Arizona republican., 1899-09-21
]. c.. S. BLACKBURN,
Attornay-at-Law

It is the cid law office of Thomas F.
/ Marshall, and it's walls have resOunded
with the wit and wisdom, the poetry
and song # many an attic night.
/ Born 1898. Graduated from CeIter,
/ 1857. Lawyer 1S58-1S61. Soldier 1861
1865. State legislator 1S71-1873. Con-
gresham 1875-1885. Unitsd States
senator 18S5-1897. Such in brief is the
/ career CT Joseph G. S. Blackburn d
conspicuous figure in American po-
litical life post-beIlum Wigfall. a
kentucky Rupert, a southern cavalier.
We shall not lock up-n his like again.
He is the last Of the HOtspurs. The
south, even Kentucky, is prepared 10
close the account with that class of
whom he is so pronounced a type-a
class admirable in many respects and
vicious in some respects. England
will develop another Percy, Scotland
produce another McIvar, lie Vende
again reilly to the lilies of Bourbon
France, as soon as Kentucky gives to
politics another Joe Blackburn. For
more than a third Of a century the old
commonwealth treated him as a favor
ite child, an only child, and never was
there a more indulgent mother and
never NEE engag ing, willful, selfish
offspuing-cne c. those household holy
terriers, total strangers 70 discipline,
wto think they have all the rights
and are absolved from all the duties
The year 1865 found Kentucky con-
trite. reporting her refusal to join the
southern confedaI3cy in 1861. That
amusing sati1ist. Petroleum V. Nasty,
understood this feeling. and that
caused him to date his letters Con
federate Y Roads (Which is in the
Staff CT Kentucky.)" Even such men
as Garrett Davis and Brutus I. Clay
condOned. if they did not share, the
prevailing feeling. Hence it was that
confederate record was assurance CT
preferment in every community where
democratic nomination was eqUiva-
lent to an election. John c. Breckin-
ridge was the idol Of the state. Buck
ner. Preston, Duke, Lewis, Williams,
Lyon, Marshall. BufCTd and hundreds
of ether cOnfedeIateS were GREETED with
plaudits and there were no elder broth
ers standing around making disagree
able and unoongenial comment on cur
rent festivities.
Among these who returned was JO-
seph c. S. Blackburn. He reCpened
his law office, and it rain5d retainers, |
though he did not know mora than
twice. as much law as Sir Matthew
Hale knew Indeed, he was not overly
profound as a jurist, but as an advC- |
cate ne was superb. His magnetism /
fixed the jury and his eloquencs Sc !
cured the verdict. He was the coed /
fellow" When On circuit instead OF !
burning the midnight oil porting over |
pleadings and precedent, he was sit
ting at the tavern cracking jokes, eX-
pounding the American constitution, |
regulating cur financial system, cuss-
ing the republican party and giving I
more serious thought 10 speculation On I
the result of the coming event On the /
turf at Lexington than to the argu- |
ment he IVES going to make to the jury |
in the court house next day. He was
the universal favoTite. Even jockies |
and bocublackB called him joe Men |
who never SAW him bsfore slapped him |
upon the back as they tipped glassss
with him and drank to the sunny
south He was the LIE CT every
burgoo. had the best mount in every
fox chase and was stationed at the best
stand" in every deer drive
His friends often la-nented his aver
SIGN to study; but had he been a stu
1ent like BreckinIidge, or a thinker
ike Carlisle, Kentucky would have
,ound another favotite. He would nat
have been Our Jce' a man cannot
-CiCW IHe ISSHIlIcdI reasoning CT my
Lord Cck5, or Nj. Justice Blackstone,
or Mr.. Chancellor Kent and at the
.aIne time be the best judge Ct whis-
Key in all Kentucky. He cannot bury
himself in the writings Of Burke and
# Jefferson, and at the same time in
yent the best receipt fer burgoo ever
lrdsred. II Joe ever read anything,
lis best fTiGEd never found it out. IA
iesd, soTfe OF them j0culRrly say he
an@ re3d. Though an igncrant man,