Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 04.pdf/457

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426
The Green Bag.

on the streets of Gainesville. Smith had their great length, — the natural result of been threatening him, but it was doubtful his fluency in writing. whether he had proceeded to any overt act. On Nov. 28, 1848, David Walker was Scott was indicted, and was bitterly prose elected in the place of Conway B. He was cuted and warmly defended. He was at born in what is now Todd County, Ken last acquitted, and came to Arkansas, lo tucky, on the 19th of February, 1806. He cating at Camden. In 1846 he was elected was admitted to the bar of that State in judge of his circuit, — a position which he 1829, and removed to Arkansas in 1830, relinquished to take a seat upon the su settling at Fayetteville. He was a member

preme bench. In No of the constitutional vember, 1850, he was convention of 1836. elected for the term He was always an of eight years, and in, ardent Whig, and in 1858 re-elected; but those days the contest in coming from Cam between Whigs and den to the capital in Democrats for domi January, 1859, he con nion of the State was tracted pneumonia, extremely close. In and died on the 20th 1840 he was elected of that month at the to the State Senate, where he remained Anthony House, a four years. In 1844 famous old hotel in he ran for Congress. Little Rock. In person Judge Recognizing the fact Scott was a large man, that only one man, Archibald Yell, could whose hair had be come gray before he defeat him, the Dem ocrats induced Yell died. He possessed a liberal education, and to resign the Govern was a cultivated gen orship and enter the race; and Walker tleman, pleasant in his soon found that he manners and popular could not compete with the bar. He E. H. ENGLISH. with a man who could was upon the bench excel him either as a nearly eleven years, and served with credit to himself and to the saint or as a sinner. In 1848, while on State. The besetting sin of our court at a visit to Kentucky, he was without his that time was the tendency, inherited from knowledge elected to the supreme bench Judge Ringo in large measure, to attach by a Democratic legislature. He was nat more importance to the forms of the law urally astonished at such an honor, and he than to its essence. From this tendency hesitated to accept the position at the hands Judge Scott was notably free. His judicial of his adversaries, but was persuaded to do He remained upon the bench until style was modelled upon that of Judge so. Story, to all appearances. He had the Dec. 31, 1855, when he resigned. He was a man of medium height, sturdily same love of sonorous and rounded periods, built, dark, with strongly marked features. the same leaning toward broad generaliza tions; though of course he was not Story's He had enjoyed but slight educational ad equal. The chief fault of his opinions is vantages in his youth, but was endowed