The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-05

an effulgenCe upon the Jurisprudence OF the
land, and lighted up the dark places where
before fingered doubt or Ignorance. Of Lou
siana's first chief magistrate, George
Matthew'S; he who on closing u career Of
thirty years as the presiding Judge Of the
Supreme Court, received unanimous commen-
dation for his honorable and praiseworthy
life. it was said that the pursuit and attain
ment Of justice WIS his highest mental graft
fcation. That he possessed in an eminent
degree a firm and unbending integrity, which
drew him to the public confidence. That he
discovered Justice not 50 much by the pene-
tration Of his mind as by that instinct or in
tuitive power in the heart Of every man
which detects by the promptngs Of an inner
consciousness the right from the wrong
1t is wonderful how much sound morality
contributes to produce sound judgment and
sound intellect. Whether in law politics,
Legislation or any other subject, this intui-
tive faculty Of the honest man. be he ignorant
or uneducated, will carry him to correct con
illusions, whilst the intellect Of the most edu-
Gated and talented, when at all affected by
interest or passion, will lead him astray on
the plaincst and simplest subjects.
Man is by nature possessed Of delicate
sensbIites, which rebel against theCommlttal
Of any act Clashng with his preconceivcd
IDEAS Of right; disregard these promptings
and whispered montions OF our better self.
and they become calous cease their functions
and die OF hamilton.
It is noticeable and significant that great
ness and goodness are usually rOnCurTeUt,
find an example of the one aud the existence
OF its COrrelatc and COncOmitant may well be
presumed.
Look at the chiefest Of the pioneers of
Louisiana law Francis Xavier Martin; him
whose name is SO intimately connected with
the judicial history Of Louisiana. His Judi
cial expositions Of the law written in living
characters upon tho pages Of the reported de-
cisons of our Supreme Court from the year
1911 to 1916, are monuments Of learning,
erected by himself, and teStfying to genera
tionS yet unborn the acumen and superlatiVe
attachments Of this great and good man.
Whether he be regarded as the freudlesS
orphan boy Of fifteen, thrown upon the shores
Of North Carolina, and then earning scanty
subsistence as n printers apprentice or as
the historian Of the Old North State and the
reporter Of her judicial decisions or as a
Judge Of the Territory Of Mississippi or Of
Orleans. or rs the first Attorney General Of
the State oI Louisiana or rs judge Of her Su-
prrme Court or MS the author of u vaiunbl"
history of this State, his career was remark
able for his industry, perseverance and mag
nitirent attachments. As n Judge he could
not be moved by appeals to the passions or
TO the preiulices 1mpassable as the marble
bust which to-day adOtns the hall Of Our Su-
preme Court, he followed no guide but the
eternal principles Of justice implanted in his
own bosom, OF which ne dug from the rich
mines Of the Roman, Spanish. French and
English Jurisprudence. With these won
,,tiaes, - ~ hn,',t,,lant Hf boncat lilo +,
tbn h,mItnat oa in The lnrf,. Ct e,,hnrn evnrv
tnbar = nd aItyo,te he rn,nrns,n[nd Tho. horna,,e
and respect Of all men. His was not tho d"s-
tiny Of private life, where virtue, benrvoI' No"
t'''i ',Gto'i ~ ,,nn tbot trn,d onI
lnftv thcatrn whore for more than n quarter
Of q century. he sat in Judgment bptw on
litigans without fear and without reproach,
cm,rent which ,narErd him as fine model Of a
,,n,,d ,,"n III j ;,,at tha nd,mntmd Hid
Christian Gentleman, lie built his greatness
mon a fnnndntinn stronger and brnnder than
" eiin,'I, LnnyuIcflyc ~ ma written and sfut-
,n,r ,a1r 1.hioh ,reonrihed in measured
farms thn riyhts and obligations between
nan and ,n~n Tia went IL thnt fountain
source Of nIro ethics. and morality, aud
drank his napirati0n from the Iimpid stream
th"t ,n,rn Ii,tno gave life viDnr and dignitV
Ia tho Intellect
The great thinkers Of Pagan antiauity cen
turtles And centuries ago, in the intuitipns Of
their genius. had caught gIimpses Of these
cv.ItaI t,,,t he Int they lacked the authority
which . sunnrnal voice has given, and hence
Ieljed their conceptions of these true sources
cf greatness, hv a substitution Of ideal and I'M
substantial symbols. We, however, more
hghly favored ana pehCer lnngh., kno" f tl'aC
tle i35'ile VI so'! iltta. WILL n, ''ds
Ille op9ei vance VI Wv. ny ] - ~ "
w 90 - -. tt',;,, az, 90 - ~, l,,,,,, -,
all. and to none Is admittance denied. There
the wiplderS of power, the mOnarchs OF genius
and the controllers Of millions can claim no
precedence before the humblcst tenant Of the
humblest cot
The grand achievements OF genius justly
belong to minds Of lofty mould; but in the
profession Of the law each has his own world
built by himself with clients and followers
faithful in their fealty by as much a. nc 70
whom they look, rs the CONSERVATION Of their
interests is faithful, upright and capable
Here he has an individuality Of his own bis
permanence Of domain and authority il de
pendent upon himself alone His intelligence
may not be 50 marked as that Of his more
highly favored professional brother and yet
the client satisfied with q conscientious dis
charge Of duties, still cling:s to him; Put , let
his honor or his honesty be impugned let his
character become smirched bv the foul
breath Of suspicion; let his professional tosa
become stained Or bedraegIed in the mires q
tainers drop off. and his clients avoid him 40
u leper The magnitude Of his foil y Is, real