The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPA,DIA.
was elected a Senator of the United States, and took his
seat March 4th, I869. In January, I874, he was re-elected.
He was married in November, I844, to Mary, (laughter of
the late Waller Dun, of Fayette county, Kentucky. After
retiring from the Supreme Bench he resumed the practice of
his profession at Columbus, and was engaged as counsel in
the Supreme Court in many of the leading cases from all
over the State. " The Ohio Reports," containing his decisions during the five years he was judge, had given him great
reputation as a sound lawyer and jurist, and his opinion on
important legal questions was much sought after and relied
upon by attorneys practising in the Supreme Court, and
hence he was retained as co-counsel ill most of the important
cases. He has always been a very laborious student, and
indefatigalble in the thorough preparation of his cases, and a
forcible and direct speaker, who wastes no time on immaterial points. He has always been a Democrat of the
straitest sect, and not inclined to run after temporary expedients in politics. He firmly believes that the safety of the
country in a great measure depends upon the preservation
of the organization of the Democratic party. At the same
time he is liberal and courteous in his treatment of political
opponents. While serving in the Twenty-ninth Congress,
with many other Northern Democrats he voted for the
"Wilmot Proviso," extending the anti-slavery provision
of the ordinance of 1787 to our newly acquired Mexican
territory. He was opposed to the repeal of the " Missouri
Compoiomise," because he believed it was a fair settlement
of controverted questioas, the reopening of which would
cause the sectional struggle which has since deluged the
country with blood. On all the exciting questions of that
era he always took a decided and manly stand, speakifig
out his opinions unhesitatingly, and doing his l)est to
secure their settlement in the interests of the national
welfare. IHe has always been opposed to the doctrine
of nullification and secession, as the platforms of his
party in Ohio, drawn in many cases by himr have repeated(ly declared The gubernatorial contest in I867,
wherein the negro suffrage question was an issue, brought
him prominently before the people as a rising national man.
In that canvass he spent over four months on the stump and
carried the Legislature in both branches for his party, and
defeated negro suffrage by over 5o,oo6 votes in one of the
strongest Republican States in the Union. On the meeting
of the Legislature, after a very exciting contest, he was nominated by the Democratic caucus for United States Senator
over Vallandigham, by a vote of two to one. Since his
election to the Senate, no man has risen more rapidly in
public estimnation. Though in a miniority of scarcely onefifth in the Senate, he has exercvised great influence, and oh-stdanredn,getyelrethbonaisohi
tained among the thinking of all parties the character of a
pure and honest politician, who would expose fraud and
corruption, no matter whom the exposure might hit. Every
year he has taken an active part in stumping the State, and
in planning the campaigns of his party. In I873 he suoc e
ceeded in carrying the R egislati re, whic h secured his re-election to the Senate, though the State the year before had
given Gener-al Grant nearly 40,000 majority for Pr-esident.
Ex-Senator Allen, his uncle, was elected Governor, though
the balance of the Republican ticket succeeded by a majority
of less than IOOO votes. This result, indicating the commencement of a revolution in politics, and mainly brought
about in Ohio by Senator Tlhurman's abiding faith in the
Democratic organization, and skill and tenacity in holding
his party in line after the disorganizing results of the Greeley
campaign, has caused his name to be mentioned in connection with the Presidency. It is not improl)able that lie may
be the candidate of his party in I876. He has, however,
never allowed his head to be turned by the b)aul)le of the
Presidency, and never -",as kiio-,Nn to allude to it, even
amongst his most intimate friends. -Thle talk about alny
public man for President long in advance is apt to kill him
off; bult those Nvbo know Senator Thurman best do not b~elieve he woouldi in his political course, swrer-ve a hair'sbreadth fromt his COnlvictionls of right even to b)e President.
He would rather stand before the country as the bold and
upright Senatotr in this age of corruption and truckling
politicians.
343
s
ORYELI,, HON. JAMES L., Lawyer, judge of
the Probate Court of Adams county, Ohio, was
born near West Union, Ada county, Ohio,
February 22d, 1830. He was the oldest child in
a family of three children, ",hose parents were
Sal-,i.thiel Coryell and Nancy (Holmes) Coi-yell.
His father, a native of Mason county, Kentucky, followed
through life principally agricultural pursuits. In isoi be
settled in Adams county, near West Union, where be resided until his demise in 1838. He was a member of the old
Coryell family, which in days long gone by lived at Coryell
Ferrv, on the Delaware river, New Jersey. His mother, a
-native of Adams county, Ohio, was a daughter of James
Holmes, an early pioneer. and one of the original settlers of
this county. She died in June, 1874. Until he was twenty
years of a,e, his days A,ere spent alternately in working on a
farm du-ring the summer months, and in attending a country
school in the winter season. He then assumed the role of
educator in a school in Adams county, Ohio, where, with
the exception of a period of six months passed in Sciota
count-'; be i-*as assiduously engaged in pursuing the vocation
y
of teaclieri During tbe,;,e years be applied himself wisely
and perseveringly to the task-to him an agreeable oiie-of
accumulating knowledge, and, by a well-directed course of
study and reading, greatly enlarged the boundaries of his
literary attainments. For two years be acted as School Exan-iinerofadamscounty. Inthefallofi859bewaselected
County Auditor, was re-elected to the same position in
iS6i, and held the office for -four years. - In i864 be was
elected justice of the Peace, and, with the duties of that
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