< Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 04.pdf
There was a problem when proofreading this page.

276

The Green Bag.

and persuasive eloquence, coupled with strict seemed to be of the greatest public impor integrity and attention to business, soon tance were the trials of those charged with brought him scores of clients; and with him capital felonies; and these were not a few. a client once was a client always. His suc None in Sussex and few in Kent were tried cess was assured from the start, and it was when Willard Saulsbury was in active prac not long before he stood in the very front tice and not acting as Attorney-General, rank of his profession; thenceforth until his where he did not represent the accused. election to the Senate and his necessary ab Never but in a single case was his client

sence at Washington, scarcely a case of im convicted as charged in the indictment. portance was tiied in Mr. Saulsbury once said that this was Sussex County in which he was not of his only case when the Chief-Justice who counsel. When twenty-nine presided, and was an years of age, in 1850, old prosecuting of ficer, was with him for Governor Tharp ap pointed him Attorneyacquittal. General. His compet The same success distinguished his ad itor for this office was ministration of the the Hon. James A. office of AttorneyBayard, whose friends were greatly disap General as his pri pointed at his failure vate practice. Yet it to secure it, and took was all deserved. He was a hard student no pains to conceal and an omnivorous their chagrin, and to reader; added to his predict the failure of learning were those the young Attorneynatural gifts which General to measure up all tend to make a to the high standard of man succeed, and are excellence required of necessary to the high one filling the position. est success. But the doubters did WILLARD SAULSBUKY His was a splendid not know the man. personality, — a man The new AttorneyGeneral was equal to every demand; and not six feet in height, perfectly proportioned, hair only justified the confidence of his friends, of raven blackness, eyes tender and impas but won the esteem and respect of his former sioned or stern and flashing, laughing with opponents. During this official term some of infecting pleasure or veiled in tears as the the most important cases in the legal history theme of his eloquence demanded, and within of the State were tried, and in all of them him as kind and true a heart as ever beat, he maintained his high character for legal forbidding him to wrong the humblest of ability, strict integrity, and close attention God's creatures. His last audible words enjoined his surviving son never to do a to his official duties. wrong to any one, and a few moments there With juries his success was truly pheno menal. The cases in the two lower counties after he breathed his last. Can it be won of Delaware, Kent and Sussex, which always dered he acquired a power over men by excited the greatest public attention and whom he was surrounded? A clipping from

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.