Year: 1867

1
LARITY-PROFEssIoNA RECORD.


Especial Correspondence Philadelphia Press


PITTSBURGH, August 80, 1867.
Your home readers may be interested
in. some of the particulars pertaining to
the history of our candidate for the Su-
preme Judgeship. In our cismontane
district of the State, a sketch upon such
a topic would be but the repetition of a
series of details familiar to readers as
household words. With you, as per
contra, is the case of Sharswood here
not one of a hundred of our good people,
perhaps, ever having heard of him pre-
viously to his nomination-the case is
different


The popular ignorance with regard to
this class of our representative men is
not to be wondered at when we reflect
upon the nature of the duties of the Office
and the discharges attendant upon the
same. A judge, unlike politician,
never appears before men in the mass.
His deliveries are not public orations,
beaded all through with glittering fan
cies, intended to fasten easily upon i'm
pressible imaginations, and so to win
sort of common fame. He is only heard
of through an "opinion important,
surely, but appreciable only to men
of the profession serving with or under
him, the plaintiff or defendant in case,
twelve grave men in a box, and perhaps
twice that number in the lobby before
him. A reputation among his brother
hood, however, is just such a one as, ac-
cording to its extent and quality, should
tell to the advantage, in greater or less
degree, as the case may be, of the can
didate setting claim upon it.


Henry w. Williams is the defendant
of an old and res pectable family of Con-
necticut. He received his education at
Amherst College, in Massachusetts, en-
tering that institution (then under the
presidency of Heman Humphrey, ID.
d. in 1888 and graduating in 1871
After brief term of service as teacher,
melted by that spirit of enterprise which
is apt to operate upon a character of ex-
traordinary energy, and looking abroad
for field of more growing promise than
that of his native State in which to cast
the fortunes of his future life, he crossed
the mountains and settled in Pittsburgh
Arrived here, he commenced the study
of the law in 1889, under sx.Chief JUS
tice Lowrie, and two years afterwards
was admitted to the bar of Allegheny
county. He pursued the practice of his
profession with eminent success until
the fall of 1851, at which time he was
elected to the position on the bench
which he has occupied ever since. His
sympathies and his interests are all with
his adopted State. To urge objection TO
him because Of his "foreigu" birth
comes with a bad grace from the party
who are so scrupulously anxious, at all
times, to endow their fellow beings Of
distant importatiou-from Ireland es-
pecially-with all the right of citizen
ship.


The simple fact of Judge Williams
nomination for the Supreme bench
entirely unsought for by him, aud only
brought about by the urgency of profes-
sional men who knew his distinguished
fitness for the place-is the strongest ar
gument which could be presented in his
behalf. He stands endorsed as to capac-
ity by every member of our bar-the
Barr of the Post included and were it
not that the machinery of party might
suffer by the course, think am safe in
saying that he would not encounter a
vote of opposition in our county.
Among the many testimonials volunta-
rily offered in endorsement of him, you
will be pleased, perhaps, to read the fol-
lowing from the Hon. Moses Hampton,
ex-member of Congress from our dis
trict, who has taken no part in politics
since his accession to the bench, and
whose judgment in this, as in all cases
attaching to his profession, is entitled to
the highest consideration


81 have known him for period of
over twenty eight years. | became ac-
quainted with him before he commence
ed the study of law, and have known
him ever since. l practiced with him
from the time he was admitted to the
bar, in 1911, until he went on the bench
in 1851, and practiccd before him until
1858, when, as you know, | was chosen
to seat on the same bench with him
We have occupied the position by re-
election from that time to this. These
facts are deemed amply sufficient to
warrant me in speaking with perfect con-
fidence as to his character, talents, legal
learning, and integrity.


"His moral character is pure and uu-
sullied, so much so, that even the breath
of SANDER has never breathed upon it,
He possesses talents of a high order, such
as fit him peculiarly to comprehend and
determine those difficult and complicated
questions of law which are usually
brought before courts of last resort for
final adjudication. His legal learning is
SO varied and extensive, that by the aid
of a most extraordinary memory, both of
principles and cases, he is enabled to
form correct Judgment in almost every
uuestion hrouUht before him His lu-