The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1883-10-06
A.. S. MERRIMON.
HIS APPOINTMENT TO THE SU.
PREME BENCH.
4 sketch of his Life--FrOm a Mountain
Boy to the Associate Justiceship.

PREME BENCH.
4 sketch of his Life--FrOm a Mountain
Boy to the Associate Justiceship.
Last Saturday Governor Jarvis rendered
to A. S. MerrimOn the place on the Supreme
Bench made vacant by the resignation Of
Thomas Ruff1n. Mr.. Merrimon accepted
the appointment and imme diately assumed
the duties Of his high office.
Augustus Summerfeld Merrimon was
born IA Transylvanla county Chen Bun
combe) September 10 1890 His father
was one of those sturdy pioneers, the early
Methodist preachers, who have left such a
lasting impression on the character Of the
people of North Carolina, man of poverty
<nd without great learning, but Of indOm-
JIt el>rgy and Of strong Onvictions. He
waged a literal warfare with the Devil with
even greater vigor than his distinguished
son has always fought the enemies of the
RIGHTS Of the peOple-WhO in his eyes are
reparded as one manifestation Of the Devil
Jndge Merrimon's mother was daughter
of William Paxton, who was brother OF
Judge John Paxton Of the Superior Court.
Judge Merrimon's maternal grandmother
was a daughter of Gen. Charles Mcdowell.
His school life ended with his attendance
at a private school in Ashevlle. He is a
self made man in this sense-that he ac
dlred his learning by his own efforts Tin
deed in a certain sense everybody dOcs)
hut he studied hard and long under dis
cOuraging circumstances. lie is a sclf-made
man Who made good job in making him
self.
He and Senator Vance read law in the
office of John W. WOodfin of Asheviie
In 1852 he was admitted to the bar, aud in
1858 was admitted to practice in the higher
courts. His political career began in 1860,
when he was elected a member OF the Leg
isa,ure from BuncOmbe.
There are few men in the South Of whose
whole career since 1860 their friends can
feel proud Judge Merrimnn is surely one
of them. In 1860 he was a Union man, as
most Of the best men IN North Carolina We're.
Harsh criticism of his position did not
change his course From bp,hood he has
been an independent fellow The tradition
is that t was not the fault Of his courage
that he did not fight Nicholas w Woodfin
when the latter assaied his character be
cause of his non-Se cesSOn ideas.
But when President Lincoln called for
1000 men by proclamation, Augustus Mer-
rmon marched ia Raleigh as a private in
Zeb Nance's company. His military ser
vice cut short Dy the call of Governor
Ellis for the Legislature to assemble.
In 1861 he was made solicitor Of the
Eighth circuit at the close of the war he
conducted a vi gorous campaig gn in the pres
ence Of United States troops as a candidate
for Il seat in the State Convention called
under the Reconstruction Act he was de
feated hy l.. T. s ewart, Republican /; again
afterwards he was solicitor of the
Eighth Judicial circuit in 1866 he was
elected to the Bench Of the Superior Court
this position he gave up when Candy in
suited the judiciary in 1872, he was the
Democratic nominee for Governor and was
defeated % by Todd r. Caldwell in De-
cenber OF the same year, he was elected to
the United States Senate.
JlHu o
an important part Of the history Of North
Carolina. In 1870 he was with ex Governors
Bragg and Graham, eX Judge Battle and E.
s. Parker, counsel for Adolphus G. Moore,
when Mr. Moore was imprisoned along with
Josiah Turner, John Kerr and others by
Kirk again in 1871 he was associated with
exGovernors Bragg and Graham as attor-
ney in the impeachment Of Holden, when
J. NJ McCoIkle, Nathaniel Buyden, w. n.
II. Smith and Edward Conlgland were
counsel for Holden and he was engaged
as counsel in the famous will contest Of
James & johnson. These are only few
of the great cases in which he made fortune
and fame
But he has never been rich man The
period Of his public career has been the
stOrmlest period in our history, and he has
been conspicuous figure in 1t in many
ways. Other and less men have become
Iich other snd more brilliant men have
lost their character. Judge Merrimou has
never sacrificed his convictions. and ha
stood the severest test both of disappOint
ment and of success
He has been very great annoyance more
than once to the caucuses and managers Q
parties. He is Democrat, but Demo
crat after his own fashion
His industry has always been as great a
his physical strength and The mountain
air and the laborions days of his you'll
made him very strong man. He is nov
in the prime OF life, rather too stout to b
graceful, but not to be handsome. HI
manners ale not the manners Of the mos
studiously urbane men of the old fashion
but you canuot find more elegant or die
nitied gentleman than lie in the Who'll
land. He habitually wears dress coat
which becomes him. The single eyre
that many of his friends have felt b, caus
of his elevation to the Supreme Bench
hereafter. AS an orator he has no lvin
superior in North Carolina.
Of Judge Merrimon's legal scholarshi
and judicial mind nothing need be sal
here. lie IS one of the greatest lawyer
we have had in this generation of men an
he is great in two Ways-in the court rOOr
aud in the office. He is really a bette
Judge, however, than he is a lawyer fo
he sees a case SO clearly that in the prat
tice OF law AS in politics it is impossibl
for him to become a strong partisan
Another qualification of no little mpo1
tance to the legal profession is this-h
writes the English language. In this re-
pect he is much like his distinguished or,
decessor, whose decisions were alwa,
clearly and tersely expressed.
HEAVENWARD BUILDING.