The Cairo bulletin., 1912-05-20
B.COV. PORTER
IS DEAD At AN
ADVANCED AGE
I%,,.sA
Demise, Which Was Not Unexpect.
ed, End. a Long
Illness
r" "'s --
HAD BRILLIANT CAREER
First Lawyer, Legislator Then Gov.
ernor and Secretary Of State
Of Cleveland
HAD BRILLIANT CAREER

Paris, Tenn, May 19.-Ex-Gov.
James D. Porter, 81 years old, quiet
ly passed away shortly before 8
o'clock last night at his home here
after an illness lasting for many
weeks. His death was not unex-
pected as he has been almost at
deaths door for the past few
months. He was surrounded by his
family when the final summons
came.
The funeral will take place Mon
day at O'Clock, conducted by Dr.,
w. 7. Boiling of Fulton, KY, for
merly pastor of the NJ. +. church of
this city
Came From Old Family.
James Davis Porter was born in
Paris, Tenn, Dec. Z, 1928. He Is
descended from John, the first Aneri-
can Porter, born in 1890, at Kenil
worth. Warwickshire, England, in
Wrexhall Abbey, the ancient home Of
the family where many of their num-
bers are buried. John Porter, his
wife Rose and their children sailed
from England in the ship Anna ar
irving at Dorchester Quays, May 30,
1927. This John Porter was not q
Puritan, and did not come to Ameri-
ca to escape persecution OF any sort,
but to improve his fortunes. His
descendants are very numerous.
Many of them were soldiers of the
Revolutionary War, among them n
great-uncle of Gov, Porter, Gen.
Peter b. Porter, of the War of 1912,
afterwards a member of the cabinet
of John Quincy Adams. The ad-
mirals of the United States navy are
his descendants.
Starts Law Practice.
Gov Porter was the third son and
third child of his parents and was
educated by David Cochrane, a dis
tinguished teacher, an alumnus OF
Belfast, ireland, and for many years
principal of the academy at Paris.
At the age of l6 years he entered the
junior class in the University Of
Nashville, then under the presi-
dency of DR.. Phillip Lindsey, and
was graduated two years thereafter
in the class of 1916. He was in
poor health for many years after
that date. He studied law in the
office of Gen. John II. Dunlap in his
native town and at the law school
at Lebanon, Tenn, and commenced
the practice in 1851. He was mar
ried in June Of that year to Susan,
the eldest daughter of his legal pre-
Ceptor, and shortly thereafter set
tied on farm near Paris, where he
resided many years until he was
called into public service. His pro-
fessional life was successful, and il
was against the wishes of his wife
and her father that he ever turned
aside from it for the vanities of pub
lie life.
In 1859 he was elected to the leg
islature and took leading part in
the proceedings of the extra session
of 1861, when Tennessee dissolved
her relations with the general gov
ernment. He was the author of the
Porter resolutions, which pledged
Tennessee to cooperate with the
South in case of war between the
states. In advocating them he said
he hoped there would be a peaceful
: solution, but If there should be war,
Tennessee must be united. These
resolutions were adopted by the leg
islature of Tennessee and by several
other Southern states.
He assisted Gen. Pillow in organ
izing the provisional army of Ten
nessee, Joined Gen Cheatham and
was with him as his chief of staff
during the four years of the war and
was paroled with him in May, 1855
at the surrender of the army OF Ten
nessee.
Nominated for Governor.
In the fall of 1866 he resumed the
practice of his profession and wa,
actively engaged In 1t until the con-
We tion was called in 1870 to form
new constitution for the state OF
Tennessee. He was unanimously
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