Evening journal., 1913-10-21
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Kind Of Chief Justice
Abraham Lincoln Would
Have Made
BY HOIlnnd.


David Davis who was for fifteen years
associate justice of the supreme court
at Washington and for six years United
States senator from Illinois, was very
eonspicuous figure in national politics
for more than forty years. He was of
immense physical proportions but his
brain fully matched his body in this re-
spect ! was chatting one day with
the late Robert r. Hit, who was at
one time assistant secretary of state
and also member of congregs from n
hnois. Mr.. Hit had the no.tmabe
privilege Of reporting in shorthand the
Historic debate between Stepaen A.
Douglas and Abraham Lincoln in 1855,
a debate which pre-eminently Indicated
Mr.. Lincoln as the great intellectual
power in the newly organized Republi-
can party.
'lf you ever have a chance 20 gct into
conversation with Judge Davis, Mr.
Hit said, "don't fail TO ask him what
his opinion of Lincoln rs a lawyer was.
There is no man in the United States
who had better opportunities OF meosur-
ing Iincoln's capacity as a lawyer than
did Judge Davis: lie was circuit court
Judge in Illinois for many years and it
was upon his circuit thnt Lincoln used
chiefly to practice. He and Davis oe-
came warm personal friea.ls. fhey Of
ten roomed together in country tayerns.
They took their meals together anG 4
have always been of The opiniu1 that
Judge Davis was the first mad in Hi
nois to contemplate Lincoln ia the light
of the presidency"
/ had opportunity only a ycar after
Mr.. Hit made this suggestion to me
TO spend an hour or two in conva sat-
with Judge Davis. II was in the spring
of 1853. Judge Davis was United States
senator and his service as president Of
the senate expired on March of that
year Tie went almost Immediately TO
North Carolina TO meet and marry the
Young woman who had been betrothed
to him.
On the train / found Judge Davis dis
posed to be chatty and | asked him if
he would tell me what his opinion of
Lincoln as a lawyer was.
Judge Davis looked at me for mo-
ment with great earnestness, for my
question hud apparently raised Hoou
of recollections of the man with whom
he was so intimately associated in those
early days of Lincoln's professional prae-
ticc.
'1n my opinion said Judge Davis,
'Mr. Lincoln would have made one of
the great chief justices of the United
States Supreme Court. His preemnent
position in politics and the masterly
manner with which he directed his ad
ministration at the time of the civil
war have caused all but a very few to
overlook the very great-l was almost
going to say unmatched- ability of Lin
coin rs a lawyer aud especially the dis
tinctive judicial quality of his intellect
He was not very learned lawyer, but
he possessed something better than mere
learning That was his capacity to as
similnte fundamental legal principles
and TO apply them to any particular case
which was before him. These qualif-
cations are those Of the ablest of Judges
and have often thought that II Mr.
Lincoln had been mnde the chief iustic'
Of the United States he would have
taken rank with any one OF the grea
men who have held llat office.
downright. 1918, by f. j. Edwards Al
rights reserved)
Il