Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/295

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The Green Bag.

with these, his later; for Louisiana jurispru dence has always been based upon French and Roman law. He soon became judge of the Mississippi Territory, and then puisne judge of the new State of Louisiana, and eventually its chief justice; serving on its bench, in all, twenty-seven years with never a syllable in disparagement of his integrity or impartiality. He was retired at the age of eighty-four by operation of a new constitu tion, and was succeeded by George Eustis, father of the present ambassador to France. None can read Martin's avalanches of opin ions — for in his day, Louisiana litigation was

confusing and complicated — without being impressed with his powers of analysis and his comprehensive expression. ' The biography of Edward Livingston shows how valuable to him was the cooperation of Judge Martin in the former's well-known labors at annealing English commercial law with the Code Napoleon in Louisiana jurisprudence. Chief Justice Martin bore a marked resemblance to the pictures of le Grand Mouarque, and he was in his later days the most picturesque figure in the cosmopolitan life of the Crescent City.