Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 09.pdf/291

 2ÓO

SOME KENTUCKY LAWYERS OF THE PAST AND PRESENT. ' I. BY SALUE E. MARSHALL HARDY. "First in the race that led to Glory's goal."

WILLIAM WIRT said: "The public opinion of the merits of a lawyer is but the winnowed and sifted judgment which reaches the world through the bar, and is therefore made up after severe ordeal and upon standard proof." With these words of Mr. Wirt in mind I have felt safe in select ing the lawyers I mention in this article, from among the thousands who have prac ticed in Kentucky courts, because of the reputation each one has of being worthy to be placed above his fellows.

"It is not worth while to ask Judge Rowan that," said Hardin, " the old Monarch never needed my services or any other lawyer's." His grandsons, Rowan and Lytle Buchanan, are to-day popular members of the Louis ville bar. Rowan Buchanan is remarkable for the accuracy of his knowledge on general subjects. John Pope Oldham presided in the Jeffer son circuit court from 1819 to 1821. He was a man of courtly manners. His son-inlaw, Judge William F. Bullock, is said to have been " a noble specimen of culture, LOUISVILLE. integrity, and talent." The land claims were The Louisville bar has from the first been the most difficult cases which engaged the distinguished for its strength. Alexander early lawyers. "The claims to land," said Scott was the first lawyer admitted to prac Chancellor Bibb, in 1815, "are found in tice. He prosecuted George Rogers Clark, statutes which leave very much to be sup the great Kentucky pioneer soldier, for a plied by the discretion of the judges." keg of whiskey that General Clark claimed George M. Bibb was the first chancellor he had impressed from Eli Cleveland for the of the Louisville chancery court. He de clined the office, saying the salary was too army. Judge John Rowan was one of the most small, but the leading lawyers and mer profound lawyers Kentucky has ever had. chants raised the money and doubled it. He is described as " leonine in appearance." When he had a knotty question to unravel, He was a man of great learning and said : with a line and bait he would go to Bear" No man can become a good lawyer who grass Creek and angle, not for fish but for is not a good scholar. Professional excel ideas. It is said that he would throw his lence cannot be attained by one not versed line in the water and sit for hours without in general literature and the sciences." One looking to see if he had a bite. of his best known speeches was for the de In a celebrated case, the opposing coun fense in the celebrated Wilkinson trial, and, sel got an inkling of what his decision would it is said, " On that occasion he exhausted be and sent him word, " There was no law the reasoning against the acceptance by authorizing such a decision." He replied, counsel of retainers for the prosecution of " Damn it, then he would make one." In capital cases." Someone told Ben Harclin 1809 he was appointed chief justice of that Judge Wilkinson said he would also Kentucky. In 1811 he was sent to the engage him if Judge Rowan needed him. United States Senate. In 1827 he was

'I am much indebted for the material used in this article to Judge Little's "Ben Hardin and His Times," to several Histories of Kentucky, and to some members of the profession who have kindly aided me.