Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-25
TRIBUTE OF RESPECT.
The Late Thomas A. X. NelsOn-ActiOn
of the East Tennessee Bar

Proceeding were had on the 22nd inst, in
the Supreme Court at Knoxville, in respect
10 the memory of the late Hon. Thomas A.
r. Nelson. a committee Of the Knoxville
bar prepared and submitted an address, in
which the public life of Judge Nelson was
reviewed. From the address we make the
following extract.
E'Judge Nelson was born in ROane county'
Tennessee, on the 10Th day Of March, 1872,
and died at his residence i'll Knoxville, of
cholera, on the oath of August, 1873.
While he was still a child his parents re-
moved with him to Knoxville. In 1924 or
1925, he entered East Tennessee College,
now East Tennessee University, and gradu-
ated in 1928. After leaving college he en-
tered upon the study of law under the late
Chancellor Thomas L. Williams, and was
admitted to the bar before he had attained
the age of u years.
'In 1888, he was appointed by Governor
Carroll, Attorney General for the First Jul
dicial Circuit, and was twice elected by the
Legislature to the same office. As prose
cutting officer he displayed that energy and
conscientiousDess in the discharge of his
duty, which characterized all his efforts
and personal conduct.
sin 1874 he canvassed the First District,
as elector for Mr.. Henry Clay, and in 1S4S
he canvassed the same district as elector for
General Taylor.
sin 1851 he was appointed Commissioner
of the United States to China, rs successor
to Hon. Caleb Gushing, but having lost his
first wife year before, and the compensa-
ton being inadequate to the expenses to be
incurred on the mission, and to the care
and provision for his family of young chill
dren, he declined to accept the position.
sin 1859 he became a candidate for Con-
greSs against Col.M.,C. Haynes, and afteran
exciting contest in a closely contested race,
he was elected, and upon entering Con-
gress, found that body deeply agitated by
the approaching election of President Lin
coin, that conyulsed the whole country.
"Ardently attached to the union OF the
States, he took a prominent part in the eX
citing debates which arose in the organiza-
ton of the House of Representatives, and
during the ensuing session, he made great
reputation as a powerful political debater,
and the London Times published one of
his speeches in full, and pronounced it the
finest forensic effort of modern American
law-givers."
''IIe firmly adhered to the cause of the
Federal Union during the cival war; yet at
the close of the war, when the Union arms
proved triumphant, and the tide Of success
rolled over his PROSTATE South, will full
knowledge Of the certain loss to political
prestige, he stood a tower Of strength for
the vanquished and largely contributed to
the speedy restoration of his cOuntrymen of
their political and civil rights, and was one
of the eminent counsel who defended
President johnson upon his impeachment,
in 1868.
''In 1870, Judge Nelson was elected one of
the Judges of. the Supreme Court, which
position ne resigned after little more than
one years service on the bench"
Suitable resolutions were passed, and ap-
prOpriate remarks were made by several
members of the bench and bar. The pro-
ceedings were ordered to be spread on the
records of the court, and it was resolved
that the Attorney General he requested to
insert them in his next volume of Reports,
as an enduring testimonial in respect to
the memory of the deceased professional
brother.