Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-02
HERFAMOUS LAWYERS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE III

| pre-eminence. Thomas J. Niche was
! great legal logician, and in nisi prius
| cases ne was ever quick and at his best;
| and was a conSummmate eXpounder of
| difficult questions of law to the comon
mind.
John 3. Baldwin possessed noble and
| fertile intellect which shone before the
(, bench and bar with unrivalled splen(lor
| and he always kept his opponents vigi-
! liant and every horse with his traces
! tight. In the quick apprehension of the
| real issue in the vigorous grasp of the
| points and facts of his case; in the versa
| tile powers of reasoning. illustration wit,
humor. and invective. he was indeed Il
| great advocate. His death was a public
calamity, and in the confusion and trou-
bles that soon followed his State missed
his strong hand to win the battles of the
people. He was one of the committee of
nine to visit Lincoln in the interests of
peace. Ii general learning as lawyer
Judge Hugh w. Shetfey. orator and mem
Der of Assembly and Secession Conven-
ton. won his right to professional fame
and for skill as an advocate was de-
serving of the highest praise.
Sandy Stuart's fame q lawyer is sec
ond to his reputation as q public states
man: but in both departments he was
eminent Representative in Congress,
leader in both houses of the General AS
senlbly, and as Secretary Of the Interior
under Fillmore. he won merited dstinc-
ton.
Loudon4 and FHuuuier.
Loudoun and Fauquier have given birth
to, and furnished the homes of q noble
band of lawyers. and memory recalls none
| more wildly than Robert z. Scott and
!
Janney. of Lnudoun, who presided over
| the Secession Convention Of 1851 with con-
! spicuous dignity. Robert Y. Conrad. of
! Winchester, the father of Hon. Holmes
| Conrad. of Winchester. who was Cleve-
lana Solicitor-General, posses seL the met
| aphysical powers which We're capable of in
definite refinement in reasoning. II had an
acute perception. with simple faculty of
| exposition. which enabled him to make
| plain jury comprehend bStruse problems.
| Many of the old planters of that day, who
| sat on the juries in plain costume of blue
| ieans-so plain a pauper would hardly
wear t-possessed acute and imaginative
! genius, and expressed their thoughts in
| words of vigorous eloauence on the pub
| lie questions of the day.
| Waller Staples was q profound student
of the law all his life, patient and thor
ough in preparation and impression in ar
distinguished counsel in the famous Bet
ty Lewis case that he bestowed more
labor and pains in that trial than all the
rest combined His motto was Always
do your best and he applied it through
out his practice as we'll as In his able
and profound decisions when president
OF the Court of Appeals 1t is not gen
orally known that Malone. who was once
ca He'd Il Governor maker. offered the
nomination for Governor to Staples when
he threw it to Holiday as the dark horse.
hone and John W. Daniel and defeat
ing the latter in that memorable conven
ton. And the same compliment was ten
dered Judge Staples by Malone when
General Kemper received the nomination
for Governor
..Honext'' John Letchcr.
If the influence and power Of John
Letcher. the war Governor OF Virginia,
was not in technical and case learning.
it was in a lofty sense of Justice and
patriotism and he. was always armed in
the maintenance of the real right. His
public career is the pride of Virginia. and
his biography is Honest John Letcher."
Judge William J. Robertson was thor
Cugh and practical in all things, and won
and held the confidence OF the public and
the sincere respect of his profession. He
was Judge of the Court of Appeals.
and was once rendered a nomination for
Governor. With the charm of modesty
and unostentaton, his nobility of char
acter commensurate with his great
ability a jurist
Robert E. Scott. lawyer. State senator,
and member of the Secession convention,
mature reflection had completed his plan,
his opponent found him fenced and guard
ed at every point. His array of forces
was almost reSiStleSS in attack or i'm
presnable in defence.
Among the rear guard of the past glory
of that eventful period, John Goode,
congressman, solicitor-general. and presi-
dent of the Virginia Constitutional Con-
vention. and former United States Sen
ator Eppa Hunton survive. They are
golden links connecting the present with
that Virginia of ancient and chvalric
knighthOod that will ever challenge the
admiration OF mankind.
The praise of these and of how many
more, like Jack Thornton who died for
his country on the bloody field Of Sharps-
burg; Muscoe Russell Hunter Garrett
his thoughts glow with his brilliant rhe-
toric; Beverly Douglas. the eloquent
stump speaker and advocate. who brought
tears to the eyes of his jurieS: Dromgooie |
with his splendid abilities, quick wit, and |
sound judgment and of whom jackson |
said he ought to be president: Thomas S. |
Bocock. who ran for Speaker of the House
federate House Of Representatives the |
genial gentleman and polished parliament |
tartan. and Judge W. ". Crump acute |
and accurate. with a profound learning I
in the principles of law; Robert OuId, |
United States District Attorney who |
prosecuted Sickles for killing Barton Key, I
with persuasive eioquence. and skilled |
tice and of many others that time fails |
me to mention, but who will live in the /
hearts of their professional brethren and |
be recorded in their countryts annals.
X. X. |