Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-07-21


cerely regretted his loss. AS Attol
ney-General, Congressman and Pos
master-General he acquitted himsel
with great credit, and left Office with
out blot on his name.
AS a faithful historian, / ought +
| be allowed, even at the sacrifice @
modesty, to mention the name @
Gen. Patrick Henry, my brother
who was a member of this bar
about this time. Born in Scot
county, KY, he married and settleC
in ClarksVille, Tennessee. He wa
lawyer of great cultivation anC
endowed with wonderful gifts as
public speaker. He retired early
from the practice. If he had con
tinued and used his wonderful pow
er as an orator | may be pardOneC
for saying he would have rivalleC
in eloquence his far farmed, but re
mote ancestor whose name ne bore
He possessed all the requisites of 6
great orator, fine voice, a com
manding person and wonderful
power over the minds and hearts ot
the people. He left the State early
and removed to Mississippi where
he becamea prominent cotton plan
ter and added his name, his taste and
refinement to the long list of plan
ters in that State who were at that
time an ornament to any country.
Alexander M. Clayton was born
in Va, educated at the University,
and settled here about the year 1926
and at once entered upon the prac-
tice of his profession. He was a
man OF very extensive reading and
scholarly attainments, as a lawyer
and citizen. He was all the time
in feeble health and had a weak
voice, but distinct utterance, and
was nevertheless a very interesting
speaker and successful lawyer before
the court and the jury. After liv-
ing here about 10 years he was ap-
pointed U. S. District Judge for the
Territory Of Arkansas and subse-
quently removed to Mississippi,
where he became a successful cotton
planter, but prosecuted his profession
with renewed energy; occupied the
amongst the lawyers Ofthat
State, and became one of its Su-
preme Judges at a time when the
legal profession was crowded with
as fine lawyers as any State in the
Union possessed. He still survives
and keeps up as l understand his
habit af close attention to his busi-
ness, and can do more office work,
and in a neater style than any man
[ know.
Mortimer A. Martin was native
of the county of Sumner, Tenn,
and the son of an able Methodist
who was contemporary
with the Rev. Valentine S. Cook.
After acquiring plain education,
but substantial, he studied law set
tied first at Springfield, and soon re-
moved to Clarskille, where he lived
till he died, in 1852. He was, as
Mr.. Webster once said of Mason of
Massachusetts, NJ strong man, an able
lawyer by nature, l may say, for he
did not have large library, nor was
he extensively read in his profession,
but he had a strong logical mind,
thought a great deal, and investi-
gated in that way, by mental analy-
sis every case he had to determine
as lawyer or Judge. Having been
raised in the country, he had an early
bias for a country life and for a good
many years before his death lived
on his plantation on the Cumberland
river where he died.
In 1886 he was elected Judge of this
Judicial District and remained on
the bench till the day of his death.
He enjoyed a fine legal discussion
before him and listened with pleas
ure, indeed with gusto to the hui
NOR, the wit and the repartee of the
lawyers. NOman could catch a fine
thing, or detect ridiculous blunder
sooner than he; exceedingly
of every lawyer and everything that
was passing in the court room, he
detected at a glance as by intuition
every attempt at sharp practice, and
every quiz that was afiOat or in in
especially if he was the
subject oft. He knew on the instant,
what was up and was fully prepared
to repel any assault or turn the point
of any WitticiSm, from himself to
his asSailant. On one occasion Rich
ard Barker, young lawyer WhOpOs-
otfSSCNA Ct IOStI lCSCLl lIllllNly anu "llO
was very troublesome to the law
yers, in filing demurers to pleas and
declarations, after he had argued a
demurrer, which was OVerruled,
came to me and several lawyers who
were quietly sitting in the bar, and
said he was going tOrun ajOke on the
Judge if it would not offend him.
He said he was going to move to
correct the minutes, which would
state the demurrer was fully 1t31deT-
stood by the court and asked us to
stand by him and laugh down the
Judge when the laughing timecame.
We promised to befriend him, and
assured him the Judge would take
no offence.
The Judge saw our close confer
ance and at once detected a cOnspi-
racy. AS the clerk, my old and ven
arable friend Charles Bailey, read
over the minutes of the court he
reached the entry on Barl<er's de-
murrer. In a moment we were all
and just as he was in the
midst of the recital, that the demur-
rer having been fully argued by the
counsel and fully understood by the
court, Barker rose and said " Mayit
please the court, [ move to correct
the minutes Just read in that part
which says" the court promptly in
terpOsed, and, "Mr. Clerk, the mo-
ton of the council is allowed, strike
out that part which says the de-
murrer was fully argued by cOuncil;"
the laugh was at once turned on
Barker and his cOnfederateS
were forced to join in against their
friend. No one enjoyed the joke
with more intense satisfaction than
the clerk, except perhaps the Judge,
who had the habit of laughing at
his own wit; none enjoyed it less
than Barker himself.
[ recite this little reminiscence as
more distinctly one of
Judge Martins striking traits of
character than any language l could
employ. He was an able
and incorruptible judge, and gave
such satisfaction on the judgement
seat, that the bar and country felt
his place could hardly be filed when
he died. His habit was to be atten=
tive to the reading of the declara-
ton and the pleas and he saw in a
the legal point in contrO-
versy. The issue Joined between
the parties was the point on which
his mind hung during the progress
of the cause. His instructions to the
Jury were as clear as sunbeam and
and fairly stated in langu-
age so plain that the jury easily un-
derStOOd the case, and rarely failed