The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-12-21

in party trials for the Catholics in
Gushendall in 1886. gives interest
ing recollections of those episodes.
Judge Theophilus Jones, at the Newry
quarter sessions, a Protestant of
Orange principles, said to him: "You
are wasting your time practicing as a
solicitor. Go to the bar, and go to the
English bar. AS Roman Catholic
YOU will have bad chance on the
northern circuit here. Go on a circuit
where there are Irish. Try Liverpool,
where the Irish are strong"
In 1858 he went to London to pass
his examination for the bar. In the
same year Russell was married to
Miss Ellen Mulholland, daughter of
DR.. Mulholland, Belfast, at st. Iala-
chy's church, Belfast, by Rev. DIR.
Russell of Maynooth.
In the northern circuit in England
he rapidly rose. His practice grew en-
| Hrmously. Clients and solicitors saw
hat he had clear head, strong
will, an Independent spirit and a great
industry. 1t is a mistake to suppose
that Russell or any other man attain
cd success without hard sustained ef-
fort. There is royal road to success
in any path of activity.
No one worked harder than Russell.
He had an infinite capacity for taking
pains. The things he loved best were
accuracy, lucidity, brevity and keep
ing to the point. He was intolerant
Of stupidity, folly, verbosity and af
fectation. His was not a subtle
mind, nor was it stored with the fruit
of great reading. A great orator he
was not, and except on occasions he
was hardly an eloquent speaker. But
if not great orator he was great
personality. AS a speaker as in every
thing else Russell was simple, strenu-
Gus, direct, Straightforward. His
method may be described in sentence
"a clear statement, driven home with
the hammer of Thor. Clearness, force
and earnestness-thes were his char
acteristic qualities. Russell would
have made great general. Some one
said it was pity he ever went to the
bar, as he was meant to be a man of
action. He was no respecter of per-
sons. He feared no one.
Lord Coleridge said: "He is the
biggest advocate of the century,"
Lord Bowen, the possessor of keen
and powerful mind, said: Russell
may not know law, but no man can
argue law point better. Some of us
may know more law, some of us may
be what is called more cultured, but
Russell differs from us all at the bar
| or on the bench in this-he has
genius.''
His fees in some years totalled more
than 10000 year. For a quarter of
a century he appeared in almost every
trial of public importance, and. scored
repeated triumphs. "Why did you
brief Russell in these cases?" asked
Mr.. O'Brien of Sir George Lewis, So
licitor for Mr.. Labouchere in some his
toric trials. Because he was the
best man." was the ready answer.
"He did the cases splendidly. Nothing
could be better. His cross-examina-
ton was perfect. He had no equal as
cross-examiner. He had no equal as
IN advocate. There was never a
rreater man at the English bar than
RUSSELL"
His masterpiece was his defense Of
he Irish parliamentary party before
he Parnell commission, when he pull
'erized Pigott to atoms, and made
hat memorable speech which the
president of the commission pronounc-
d "a great speech. worthy of a great
ccasion," Lord Rosebery wrote to
lin on the subject: "You have, at a
,ound. passed from solid reputation
supreme eminence." and Lord Ran
'olph Churchill wrote to say that
Never has the case of Ireland and
England been presented with such in
xpressibly consummate skill or with
nch overwhelming force" His par
'amentary career began in 1880. In
that year he was thought Of as can