The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-08-27
GMINENT - WYEn5
Prent.ss, O'Connct, E!uMo;s and
t.cNc, and.


In 1850 there ape geu Ia tNe n&tioaSl
arena Il pheno"eAal u3u. ! Gouul If ulr
cedtury has seen H. tu,s cuun'ry anoli G.,
SO rapid growth OF u uato.Mi reputation
rs an orator aAd lawyer, ~ in the case of
Sergeant ). t'rcuti lhe tradition of
him is fast fading, ct us catch glimpse
OF the lecetiing figure. He was born in
Maine in lSOs, and settled in NickShurt,
Mississippi, IN 1929 Ills extraordinary
genius secured ion him at once the leader
his intellectual supremacy and his per-
sonal courage. Dues We're then the order
of the day, TO refuse II cha leuge from
Governor tCoic was equivalent to ost u
c!sm, and he fought him. He had wcal
nesses, but in their splendid setting they
were almost lost from View. In Il rrpll-
dating State he Genoun, cd rciHdiat un,
and by his ar IumeEt i'll the ,uu. Is crusned
the rrincipie in The sac Tribunals.
Chactaws, he chant Toned the cause
of the Indian. He moved through
life Il KING t without fear, and
without reproaeh, II foe of the opprcssor, {,
defender Of the wroaged. Sidney was not
more chivalric, Ea! ard not moie tue. In
1888 he was elected to Congress rs II
wh1g His seat was tiispuI cd, and he de-
L
Representatives in speech which lock
the House and country by storm. Its bril-
liancy, its chivalric tone, its To- zeal
power its lega! acumen Captivated and
astonished. NO young member OF Cen.
gress ever receiy ed such ovnDionS. lie
served through that Congress, dgcliniag Il
second election. His is another instance
OF afCO!d anu successful experiment. At
the age Of thirty SIX he removed TO New
Orleans, a much more Important field.
Although this required him 10 master the
civil law he accomplished it, and took rank
with the foremost leaders Ct he / on siama
bar. He died at forty-two y ar. o, age.
lwish lcoulu ..eak with III. liute. iscnce,
and time permitted, of Char e! y Conner,
You know he was in nos, Vi the great
cases arising Ill New YORK during Ill,
active career, that he preferred professional
success to Iecunialy. rewards, that he had
power OF Will that baffed death uutii
broken by age. He lose TO his pr!ma y 10y
force of intellect and his vast learning. His
argument in the Lennon ca suslaN ing
the right OF master to BRING his slaNe
and retain him in our stale is an illiu ira
ton of his individuality. He dcted the
anti-slavery sentiment and boldly 10 k
the ground that slavery was the natural
and Just condition the African race. he
based his position upon its history. 1t Lad
proved incapable OF civilization. He
moved through II jury trial li4e a born
commander, and his arguments at the bar
were master pieces OF learning and logic.
Vac ptctis might have been his motto
when.reslsting oppression AID wrong.
This imperial manner was Sirikinsly OK
hibited on the Forrest trial. in which be-
ing on the defense; he carried the war into
the enemy's country. He made 1t Il dc Sc. t,
but did not call it pcate.
In his hundred volumes of hi; own
cases is the record Of his tiiumpls TIE
store house of the spoils OF the van .ulsh> Il.
Mr.. O'Conner in his island retreat de-
voting his last days to offices OF friendship
and charity, and finding in the religion of
his mother consultations superior to all
professional triumphs, is us beautiful a
picture OF age as appears i'll the gallery of
Plutarch.
The Buffalo bar hasin the public careers
of two of its eminent members, u UNIQUE
history; q.
About sixty years ago, Willard Fillmore,
then unknown and unpatronzed, came to
Erie County and established himself Us /,
lawyer. He brought to his profession, in
industry; fidelity and adequate talent. So
self distrustful was he of his ability t.
cope with the leaders of the Buffalo Bar
that he first settled in the thea hamlet of
Aurora.
III 1928 he was elected q memLer Of the
Legislature. lie soon after Nentuied tC
move to the Nillageof Buffalo viii, h had
begun to ieel the ocean tide beat through
the Erie canal.
In 1884 he was elected a member of Con-
gress, and was repeatedly reelected BY
his intelligent attention TO public business
he Won Il national reputation. Relieved
from Congress his state summoned him to
some OF its high honors. Before he was
fifty years of age he was at the head of the
government He had served up to the
presidency, yet never forsaking his profes
sion during the intervals of his official
life
About thirty years ago Grover Cleve
land came, to Buffalo, Ike MI FL more
unknown and unpatronised. He entered
upon the study of the law, and III due
time was enrolled with the profession
He was dilisent and successful Again S,
his desires he was cary called 10 semi
judicial office, and later and still more EN-
phatically against his desires. to TIE mag
istracy of Buffalo.
Then began a history without parallel
He did not take the Hood tide which leads
to fortune-the tide took him, and bore
him whether he would or no to that goal
to which all our prominent Statesmen
have looked with pilitul longing, and. fol-
the most part, with heartbreaklng disap
pointment.
1t is worthy your notice hat both Mr.
Fillmore and Mr.. Cleve and laid the
foundation of tleir success n devotion tC
the labors and studies OF their profession
The world may talk of favoring crcum
stance, and call it luck, but luck does not
SO crown idlers or foo!s.-t3 ON Lecture
bU Hon. James q. PEtEdn.