David Crockett: His Life and AdventuresAbbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
History
David Crockett: His Life and Adventures
Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
Crockett, Davy, 1786-1836
There was no appeal from this verdict, and no evading its execution.
Such was the justice which prevailed, in this remote region, until the
Legislature of Alabama annexed the territory to Giles County, and
brought the region under the dominion of organized law. Crockett, who
had performed his functions to the entire satisfaction of the
community, then was legally appointed a justice of peace, and became
fully entitled to the appellation of esquire. He certainly could not
then pretend to any profound legal erudition, for at this time he could
neither read nor write.
Esquire Crockett, commenting upon this transaction, says, "I was made a
Squire, according to law; though now the honor rested more heavily upon
me than before. For, at first, whenever I told my constable, says I,
'Catch that fellow, and bring him up for trial,' away he went, and the
fellow must come, dead or alive. For we considered this a good warrant,
though it was only in verbal writing.
"But after I was appointed by the Assembly, they told me that my
warrants must be in real writing and signed; and that I must keep a
book and write my proceedings in it. This was a hard business on me,
for I could just barely write my own name. But to do this, and write
the warrants too, was at least a huckleberry over my persimmon. I had a
pretty well informed constable, however, and he aided me very much in
this business. Indeed, I told him, when he should happen to be out
anywhere, and see that a warrant was necessary, and would have a good
effect, he needn't take the trouble to come all the way to me to get
one, but he could just fill out one; and then, on the trial, I could
correct the whole business if he had committed any error.
"In this way I got on pretty well, till, by care and attention, I
improved my handwriting in such a manner as to be able to prepare my
warrants and keep my record-books without much difficulty. My judgments
were never appealed from; and if they had been, they would have stuck
like wax, as I gave my decisions on the principles of common justice
and honesty between man and man, and relied on natural-born sense, and
not on law-learning, to guide me; for I had never read a page in a
law-book in all my life."
Esquire Crockett was now a rising man. He was by no means diffident.
With strong native sense, imperturbable self-confidence, a memory
almost miraculously stored with rude anecdotes, and an astonishing
command of colloquial and slang language, he was never embarrassed, and
never at a loss as to what to say or to do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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