private intercourse. In
drawing up short petitions and or.
ders, which other Chancellors
would hear without being copied.
he invariably required a copy, and
would postpone the case till a copy
was made. He was fond of lee.
turing lawyer on his mode of do.
ing business, and making sugges-
tions of improvement. On one
occasion, where had filed several
petitions, instead Of bills, he said
to me, it was all wrong, and that
l was running my practice by it,
as the fees and costs were much
higher in bills than petitions. I
replied, that it was easier to draw
a petition than a bill, and as to my
fees, would take care that they
wore not diminished. aag5 .ak
Chancellor Johnston went to
Charleston to hold a court, shortly
after his election to the Bench, and
was not aware of the strictness
with which "Good Friday" was
observed in that old Episcopsl
city. He himself was a great and
shining light in the Presbyterian
Church. On Thursday evening,
Mr.. Petigru suggested that. as the
next day was Good Friday, there
would be no court. The Chancel.
lor replied very tartly that he
came to Charleston to despatch
the business of the term, and not
to participate in their hnlldays.--
Mr.. Petigru said it had never
been Customary to hold court in
the city on Good Friday. The
Chancellor observed he wac not
bound by the customs of the city
in holding court, and should re.
quire the officers of the court to
be present the next day. There
upon, Mr.. Petigru said, it was not
a local custom. confined to the city
Of Charleston. and that he had
never heard "t but one Judge
{ ontius Pilate) holding court on
Good Friday. This nettled the
Chancellor, and his order was
peremptory, but the next day no
one was IN attendance on the court,
and through necessity the business
was adjourned over. %
Chancellor Johnston was a ma.
tive If South Carolina, and I think
born in Chester District. He grad
uated in the South Carolina Col.
lege, and read medicine before he
commenced his law studies. I
have heard that he did not relish
any allusion to his medical studies,
and once knocked fellow down
for calling him Doctor" He
and Chief Justice O'Neall were
some wears partners in the prac-
tice Of law, and / have understood
thnt they did not speak to each
other for some time during their
partnership. l know that they
were not very cordial in after life.
1t was a strong firm, and both
lived at Newberry Court House.
They were both elected to the
Bench within few years of each
other, and were afterwards on the
Appeal Bench together. / do not
think Chancellor Johnston was
ever q member of the Legislature.
He was elected to the State Con.
vention in 1881, and was a promi-
pent member of the Modification
party. But he sorely regretted
the, revolutionary movement in
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