The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-05-02
OLNEY ON LAMAR.
The Acknowledgement! Pays a Glowing Tribute
to The Late Justice

Washington, April 24-Attorney General
Oihey made his first appearance in the ST.
prtihe court OF the United States today
save on the occasion of his formal intro,
| ductl0n to the court by his Predecessor
The occasion that called him out was the
| presentation of the resolutions recently
adopted by the members of the bar upon
! the death of the late Justice Lamar In
/ anticipation of this event, there was an un-
| usually large attendance of attorneys up0n
| the session of the court and the visitors
| benches We're also quite wei filled Mr..
| Olney spoke easily and gracefully and was
listened to with much interest not only for
his subject but for the manner in which he
led it. Attorney General Olney said i'll
part
With Mr.. Justice Lamar has passed away
not only II lawyer and a judge, but an able
historic figure. 1t may have been his mis-
fortune lawyer. though his good fortune
timeS-in times which, however adverse TO
the acquisition of technical knowledge and
technical skill. always and inevitably develop
whatever there is in man Of intellect and
moral greatness. He was born when the
S sSn9eS the admission the sectional of snds
into into the he un io5 issue ''' which
startled jefferson ''like a fire bell IN the
night'-were still resoundfng through the
land. He was Il mere youth when the Mis-
souri, compromise was succeeded by another.
and the specter of dsunion was laid for a |
time by the mingled frmness and moderation |
of General jackson. He had hardly entered |
upon the practice of law when the north and |
the fugitive slave law and the extension of |
slavery into the territories. He went with his
section and his state i'll the civil war thar
followed only ten years later, and supported
their cause with equal devotion on the battle
field. Always under all circumstances he was
a leader--uot merely followed and obcycd
but implicitly trusted and sincerely loved
He continued to lead even more decisively and
on IL larger field. when arms We're laid down
and to him more than TO any other one man is
due the adoption by both yctors ana van
uuiShed of those counSelS of moderation and
magnanimity and wisdom. which have made
the editicc of our constitutional union more
to all assault than ever before
But this eventful and stormy career; these
engrOSSing and exciting occupations and
achievements of the soldier and statesman and
that exclusive devotion to the science Of
and that constant familiarity
with its practical application in the admins
tration of Justice, which that jealous mistress
the law-inexorably exacts of all her fol-
lowers.
| do not believe that Mr.. Justice Lamar
ever practiced law as his sole or chief occun1
ion, for any term of five cOnsecutfvn
years | am unable to discover that he cond
principal pursuit for more than ten or twelve
ears i'll all. And it is the highest possible
rjbtt+- 10 his natural genius: to his legal in
tincts and extraordinary intellectual gifts
hat. in spite of all the disadvantages undor
which he labored Mr.. Justice Lamar nor
ormed his part as a member of this cOurt OF
udcature. not only to the accoptance of tho
cnch and bar, but with such ntpllicencr and
zeal and devotion that only
ented his ultimately attaining decided iudiciaI
miuencp. ''~''''