The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-28
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL TICKET.
FOR PRESID-.
WILLIAM ]. BRYAN.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT.
D [ &. STEVENSON.
A GREAT BAR

BY IuTDIIS 10 lit
"Our Living and Our Dead" you VIII
find a brief article from the late Hon.
A. w. Venable, a native OF Virginia,
but who came to the par IN
1926. 1t gives his impression OF tina
great Bar then, and it was written at
our request, being dictated TO his
grandson, named after him., the dis
tinguished gentleman being unable TO
use pen by reason of palsy, Mr.. Ven
able said that the supreme court OF the
United States could have been taken
from the Granville bar. as he first
knew it.
1t is not inappropriate to recall some
words from the greatest Greek poet
Homer: Master of persuasive speech,
who's tongue dropped words more
sweet than honey" But that tongue is
forever silenced so far as his life is
involved for, to quote another Homeric
line, H fell, and death involved him
in it's shade" 1t is not out OF place for
the living to recall the memory of the
dead and to tell of those men of might
who once ''fulmined GER assemblies
and were leaders in thought and
achievements in their day.
Mr.. Venable was a distinguished
member Of the Granville bar, a. was
the Hon. Robert B. Gillian, after
wards judge of the superior court,
member Of the United State house, and
e~x-speaker of the house of commons
in state legislature. With these able
and learned resident members we have
seen sitting in that bar the following
lawyers of eminence in their day, of
excellent education, and some of them
accomplished bellies lettres scholars;
George E. Badger, easily first. ex-judge,
ex-secretary of navy, eX-U. S. Senator;
Romulus NJ. Saunders, ex-judge, ex-
member of congress, eX-U. s. minister
to Spain; James Iredell, ex-governor,
and ex-U. S. senator; VIM. A. Graham,
ex-governor, ex-secretary of navy, ex-
L. S. Senator; Hugh Waddell, eX-
speaker of state senate and accom-
plished; Perrin H. Busbee; Edwin G..
Reade, Representative in congress,
ex-associate justice n. c. supreme
court; John Kerr. ex-member of the Z.
S. house, and judge of superior court,
and whig candidate for governor; John
H. Bryan, ex-representative in con-
.gress; Duncan K. McRae, eX-candidate
for governor, consul general to Paris
and colonel in confederate army; Will
liam Eaton, an accomplished lawyer
n writer; James B.. Sheppard, candi-
date for governor; Henry w. Miller,
one of the greatest lawyers, orators
and debaters of his state or the south,
was whig nominee for the congress but
was defeated by General Saunders.
There were some younger and promis-
ing members of the bar we have seen
in attendance, some of whom became
distinguished highly. We cite, ex-gen-
eral and ex-U. s. Senator NJ. W. Ran
som; Marcellus V. Lanier, LID. a
most learned and scientific lawyer,
James S. Amis, an alumnus of the
university of North Carolina and an
admirable gentleman still living, but
physically incapacitated; Col. Thomas
Brown Venable, Hampden Sidney col
lege alumnus; Major James T. Little
john, l.. C. Edwards, Lieutenant Colo
mel T. l.. Hargrove and ex-captain and
court justice, Joseph J.
Davis; William A. Jenkins. ex-attorney
general and e~x-Iieutenant colonel af-
forwards. These titles were obtained
in the war. We mention also Colonel
George Workman, who was in the war.
We have given the titles either OBJ
tanned before or after the time when
we saw them in the court Why might
not the United States supreme court
have been taken from it-at a later
time than that mentioned by Mr.. Ven
able-say about 1S49-52? Has that bar
ever been surpassed in North Carolina?
IF So when was it?