Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-03-29


Preme Court and Members OF the
Bar. t.llJ
Nashville American. 18th March,
By half-past nine o'clock yester-
day morning, the hour at which the
Supreme Court usually meets, the
State officials, a large representa-
ton Of members of the Nashville
bar, attorneys from various sections
of Middle Tennessee, and many
other prominent citizens, had as
sembled in the courtroom to hear
the death of the late Chief Justice
announced from the bench. The
chair which had been occupied by
the lamented dead was covered with
Grape, and a bow of the same ma
terial was suspended from the cor
nice Of the window immediately
behind the chair.
All the Judges, except Hon. J.
E. Bailey, who had been serving as
special judge during Chief Justice
Nicholson's illness, took their seats
thus leaving vacant the chair once
filed by the Chief Justice.
When the minutes of the court
had been read and signed, Judge
Sneed made the following remarks
REMARKS OF JUDGE sNEED.
Gentlemen Of the Bar and officers Of the Court
= Gentlemen and Citizens:
The most mournful duty of my
official life | now undertake to per.
form. 1t is with an unutterable
sense Of grief and sadness that
announce to you the death of Hon
A. o. P. Nicholson, late Chiei
Justice of this commonwealth and
presiding magistrate of this court
He died at his residence in Colum-
bia on yesterday at half-past five
pm. Though this resulth as for
many days been expected, as Ma
lures inexorable elimination of a
long agony of pain and suffering
yet we could but receive the tidingt
at last with a thrill of the deepest
sorrow. An event Of the most
gloomy portent to the State al
large has created also great and
palpable void upon this bench. Il
will be heralded to the nation as
bereavement, not alone to be de
plored by this commonwealth, which
he has loved and served so well. Fol
more than forty years he has beer
in the public service, and know
of no more honorable tribute that
can be paid to the integrity of hi
official life than to record the fac
that, while the traces of his grea
genius and industry are to be founC
in the judicial and political annal
of his country, he has died after 81
long a period of faithful service,
poor man, and without a blot upOl
his good name. With the characte
| of his public services the countr,
lis familiar is this the prope
time or place to recount them il
detail. He was q native of tn
county of Williamson In this State
and was an alumnus of the Uni
yersity of North Carolina, in tn
palmy days of that venerable sea
of learning. He retained througl
life a filial affection for his aim
mater, and in the familiar conver
sations of the late years Of his lif
he was fond of recurring to tn
"reminiscences of his student life a
Chapel Hill, the scene of his earl
est struggles and triumphs. Lik
some stalwart toiler Of the sea
when in mid-ocean he lovingl
looks back upon the friendly pOr
from which he made his first EN-
barkation in life-sO he, too, ami
the tolls of hard official lifl
would now and then look back upo,
that little spot of earth, where h
heard the first drum.tap for til
race of life, and the memories Q
that supreme hour had bound hir
to that little spot for life. The tirt
Napoleon was won't to say of him
self, that he was the Rodolp
Of Hapsburg Of his name an
family, and that his patent
. nobility dated from the battle {
|, Montenotte. But the life Of th
; late Chief Justice of Tennessee