JOHN R. MCCONNELL.

BY WILLIAM H. RHODES.

JOUN R. this Kentucky in the year 1926.

OHN R. MCCONNELL, the leading lawyer of Northern

He is descended from Scotch-Irish stock, and his ancestors eriginally settled in the State of Pennsylvania. At an early day, one branch of the family removed to the wilds of Kentucky. On the mother's side, Mr. McConnell is lineally descended from the family of the Clarksons, who are of English origin, and originally settled in the county of Albemarle, in old Virginia. He was the twelfth child in a family of thirteen.

As early as 1833, his father removed to the State of Illinois, and soon settled on a farm, near the town of Jacksonville, the county seat of Morgan county. The next year his father died, and two years afterwards, his mother In 1841, he returned to Kentucky, and resided in the family of a brother-in-law, in Bourbon county, until 1846.

He attended several respectable institutions of learning, both in Illinois and Kentucky; but his education was chiefly derived from the private tutorship of Professor Vaughn, now of the city of Cincinnati. This gentleman now stands at the head of the mathematicians of the West. Under his tutor, McConnell made rapid strides in classical studies, but became eminent in mathematical and metaphysical lore. In the higher mathematics especi

ally, he excelled, and to this day nothing seems to afford him more pleasure than a dash into the mysteries of curvilinear and conic sections.

In the year 1844, abandoning, on account of ill health, the original design of a military education at West Point, he commenced the study of law, under the tuition of John Martin, Esq., at that time a leading member of the bar of Bourbon county. But from him he derived only slight assistance, and has been always self-reliant in the acquisition of that profound knowledge of law to which he has attained. Some assistance, however, he did derive from a short matriculation at Transylvania University, where his studies were, for a time, directed by such masters of the profession as Judges Wooley, Robertson, and Thomas A. Marshall. Ill health, however, soon compelled him to quit the law school, and he was again thrown upon his own resources.

In 1846, removing again to Illinois, he commenced the practice of law at the early age of twenty-one years. Two years after this, we again find him moving-for early in 1848 he was located at Natchez, in the State of Mississippi.

It was during his residence in Mississippi, that young McConnell commenced laying in that fund of useful information on some branches of the law which afterwards contributed so largely to his benefit, and to that of his adopted State. In Natchez, we find him applying himself to the study of Justinian's Institutes, and that splendid body of civil law which has come down to us from the age of Tribonian. Before he had time to avail himself of any of the knowledge thus acquired, the news of the discovery of gold in California reached his place of residence, and early in 1849, in company with his friend Col. E. J. Saunders, (afterwards so well known in Nicaragua and during the Confederate war) he started across the plains to California. He arrived here early in October, 1849, and settled as a miner in the vicinity of Placerville. It was bruited abroad that he was, by profession, a lawyer, and he soon engaged warmly in the disputes before the various Alcaldes' courts in the vicinity. Here he met

Judge John Heard, now of Sacramento, and the Hon. Frank M. Pixley, of San Francisco. There not being a single law book in the whole district, the discussions, and the decisions equally, must have been rather crude and ill digested; but we have reason to believe that the germ of the entire mining jurisprudence of California sprang from those early deliberations. Finally induced to abandon mining by the growing wants of the community for legal knowledge, as well as by the reputation he had already acquired as a jurist, he took up his residence early in 1851 at Nevada City, and devoted himself thenceforth to the practice of his profession.

In the opening of this sketch, we have characterized McConnell as the leading lawyer of Northern California. To those who have met him oftenest at the bar, and know him best in the higher walks of the profession, we need adduce no proof other than such encounters have furnished. But proof is not wanting of a more reliable and a less perishable character.

The records of the Supreme Court of California, for many years, as preserved in the reports, afford ample testimony upon this point. It is not going too far to assert, that the briefs and arguments of John R. McConnell, before that tribunal, have done more towards building up the mining law of this State than the labors of any other counselor upon this coast. To an inexhaustible fund of learning, he added indomitable industry, and a perception quick, sure, and intuitive; methodical almost to formality, he drilled his arguments into the forms of logical sequence, that in most cases amounted to mathematical demonstration. But his memory is, perhaps, the most remarkable trait of a most remarkable inind. It seems to be absolutely infallible. Piled Piled up in the deep reservoirs of his capacious intellect, he calls forth these argosies of wealth at a moment's notice, and launches them upon the tide of learning with an abandon that produces amazement.

No point of law bearing upon the subject under discussion seems ever to be overlooked or hidden; and very often his adversary finds that he is more thoroughly

whom he defeated by a large majority. About this time, he was married to Miss Ryan, a daughter of the leading merchant of Hamilton

In 1838, he was elected by the Democracy of his district to the lower house of Congress, representing the counties of Butler, Preble, and Darke-these counties constituting what was then the second Congressional District of Ohio. His readiness in debate, and his oratorical powers, which were considerable, immediately gave him prominence on the floor of Congress. He was conspicuous in nearly every important partizan struggle witnessed in the House of Representatives during his service as a member. His bearing, while the celebrated New Jersey contested election case was convulsing the House, attracted to him the attention of the Democratic leaders, who esteemed him as one of the most effective champions of Democratic principles. When he addressed the House, attentive auditors from both parties were always eager to give due consideration to his earnest yet sober utterances. He was twice reëlected to the House of Representatives, on both occasions having for his competitor the Whig candidate, Hon. Lewis D. Campbell, who, in later years, represented the same district in Congress.

Having lost his first wife a few years after his marriage, Mr. Weller, during his first term in the House of Representatives, married Miss Bryan, daughter of John A. Bryan, then Auditor of the State of Ohio. This lady was a sister of Hon. Charles H. Bryan, formerly Judge of the Supreme Court of California, by appointment of Gov. Bigler. Two years had barely elapsed, when Mr. Weller suffered a new affliction in the death of his second wife. Near the close of his third term in Congress, (1845) he married Miss Susan McDowell Taylor, daughter of Hon. William Taylor, then a congressman from Virginia, and a niece of Col. Thomas H. Benton.

Mr. Weller, when his third term as a representative had expired, determined to resume the practice of law. His party desired to continue him in Congress, and tendered him the nomination again, but he declined, and

devoted himself to his profession, until the war broke out between this country and Mexico. Then he left his business to others, and volunteered as a private. He was chosen captain of his company, which became a part of the First Ohio regiment, and afterwards he was elected lieutenant colonel of this regiment-O. M. Mitchell being colonel. He distinguished himself for his gallantry at Monterey, and when Colonel Mitchell was wounded and disabled, Col. Weller commanded his regiment in the hottest part of the fight.

At the termination of the war, he returned to his home. in Ohio, and resumed the practice of law. He was not long allowed the comforts of private life. In 1848, he was nominated by his party as their candidate for Governor. The Whig candidate was Seabury Ford. The memorable struggle between these two men was the most bitter and animated political contest that ever disturbed the public mind in the Buckeye State. Colonel Weller, then in the very prime of life, possessed of a robust constitution and excellent, untiring speaking abilities, opened the campaign at an early day, and throughout its continuance bent his whole strength to the attainment of success. The great, main purpose of the Democracy was to secure the vote of the State for Gen. Cass at the approaching presidential election. If Col. Weller should be elected Governor, it would follow as almost beyond doubt that Ohio would cast her vote for Gen. Cass in the fall election. Col. Weller fully appreciated the importance of the position he occupied, and the great responsibilities resting upon him. The office for which he was nominated was not a desirable one, so far as its emoluments were concerned, twelve hundred dollars ($1200) per annum being the salary attached to it. The candidate was fighting for his party, and looking to a national victory. He made speeches in seventy-eight counties of Ohio. He, at no time, relaxed his exertions, nor faltered in his great work until the campaign closed. He took the bold stand, everywhere, that if he were elected by votes of those who endorsed the principles of the new Abolition organization, and the