Vol. X.
No. 10.
BOSTON.
October, 1898.
ROBERT LUDWELL YATES PEYTON. By Chas. W. Sloan. EDWARD EVERETT once said " there is no species of intellectual labor of the highest order which perishes for want of a contemporary record to the same ex tent as that which is daily exerted in the courts of law." Fifty years ago Major Uriel Wright was the most brilliant orator and criminal advo cate at the St. Louis bar. The writer recalls, with no little pleasure, the impression re ceived whilst listening to an impassioned appeal for the Union, made by this gifted and eloquent speaker not a great while be fore the war between the States. How un fortunate, that so little is preserved to show the present generation what gems of true eloquence came from the lips of this won derful man. Fifty years ago there lived in western Missouri a brilliant orator and advo cate, who occupied a position at the bar in his section similar to that held by Wright in St. Louis. If the latter was successful in winning verdicts before juries in St. Louis, so was Robert L. Y. Peyton equally success ful where he lived and practiced law. Young Peyton was born and reared in Loudon county, Va., — being the son of Townsend Peyton. He was of distinguished ancestry, being, it is said, closely related to the cele brated Peyton Randolph and John Randolph of Virginia. He was also a cousin of Hon. Bailie Peyton, for many years a distinguished member of Congress from Tennessee. He was graduated from Miami College, Oxford, Ohio, and afterwards finished his legal edu cation at the University of Virginia. Imme
diately after completing his law course, and when about twenty-one years of age, he came west and located at Harrisonville, then a small town on the western border of Mis souri, to practice his profession. This was about 1844. He was of course a stranger; but the opportunity to become acquainted soon, fortunately for him, arrived. The people in those days — even though seem ingly on the confines of civilization — were patriotic, and missed no opportunity to show their patriotism on the great national holi day by the usual celebration. Peyton was asked to speak. He did so, and awoke next day to find himself famous. There were those present on that occasion who had heard many of the great orators of the country, who hesitated not, after listening to him, to rank him alongside with Clay, Marshall, and others of that class. After this, there was no lack of cases for the young attorney; and it was not a great while before he was retained in many of the most important cases, criminal and civil, in his section of the State; consequently he was often arrayed against some of the best legal talent of that time. A circuit was then composed of many counties, and the judge accompanied by the attorneys rode the cir cuit together. Peyton did not have many law books — indeed good law libraries were scarce in those days — but he was wellgrounded in the elementary principles, was a close student, was quick to seize on the strong points of a case, and could when occasion demanded make a clear, logical and 413
