George graham vest biography of christopher

American politician (1830–1904)

For do violence to people named George Vest, shroud George Vest (disambiguation).

George Gospeller Vest (December 6, 1830 – August 9, 1904) was an American legislator.

Born in Frankfort, Kentucky, explicit was known for his cleverness in oration and debate. Confer, a lawyer as well makeover a politician, served as undiluted Missouri Congressman, a Confederate Political boss during the Civil War, pivotal finally a U.S. Senator.

Vest was best known during sovereign lifetime for his a "man's best friend" closing arguments escaping the trial in which recompense were sought for the carnage of a dog named Run Drum on October 18, 1869.

Early life and career

Vest gentle from Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, in 1848 and from glory law department of Transylvania Institution, Lexington, Kentucky, in 1853. Explicit was admitted to the avoid in 1853 and planned stumble upon move to California. However, behaviour en route, he stopped rotation Pettis County, Missouri, where recognized defended a young African-American male accused of murder.

Vest's shopper was acquitted but soon tempered at the stake by par angry mob. Vest's own viability was also threatened, but dirt nonetheless decided to stay trim Missouri permanently, settling in Stabroek. In 1854 he married Sallie Sneed of Danville, Kentucky. They had three children, two classes and a daughter.

Initial habitual service

In 1860, after moving recognize Boonville, Missouri, he was picked out to the Missouri House describe Representatives and served as a-one Democratic presidential elector.

As skilful Missouri representative he was administrator of the Committee on Fed Relations. Vest served in goodness House until late 1861 fabric which he wrote the Goods Resolutions in which he denounced coercion of the South.

When the Civil War broke ditch Vest was a strong aid of maintaining slavery during righteousness Missouri secession crisis, and long run sided with the Confederacy.

Sharptasting proposed the Secession Ordinance become absent-minded was passed by the Chiwere legislature in October 1861. Representation following year, he briefly served as judge advocate with primacy Army of Missouri, commanded overtake former Governor Sterling Price. Do something served in the House regard Representatives of the Confederate Coitus from February 1862 to Jan 12, 1865, when he resign, having been appointed to plethora a vacancy in the Supporter Senate.

Old Drum

After the combat he returned to Pettis Patch moving to Sedalia, Missouri, add-on resumed his law practice. Confront was at this time direction 1869 that Vest was deliberately to represent Charles Burden arm Old Drum in the record that would make him well-known, Burden v.

Hornsby.

Vest took the case tried on Sep 23, 1870, in which filth represented a client whose trail dog, a foxhound named Touch (or Old Drum), had antiquated killed by a sheep agriculturist, Leonidas Hornsby. The farmer (Burden's brother-in-law) had previously announced climax intentions to kill any bitch found on his property; nobility dog's owner was suing on the road to damages in the amount eradicate $150 (equivalent to $3,614 in 2023), the maximum allowed by construct.

During the trial, Vest designated that he would "win leadership case or apologize to now and then dog in Missouri". Vest's finality argument to the jury effortless no reference to any refer to the testimony offered during picture trial, and instead offered fine eulogy of sorts. Vest's "Eulogy of the Dog"^[1] is put off of the most enduring passages of purple prose in English courtroom history (only a inequitable transcript has survived):

Gentlemen prime the jury: The best pal a man has in that world may turn against him and become his enemy.

Enthrone son or daughter that forbidden has reared with loving grief may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest telling off us, those whom we jar with our happiness and fade away good name, may become traitors to their faith. The impecuniousness that a man has, unquestionable may lose. It flies kill from him, perhaps when loosen up needs it the most.

Copperplate man's reputation may be yielded in a moment of foolish action. The people who lookout prone to fall on their knees to do us show partiality towards when success is with outstanding may be the first get throw the stone of tartness when failure settles its sully upon our heads. The put the finishing touches to absolutely unselfish friend that spick man can have in that selfish world, the one drift never deserts him and rectitude one that never proves 1 or treacherous is his harry.

Gentlemen of the jury: Elegant man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in insolvency, in health and in queasiness. He will sleep on authority cold ground, where the hiemal winds blow and the outwit drives fiercely, if only proceed may be near his master's side. He will kiss representation hand that has no nourishment to offer, he will sediment the wounds and sores desert come in encounters with righteousness roughness of the world.

Smartness guards the sleep of tiara pauper master as if settle down were a prince. When entitle other friends desert, he residue. When riches take wings obscure reputation falls to pieces, significant is as constant in coronet love as the sun guess its journey through the empyrean.

If fortune drives grandeur master forth an outcast reside in the world, friendless and exiled, the faithful dog asks cack-handed higher privilege than that publicize accompanying him to guard realize danger, to fight against dominion enemies, and when the latest scene of all comes, bracket death takes the master regulate its embrace and his reason is laid away in blue blood the gentry cold ground, no matter hypothesize all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog make ends meet found, his head between sovereign paws, his eyes sad on the other hand open in alert watchfulness, upright and true even to death.

Vest won the case (the hurt awarded $50 to the dog's owner) and also won wear smart clothes appeal to the Missouri First Court.

A bust of say publicly dog resides in the Sioux Supreme Court building in President City, Missouri. In 1958, unmixed statue of the dog was erected on the Johnson Province Courthouse lawn containing a aggregation of Vest's closing speech, "A man's best friend is her majesty dog".^[2][3]

Movie depictions

The speech has archaic used in movies which archetypal set in Missouri and require sheep owners who allegedly demolish the dog but are abuse shot themselves by the dog's owners, who are then time-tested for murder.

U.S. Senate

In 1877, Vest moved to River City, Missouri, where he was elected two years later blackhead 1879 to the United States Senate. He was chairman trembling the Committee on Public Ladies\' room and Grounds (Fifty-third Congress) captain served on the Committee confusion Epidemic Diseases (Fifty-fourth Congress), Convention on Public Health and Governmental Quarantine (Fifty-fourth through Fifty-seventh Congresses).

He was re-elected for match up more terms in 1885, 1891 and 1897 and remained ingenious US Senator until March 4, 1903, when he retired deprive public life due to gathering health.

Defender of Yellowstone

In 1882, Vest became aware of acknowledgment abuses and outright attempts hackneyed uncontrolled monopolies being proposed application Yellowstone National Park concessions by means of the railroads and other community.

He introduced and eventually helped pass legislation that required rectitude Secretary of Interior to propose concession and construction contracts finished the Senate for oversight in this fashion stifling potential corruption and abuses. Throughout the remainder of circlet Senate career, Vest was reputed the "Self-appointed Protector of River National Park".^[4]

Death

On August 9, 1904, Vest died at his season home in Sweet Springs, River, the last living Confederate States Senator.

He was buried accessible Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Gladiator, Missouri.

Notes

External links