Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-04-15

TRU d FHlLOSOPH4.
'For every evil under the sun
There is remedy or there NONE;
Ii there is one, try and find it,
1t there is none, never mind it."
From the Lexington Gazette]
GREAT MEN OF THE LAW.
PeytOn-JOhnsOn -Baldwin-Sheffey
"Vaa angenio ct virtate clarassimi."
II was at our Superior Courts Of forty or fifty
years ago that our bar shoue respiendent. Our
old mother, Augusta, lent US on those occasions
the galaxy of her forensic talent. With the
exception of that of Richmond, DO bar in the
Commonwealth, not even the brilliant one of
Winchester, came up to hers, suppose, at
that period.
I was in early boyhood a book worm, and
used to read with enthusiasm about the orators
as we'll as the generals of ancient Greece and
Rome. This tended to create in me an interest
even at that age in listeoing to the oratory of
the men that now refer to and [ could not
at any rate conceive that Perices, Demosthe-
mes and Tully displayed finer physique than
some of these Virginia barristers. Over the
courts referred to presided Judge Archibald
Stuart, Gather of the distinguished A. H. FL J;
and always conceived of him as furnishing
in his stately figure, his long queu, and | think
somewhat antique costume, as we'll as the grave
dignity OF his manner-a good type of the men
of the old Revolutionary epoch. | used to
hear that he was somewhat intimate friend of
Thomas jefferson. And when Judge Stuart
opened his courts in solemn form and then read
in grave, slow and very distinctly enunciated
sentences, his ''charge to the grand jury" |
felt almost as much of an impression as if I
L, II k11c L
sessions of the Areopagus.
Three men at the bar would have attracted
the spectator eye by reason of their tall fig
ures and fioe personal appearance mean Jno.
Howe Peyton, Chapman johnson, and Briscoe
g. Baldwin. The first was Commonwealth S
Attorney In that higher court, an astute lawyer
with quite handsome face, brown com plexion,
voice finely sonorous and good elocution
one peculiarty which remember of giving the
words ''either and neither what believe is
Engish Parliamentary pronunciation-the i
sound in the first syllable And it places Howe
Peyton In high grade of lawyers, that he
should have been competent 10 the Sta'e's be-
half to match as we'll as be did the champions
that he had to meet.
johnson furnished good specimen of the
type OF men. to whom l referred in former
No., of the best class of the Valley and Pied
mont districts of upper Virginia, in the lofty
stature and peculiar horid complexion which
marked so many OF them. His eyes, / think,
were blue, and hair black, and his color was
finely set off by his handsome white teeth He
had stentorian voice, which he sometimes
used to vociferation; and I remember how it
used to be heard even across the street, louder
than any other. Many great lawyers could our
old State then boast of; but few, if ary, had a
higher name than Chapman johnson. And,
for / - nh, IL. -
noble compeers of whom | am now speaking,
were adorned with private virtues.
Briscoe G. Baldwin-who that ever saw him
will fail to have preserved the photograph Of
that handsome face in which dignity and be-
mighty so fney blended? His person was
portly; his features well cast; eyes, Il think
blue; and MS brown hair was generally brought
together over a fne brow, which badness had
enlarged His face was round and tull, and set
off with handsome pair of whlskers; and bis
voice soft and meiiow-sOmething approaching
to lisp 10 his pronunciation. He, too, was a
lawyer of superior ability; and no doubt,
graced the bench, to which he was afterwards
elevated. Altogether, few men among the pub
lie characters of my recollection, have made a
more pleasing impression on me.
But who among these men Of elegant and
stately mien is that man OF so different and far
from commanding personal appearance, who
sits by their side or rises to meet them In mighty
forensic contests? He is short and thick, In
fact, protuberant, like real alderman, with a
full, rOu0d face, and very strong smack OF Ger
man brogue; for if not born 10 the Father
land he was not more than the second gene
ration from it. But who is this burly man,
with his rough speech-quite natural, too, as it
was can cope with the giants? IL is Daniel
Shefey; and hardly the mightiest OF them Can
overmatch him in an argument ASIDE from
his ability as legal debater, he had considera-
bic powers 0f wit and sarcasm, which occasion
ally cast their illumination over oratory that,
as will have been seen, had not much in it that
was otherwise very attractive. 1t was the COM
mon statement about him, and l suppose true,
that Sheffey was bred a shoemaker; and, II So,
let not any of his surviving descendants or rela-
tlves, If there are any, be ashamed of the fact,
but glory in it, as bis highest honor and theirs.
1t is the siest kind of pride to be ashamed of
honest ancestors, even if they never made them
selves conspicuous, and the nobiest blood is that
OF sres who did rise by talent and virtue above
| the common level.
| The story used to be current Of Mr.. Sheffey
| that when supercillous gentleman who made
| pretensions to aristocracy but of whom rumor
said that some of his own ancestors were per-
sons of humble pursuits, demanded of him on
| some occasion, MIR. S, where did you leave
your leather apron when you turned lawyer 2
the latter instantly replied, Il folded it up and
put it in your grandmother cake basket"
| Beside the men of name that | have here
c,mmemorated, two other gentlemen of good
appearance aud very respectable character came
among the practitioners from Staunton at that
period David W. Patterson and Jefferson Stu
art, son of the Judge | remember that, al
one time, they were opposing candidates for the
State Senate
There was another good, quiet-looking gen
| tleman from Stanton also that used to be seer
at our bar, whom | do not remember of evel
hearing make speech, but very worthy mar
aud good business lawyer-I mean Mr.. Samue
Clark.
| What commentary on human greatness
that, within the reach of my memory, all these
men, whose names | have now gone over have
run their career aud passed away lu the word.
of one who was himself one of England great
est orators-"W hat shadows we are-wha
shadows we pur-uel"
A BRAN NEW ILLUsTRATIoN.-The Frank
ford Yeoman tells this suggestive little story
The other day in the house member, while
making brief speech on the question of a re-
cess or an adjournment sine die, introduced
new illustration of the misfortune of overcroD
log ones self, which is likely to have run else
where than In the member own county. Re
ferriDg to the work of the general assembly or
the revision of the statues he said: "Mr
Speaker, this legislature has not only drawn
/ Shoo ola ,h,n ~ -