The weekly clarion., 1876-09-27

oa the tsh day OF July. ls3s. a lIttls more
than nty ysarS ago. Hs VA thea = young
and very handsons man. The cccasion
Wa the celebration Of the Nstional Ami
vernary. The place WA . grove near the
eentrs Of whers the old tovu Of Galiatin
used 70 stand. The guests Of note we're
The then candidates for GSVeraor and Liea-
tsaant-GOvernor. Among them called to
mind Abram n. Scott, Afterwards Gov
eruOr. To my bOyish mind. he seemed to
be spiendld specimen Of bunaaIty, aud
uhsu In riper ysaFa. came TO know him
better fOund no occasion % ehaags that
lOpsRloa.
Mr.. Psytoa Vas the Orstor e ths dey
All that reeollect ofIt Is that his spsssh was
loudly appiauded. The eandldases ssd the
people gathered around hin. and seemed By
their eongratulatioasto 70 IndIc4is that he had
made great speech. In the evening be was
hoistsd By an eathuslastic multitude on a
table and announced himself a. . candidate
for the Lsgislature. when the votes were
counted At the election Il was hrst supposed
that be had been chosen and his frieads
were Wild with snthusiasm. But on closer
count it was foand that he had beea left out
By = tally. say Eve Votss. The next year
be Was . candidate q ala, aad waSehosen
Without serious opposition. He served 3
single term In the Legislature, and after
that he persIstently refused te com oete for
any Political ONCE.
About this time he married Miss Patton,
the daughter OfA most worthy aud excel
lent old planter OF Claiborne county. And
then betOOk himself earnestly % his pro-
fesslcn.
At that day. say IN 1928. 20, 30, 81, and
'32, the Gallatin bar attracted vast amount
Of the legal talent Of the State. Among
those who prActIcsd there In these years
were, Robert II. Buekner, James II. Man
ming, Franklin x. Pmmmer. Eugene Ma
gee, Buekner Harris, VIM. Vannerson, well,
about all the lawyers In the State Of any
note. EGtchez, Vleksburg, Port Gibson,
and even Columbus, far Oh As that was,
each seat Its legal representation to the
courts at Gallatin. Amid all this array of
legal learning Mr.. Peyton stood conspicu-
Gus, and why AS Uos a student.
In July, 1891, / went into Mr.. Peyton's
oalce as . student at law, and here COM
meneed my first intimate acquaintance with
bin and hla habits Of life.
At that early day, aud as l Afterwards
learned, for many years before, he read with
ali the assuidlty of . student who had first
taken up the horn books OF the law. 1t is
within my certain knowledge that Mr.. Psy-
ton, during the very many years when
knew him intimately, read law with more
diligence than most students do when they
are preparing for their eAtree npon the
practice. In fact do not think Il extraVa-
giant to say that for ffty years Mr.. Peyton
read Law every day, As II he had to be ex-
amined the next day for license to practice.
Hence the great lawyer aud the great Jurist
that he was when he died.
Mr.. Psyton had . wonderful foHdness for
books, and especially law books. This fond
most Of his earnings, alter taking proper
care Of his family, In the purchase OF books,
aud he left, dare say, the most extensive,
best selected and most valuable private
law library that is or ever was In the State.
or Judge Peyton's legal attsinments,
need aOt speak. His public opinions while
on the Supreme bench will bear am pie tes-
timOny on that point.
Asa gentleman he was knightly. This
quality was especially conspicuous In his
conduet to wards ladies. He thought hls
own wife entitled to all the consideration
due IA. any other lady, and II she entered his
lollee, no Odda how busy he was, he would
rtso Immediately ana ouer ner cnAIr.
A 9 friend, Mr.. PeytOn was ardent, sc
much so that no amount Of temptation
could induce him to violata the obligations
which one frieAd owes to another. haC
many occasions to recognize aud acknOwl'
edge this trait In bis character. In Olt
times, he was Whig In politics, and verl
earnest in his faith. l was always Dem
OcrAt, and often . candidate for office. II,
was constantly importuned to oppose m
on the stump, or At the hustings. But he per
sIstcntly refused, always saying, II priz
friendship higher than party" He cas-
!. his vote doubtless with his party, but no
being professional politician he could nc
be tempted with all his pronounced opinion
: as whIY to attack his former prOtege. Ca
any one blame me for revering the nenor
Of such q iriendi
: AmOng the lOft'est traits In Mr.. Peyton
1 character, was bis courage, both neral an
h | physical. He dared at all times and undc
all circumstances, and at whatever cost, t
do what his conscience told him was right
A well remembered incident while he va
Chlef-JustIee will attest Aot only bls mOrl
courage, but the singular purity Of his chal
u actsr. He could not be bullIed by powG
: nor seduced by the abandonment OF Office.
have seen his personal courage put |
8 the severest tests on meny occasions. Blu
> as this is . quality which men possess
common With brutes, I do not choose I
give an instance. content myself wit
y SAying that he was quick to resent an .
front, and as ready to forgive on prop,
- reparation. He was careful never to gi'
Offense. That II he did so inadvertently
- under Interpretation, he had the mo
al hsroism to make the amend, and do
= promptly.
Amer his brief service In the Legislztu
already alluded to, Mr.. PeytOn held
other Office until lsSo-40, when he "
elected Dlstrict-A ttorney for what "
- then the 4th Judicial District. He was Sc
erAl Altines reelected to the same position q
anally gave It up In the midst Of . ter
very greatly to the regret Of the peopl
The District was vsrwhelmlhg Democrat
"a and his election was tribute to his Ablll
- as lawyer, and integrity As . man, paid
Nv spite This politics.
an Il has been thOught that Mr.. Peyton
Dr. played too much asperity as Republic
al AFTER he Joined that party. ~Let justice
ZEN done, tho the Heavens fall" Is there
Ct slightest suspicion anywhere shade o
IA shadow, hanging on any mans miAd, 4
sAe the decisions o. EphriAm g G.Peyton, as JuC
or or Chief-Jnstice Of the Supreme Coz
ten were tinged In the slightest degree W
nee partisan PrejudleeG He was man Of ca
ers est convictions, and Joined the RepObli'
stl- party for reasons entirely satisfactory
ich himself Into these reasons he allowed
i'd man to inquire. He was bittsriy assau
Lao and he aimnlv fourhf hack That Wa