The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-12-07

; "" 'hc t'lH utt-, inc IOiIOMiuS WaS
adopted in reference to Judge vii.
hanson. Judge John Somers was
Chairman and X. f. Raines Secre-
tary.
We meet to pay tribute Of respect
to the memory of the Hon. John l..
Williamson, for many years an es-
teemed member of our bar, and once
Judge of this Honorable Court. Our
lamented brother Is no more. He de-
parted this life yesterday, the 18th
instant, at his late residence in Milan,
after u brief but painful illness. We
desire to testify our sorrow for his
death, and to commemorate his life
and his virtues.
Judge Williamson was born in
Rutherford county and reared in Glib
son county, and - son of b. A.
! Willi2msa old an honOred citi>
izen of county. In early man.
hood ,F dge Williamson came to re-
side in Trenton, and begun here his
prof. onal life. He entered first
Il o. zee of our late Clerk and Mas
ter, james 4. McDearmon, and while
there writing began to study law un-
der his advice and instruction, and to
prepare himself for the practice. He
soon afterwards procured license and
entered into partnership with Hon.
Thos. j. Freeman, now Judge of our
! Supreme Court. After the severance
of his connection with Judge Freeman
he became partner of the late NJ Il.
Hill and continued in that association
until about 1859, when he was elected
a member of the Legislature. He was
Il member of that body at the break
ing out of civil war. In 1865 he be-
came United States District Attorney
for the District of West Tennessee,
and served in that capacity until the
latter part of 1861. After this the
Governor of the State appointed him
Chancellor for this division, and he
served as Chancellor during the years
1867 and part of 1868. After he
ceased to be Chance llT he renewed
the practice of his profession in Tren-
ton in connection with the Hon. W.
NJ. Hall, and he continued to practice
in Trenton until the year 1871, when
he and Mr. Hall removed to Browns
vile. Tn 1873 he removed from
Bro snsville to Milan.
Judge Williamson had not in his
early youth the advantages of Il thor
ough education, nor of that large and
varied intercourse with men of eXper-
ience which in some measure supplies
it, place. When he came to Trenton
and began To prepare himself to en-
ter upon the arena Of life, and to fill
the important position he afterwards
occupied, he WAS rLw, inexperienced
youth, and without those adventurous
aids that frequently,attend the candi-
date for the liberal professions in our
favored country. 1t was his lot to
combat difficulties at the outset of his
career; to struggle against obscurity,
and feel the crushing weight of Il con-
stitutianal shyncSS. But during these
first wears of his professional life he
was All earnest, diligcnt student, and
by the native force of his understand !
ing, his rare power of aquisitipn, and
his assiduous application to Judicial .
studies, hesoon ovcrcame all obstacles. /
Nature seemed to have peculiarly ,
fitted him for the bar. He possessed /
Il high orde. Of talent. His mind was ,
at once comprehensive and penetrat-
ing, active and unerring. He pos
sessed that subtle power Of anal /
ysiS which discovers nice distinc-
tions and delicate shades of /
thought; vet he possessed in no less .
degree certain good SENSE and prac- /
tic;l Judgment which guarded him .
against extreme or ms0und positions.
He seemed to seize upon the true is-
sues in his cause with kind of intui-
ton; nor did he fail to make himself ,
understood or to impress his convic-
tions upon others Endowed with
rare logical power, and the gift of pre-
senting his points neatly and concise
ly, in well chosen accurate language,
and with a fluent, graceful, persua-
sive utterance, he was indeed formi-
dnble antagonist in Il lawsuit that fully
enlisted his sympathies. Herose rap
idly to distIction at our bar, and did
not fail to acquire similar reputation
wherever a field was presented for the
display of his genius. HIS attahility,
his gentleness, his unfailing courtesy
to his professional brethren endearcd
him to them no less than his talents
elected their admiration. He was
ever genial, kindly and cheerful, and
had 10 professional brother at our bar
who was not his friend. Therefore,
Resolved, That in the death of
Hon. John l.. Williamson the bar Of
Gibson county and of West Tennes-
see has lost one of its brightest and
most accomplished members.
Resolved, That We tender our SYM
pathy to the lereaved family of the
deceased, and that as mark of our
respect for the deceased, that a copy
of these resolutions be presented to
his family, and copy to the Cham
Gerry Court with the request to have
the same entered upon the minutes of
the present term; and that the Glib
son county papers be requested to pub
lish the proceedings Of this meeting !
l.. NJ. JONES, Ch'rman,
GID Il. BLACK,
w. NJ. HALL,
JNO. =. COOPER,