Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-07-08
HON. dAMss GARLAND.
The Most Remarkable Judge N America.

The Most Remarkable Judge IN America.
The Hon. James Garland, now
ninety years of age, presides al
Judge of the Criminal Court o
Lynchburg, Va. On the 9Th o
June 1882, the Bar OF Lynchburg
gave him banquet in celebration
OF his ninticth birthday. Judge
Garland is the father of Mrs. Bette
Cole, who formerly resided i'll this
county, and the grandfather of Miss
Bette Garland of our city.
We copy the following editorial
from the Lynchburg News; also a
part of the proceedings. giving the
speech of Judge Garland on the oc-
casion, and also a brief account OF
his public life:
A very remarkable and interest
| ing event occurred in this city last
night. It was the celebration of the
entrance on the ninetieth year of his
| life OF an eminent citizen, still hold
| ing IL seat on the judicial bench OF
the State and still in the vigor of his
mental faculties. presume there
is no other place on the globe where
similar occurrence could have ta-
en- place. 1t is one of the notable
things of which Lynchburg may
boast-that while she has more dis
tinguished sons abroad than any
other place, she at the same time
has the oldest Judge i'll the world at
home. History, as far as we know,
records but one instance before this
of judge attaining his ninetieth
year while yet performing the du-
ties of the bench. That was Sir
John Moore of the Queens Bench,
father OF the eminent but ill-fated
Sir Thomas Moore. Lynchburg and
London therefore stand preeminent
i'm this matter. 1t was Il graceful
act in the bar of the city to extend
this courtesy TO their venerable head
on the arrival of this interesting pc
riod i'll his lie, and we join with
them in the expression OF the hope
that other anniversaries to come
will find him in the enjoyment OF
health of mind and body, and that
peace and contentment may crown
the declining days of his long and
eventful life. ff
ANNIVERSARY BANQUET.
Never WAS there n greater intel
lectual and social treat in Lynch
burg than the banquet at the Nor
veil House, rendered by the mem
bers of the bar to the venerable and
distinguished Judge Garland, OF the
Corporation Court, in honor of his
Goth birthday. 1t was truly a "feast
of reason and flow of SOUL" Mr..
r. G. Kean presided with grace and
brlllianey.
The first toast brought out the
honored guest Of the occasion, Judge
Garland, who spoke with vigor, yet
emotion, reviewing the events of
his career, and declaring it the
"proudest day of his life" Judge
Garland spoke about as follows:
Gentlemen of the Lynchburg Bar, Officers
OF the Court and Visitors;
Whilst l do not feel that | have
done so much topromOte the public
interest individually, professional
", or officially, rs to merit the hon
or which you have conferred L
should not do justice to my own
feelings, to you or to the people of
Lynchburg, were | not to express
the deep sense of gratitude and
pride which are mine in contempla-
ting the honor conferred upOn me
by this festival, and the motives
which prompted it. l thank you,
gentlemen, most sincerely, for the
manner in which
you have expressed yourselves a
increased by the fact
that it comes FROM the lIynchburg
bar and the officers of the court
among whom / have been for Al
wears, from those who knew me
longest and know me best-at a
time too, when prOtracted life and
a limited commission are about to
no other motive than
those of friendship and confidence
could inspire it. l have been sew
enty years connected with the pro-
fcssion of law-twenty years of
which was employed as prosecutor
for the Commonwealth in this city
and twelve as the Judge of its first
Corporation Court,
during which time assert (an as
serlion which you have endOrsed) |
that though, neither able nor learn
ed. | have been honest prompt, faith
fui, impartial and courteous. Upon
no occasion have / draggled my
robes of Office in the filthy waters of
pOlii;cs, or been actuated by cor
rupt or improper motives. Under |
ali circumstances, and ut all times,
| have only sought to reach the
truth and do justice to the parties
before me without the IN
fluence or bias of prejudice, or any
outside consideration. IN doing
his / am proud to say | have been
aided and sustained not only by
the iorbearance, but by the ability,
learning, integrity, and courtesy OF
the Lynchburg bar to which in pro-
portion to their number, there Is no
superior in the State of Virginia, or
in any of our sister States so far as
have knowledge.
In the course Of my administra-
ion of public justicein the Corpora
ion court for the city of Lynch
burg, there have been a great many
.ases decided, a great deal of busi
ness done, in amount and charac-
.er, unsurpassed by no Corporation
court in the State, in which ques-
ions of the most difficult and intri-
.ate character have arisen and been
disposed of, and but few of them
we're reversed by the Supreme
court; proving, beyond doubt, not
he learning or ability of the Judge,
,ut the learning, ability, fidelity
md integrity of the bar. In the
criminal trials, which are many, no
Indictment filed by the Common
Attorney has ever been
luashed by reason OF defect, or
criminal escaped conviction, nor
.riminal case evelsed by the Su-
lreme court by reason of faulty
improper ruling or in
;truction OF the court. In all this
have had but one motiye-to vim
iieate and enforce the laws of the
and against the guilty, suppress
rhine by the infliction OF adequate
and at the same time
shield the innocent. What little of
his have been able to effect has
,een done through the instrumen-
ality of an able, intelligent and
patriotic bar. In the course of my
professional career in my native
State have met with sometimes
in contact with some of the
most learned, able and most honor