Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/139

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
There was a problem when proofreading this page.
120
The Green Bag.

all advantageous circumstances, of humble the Chief Magistracy of the State, the other to Attorney-Generalship. parentage, he rose from poverty and ob Alfred Hennen, another distinguished pro scurity to an eminent position. His legal fessor, prosecuted the study of the law at studies were pursued in company with Alex New Haven under the direction of Judge ander Dimitry. He was admitted to prac tice by the Supreme Court in 1838. His Chauncey. To the noble profession he love for the civil law became a passion, and adopted, he was always passionately de voted. It would be invidious to compare soon placed him in the front rank and event ually at the head of the Louisiana Bar. In him with other great civil lawyers with

whom the New Orleans 1841 he became Attor Bar has been graced ney-General, and de from time immemorial. clined a place on the Suffice it to say, that Supreme Bench. As he was among the a professor he was most successful of its most excellent; in this practitioners and the calling he delighted. most prominent of its As a lecturer he was expounders. To great very lucid, cogent, and legal lore he added animated; by his em taste for literature, phatic style he com which served to elevate manded the attention the tone of his profes of his hearers. He sion. He had no mean prepared some written acquaintance with the lectures on the Civil Code for his own use, Oriental tongues, es — they are not very pecially the Hebrew. extended; but thedefiTo great dignity of nitions and classifica manners he added a grace and affability tion of the various sub that were truly attrac jects are strikingly tive, and to very de clear and methodical, cided views a spirit of — intending it as a compendium, to show conciliation that se THOMAS J. SEMMES. the actual state of cured respect and Civil Law in Louisiana. prompted affection. He practised before judges whom he had Few individuals who have adorned the muni instructed, and whose tastes he had formed. cipal, ecclesiastical, and legal annals of the His name stands inseparably connected with Crescent City have passed off the stage with the Law School. He became prominent in a nobler and more stainless record than the public affairs, yet he never yielded to the late venerable Alfred Hennen. Hon. Randell Hunt, for forty-two years allurements of political life, but remained active in the profession he adored. The Dean of the Law Faculty, resigned in the names of Roselius and Martin will not be winter of 1888 on account of ill health. He soon forgotten, — the one as an eminent was a native of Charleston, S. C, and a civilian and jurist and the other as a high great constitutional lawyer. The efforts of type of the Louisiana Bar, — both honored his genius combined with majestic decla mation, the deepest pathos, the most lively sons of their adopted State. From the po sition of journeymen printers, one rose to imagination, and the closest reasoning.