Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-13

IN DECEMBER, 1885, ROBT. NJ. CHARLTON
succeeded Judge NicOll, and continued
the Circuit Judge until August, 1887. He
was one of the youngest, if not the
youngest, man on tie circuit bench in the
history of the State, he being only 81 years
Of age. He remained only on the
bench short time, for the same reason
that many now remain for so short a
time on the bench, or will not accept q
JudgeshIp at all, viz: the meagTeness of
the salary. During his Judgeship John
e. Ward was the Solicitor General. In
a few months after Judge Charlton
retired, Mr.. Ward did likewise.
and the two formed a partnership, which
continued for II or IA years. Judge Chari-
ton was an exception of man from any
point of view that embraced the good and
the true. He was a lawyer and Judge of
the first ability, but great as that was he
exceeded it in the perfection of his private
and personal character. He added to the
virtues and graces of the perfect gentle
man the unObtrusiYe piety Of the true
Christian. He was one Of the very few men
to whom the adjectiVes of sweet and
lovely, so often used by one lady of
another, would apply. The gift Of poesy
was his to make, yet more lOYable his
other gifts and accomplishments. This
git was consistent with all his
other attributes, and was no sur
prise to any one, as it may be of
men who have it even greater
than he, but in contrast with
many vices. He was also gifted with a
refined and generous humOr, (which was
never used to wound, but always to heal,
or confer pleasure.
During the period of which l write the
SollcitOrs-General of the Circuit were
Joseph w. jackson, from November. 1881,
to May, 1888, then William H. Stiles IN
I'll January, 1886, then John E. Ward I'M
til March, 1888.
EACH AND ALL OF THESE GENTLEMEN
were personally, as well as by reputation,
Well-knOWn to me. 1t so happened that
each of them had to discharge for the
State weighty and difficult duties il Sc
rious and embarrassing criminal cases of
the grade of felony. Joseph W. jackson,
after having represented the State in Con-
gress from the Savannah district
occupied the Circuit bench for a brief
period, and died of the prevailing cpl
denic some thirty years ago. He was one
OF the several sons of GeOrgIa's very dis
Governor, James jackson. He
was of a style and type of honorable and
chivalrOus manhood that cannot now be
found. William II. Stiles also repre-
scented his native State in the national Con-
gress, and there won renOwn. He became
ment to the Austrian Empire. As an
orator he was noted for his faultless
rhetoric and elOcutiOn, and as a gentle
men for grace and polish of manner not
to be eXcelled. Death, too, has long
since sileneed forever that tongue of
elOquence, and that voice of music.
John E. Ward was for many years
a conspicuous figure in Geor-
gia politics, and has been the
United States Minister to the Empire of
China. Strange to say, that these tlg0 Solic- /
citizens from the same city,
should have been foreign ministers from
their national government. Yet stranger,
that another from the same city, and who
was in later years a Judge of the
same court, should have been like !
wise a foreign minister-General /
Henry r. Jackson. Mr.. Ward is /
yet living, but in the city of New York. /
He alone survives Of the older and contem- (
poraneous lawyers Of the Savannah bar /
at the date of his admission. Judge Flem- /
ing, who is an older lawyer, and much /
older man, was afterward a member of |
the Savannah bar. What remains to be |
said on this subject must be postponed for |
a future letter. RICHARD H. CLARK.