The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog

I045
early life, been an admirer of the political course of Thomas Jefferson, and had read and studied
his works with the most careful attention. He had adopted the views of that statesman with
regard to the best mode of electing judicial officers and their tenure of service. On taking the
field he declared himself in favor of specific and limited terms of service for all officers, leaving
them subject to re-election, and in favor of the election of judges, attorneys-general, magistrates,
and county officers generally, by popular vote. These views met with the most violent and
determined opposition.
He was opposed by two highly respectable and influential candidates. He was, however,
elected, and appeared in May, 1834, in the convention at Nashville, the youngest member in the
body. "You have sent us here," said a most distinguished member of that body to a citizen of
Fayette County, "a young gentleman of excellent habits and fine attainments; but I differ with
him toto ccelo as to the election of judges by the people."
It was not necessary to review the course of Mr. Humphreys in the convention. It was
modest and unobtrusive. He advocated with consistencj' and abilit)' the principles on which he
had been elected, and during an arduous session of many months, he advanced, day by day, in
the good opinion of the members of the body, and established friendships of the most permanent
character, which were of great value to him in after life, and which have not been extinguished
in the collisions of party conflicts.
Mr. Humphrejs is the author of many provisions in the Constitution of Tennessee, which
have proved of lasting and permanent benefit; such as the prohibition of lotteries, the prohibition
of divorce by legislative action, and a reference for such questions for settlement to the judicial
tribunals of the State, the establishment of a uniform rate of interest, and provisions for the purpose
of curtailing, generally, local and private legislation. His reports as chairman of the committee
on private and local legislation, will be found on pages 155 and 190 of the journal of the con-
vention, and exhibit much soundness of judgment and maturity of thought.
On his return to- his constituents, Mr. Humphre_vs found them satisfied with his course. The
charges of demagogism and insincerity, which had been freely lavished on him during the canvass,
had been silenced by the ability with which he had maintained his views, and the general character
which he had maintained for rectitude of motive and business habits which he had established.
Though he stood in a feeble minority on the question of submitting to popular vote the election
of the judges, he has lived to witness the passage of resolutions by the legislature, recommending
that mode of election with extraordinary unanimity.
The organization of the State government under the reformed constitution next occupied
the attention of the public mind, and excited the deepest interest; and the great body of the men
who have since occupied the most conspicuous positions in the State government and in the
national government from Tennessee, were called into the succeeding legislature by the popular
voice. ISIr. Humphreys was elected from the county of Fayette without opposition. It was in this
body that he was first required by his position to take an active participation in national politics.
He had been educated a strict constructionist of the Constitution of the United States, and was a
sincere adherent to the leading measures of democratic policy. He had advocated the selection
of a presidential candidate by a national convention; and the friends of Judge White placing him
in opposition to that course, and advocating his nomination by the legislature on grounds hostile,
as he believed, to the permanence of democratic policy, he opposed that nomination in a feeble
minority of nine out of seventy-five members of the lower house, in a speech of great ability,
which has been often since referred to as evidence of the sagacity which foreshadowed the dis-
ruption of the democratic party of Tennessee.
But, whilst Mr. Humphreys sustained the general course of the party to which he belonged,
he showed his independence by his refusal to indorse, indiscriminately, all the measures of General
Jackson's administration. Whilst he advocated the great doctrine of free trade, and opposed the