Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-08-07

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,oGRAPH BY JOHN r. SCHoRB, YoRKvILLE.
No doubt, the larger number of persons
who may read the above will come to the
conclusion that the man who was so frequent
ly selected by an intelligent people to repre-
sent them in the State Legislature was either
a shrewd politician or a great statesman.
Such conclusion would be erroneous. G.
w. Williams was neither politician nor
statesman. He would not have walked across
the street if such walk would have secured
him twenty votes, and he was too difident to
make a statesman. He made safe legisla-
tor, but rarely if ever did he appear as the
bold and defiant advocate of any measure.
What he said in legislative debates was al
ways sensible, never ultra. Usually he per-
mitted others to do all the speaking. Not
withstanding the fact that he served his coun.
try so long as legislator, we feel warranted
in saying that he had no taste for the thing.
1t was bore to him. He had his own polit-
ical opinions, and was ever ready to avow
them; but was averse to the noise and tumult
of legislative halls. Circumstances, and not
his inclination, led him to take his stand as
Union man during the days Of Notification.
AS a member of an important committee,
Mr.. Williams could render the State impor-
tant service as legislator, but not as the en-.
gineerer of measure. In 1862, he, together
with F. J. Moses, T. N. Dawkins, B. F. Per-
ry, E. j. Arthur, H. D. Lesesne and VIM.
Whaley, were appointed to report on the
Code as prepared by J. L. Pettigrew. In
this capacity he was at home, and on this.
committee he worked with great zeal and in-'
tense interest .,
1t was as lawyer, and not as either a poll.
tician Or statesman, that G. W. Williams
was great. 1t may be that when viewed as a
lawyer and then as legislator, that the law
yer so far transcended the legislator, that the
latter appeared to bad advantage. Be this
as it may, G.. w. Williams ranked amongst
the first lawyers of South Carolina. His
knowledge of the law was thorough and ex-
tensive, and his ability to make correct ap-
plcation Of it unsurpassed. He never quib-
bled. Never attempted to mislead either
judge or jury. Never claimed that so and so
was law when he knew it was not. In his ap-
plication of principle in law to particular
case, he never came to absurd and extrava-
giant conclusions. Such being the case, his
opinions had great weight with both judge
and jury.
In the management of all his cases he
showed great skill. He took comprehensive
view Of the cause, meeting his opponent like
a man. AS an advocate his speeches before
the jury were perfect models of their kind.
They were not bombastic, neither were they
rhetorical fourishes, but on the contrary, they
were plain, pointed speeches, such as every
man on the jury and in the Court House
could understand. The language Of his
speeches was correct, strong and vigorous, de-
livered with energy. His voice was decided
ly good, and his declamatory powers far above
mediocrity. He made no attempt to. carry
either judge or jury by storm. His main de-
pendence was good sense and correct law.
Rarely did he appeal to the feelings Of jurors.
He addressed himself to their intellects, to
their sense of right and justice When
aroused by an opponent, and the occasion
seemed to demand it, he showed himself ca
pable of using, to great effect, bitter sarcasm.
AS an instance of this, may be cited little
affair between him and one of the judges.
Mr.. Williams brought suit for considera-
BILE amount of money. A legal point was
involved in which the judge decided against
Mr. Williams. The case was taken by ap-
peal before the Court Of Errors. The judge
showed considerable signs Of temper on ac-
count Of the appeal. When the case was
brought before the higher court, it so happen
ed that the judge from whom the appeal had
been taken was present. When the case was
called, Mr.. Williams rose and stated it clear
ly and in strict accordance with the facts and
then said, in q sarcastic tone: "I am sur
prised that any well-read lawyer in the State
of South Carolina, much less learned judge
on the bench, would have come to any other
conclusion than that arrived at by me-"
Without saying another word he quietly sat
down. The lawyers in the court house were
astonished, and the judge from whom the ap-
peal had been taken could not sit still, but
turned first one way and then the other on
his seat
In the examination of witnesses, Mr.. Will
liams was gentlemanly and polite, but if q
witness showed signs of prevarication he was
very apt to be exposed before he was told to
come down off the stand.
During all his life, Mr.. Williams was
hard student. His general reading was
extensive, but he studied law and read other
books for recreation. His mind was wholly
occupied with law. He had taste for it, he
loved it almost to the exclusion of every
thing else.
In 1868, Mr.. Williams was elected Judge
of the 9Th Judicial Circuit. This high hon
or he declined, because of the unsettled state