The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOP-EDIA.
associated with the late Nicholas Longworth, and the
nephew of the latter, Thomas Longworth, as a partner in
the firm of Longworths & Worthington, attorneys and
counsellors at law. On the retirement of Nicholas Longworth from the firm, after a long and highly prosperous
course of practice, he attended to all the law business of the
senior member until his death, and then took charge of the
estate, which he managed until I866. He has been one of
the most indefatigable workers ever known to the bar of
Cincinnati; and his hand is seen on all the court records,
as also in the establishing of wholesome municipal and
State laws. During this long period of over half a century,
having been admitted to the bar in I825, he has been constantly occupied in the practice of his profession, and the
great amount of labor that he has performed can hardly be
estimated. His writings have been and are very voluminous; and all his manuscripts are neatly and legibly executed.
Although better on paper than in oral argument, he has
made many long and excellent speeches, in which his. line
of argument and his deep and abstruse reasoning has not
been appreciated by the jury or even by the court, perhaps
from their inability to grasp it. He was for several years
of counsel for the Ohio Life and Trust Company, although
not at the time of its failure in August, I857; but he has
also represented other leading banks and incorporated institutions. In real estate law he has always held the highest ground, and in these has won his best trophies; and is
perfectly at home in that highest department of jurisprudence, and has realized an ample fortune from that practice.
Iitis legal learning is undoubtedly his best distinction, and
he has ever taken a high rank as a counsellor; but he finds
time to inquire into philosophy and all the problems conniected with man's present and future existence. To these
studies, and especially to the views of the ablest modern
thinkers, he has, for several years past, given a large share
of attention, probably even more than the average professional man allows to reading the daily press and other
ephemeral literature. He delights in grappling with large
interests and difficult questions, and is a most safe, enlightened and conscientious adviser and counsellor; and has been
of great assistance to those who placed reliance upon his
judicious advice in regard to business enterprises and
speculative undertakings. In all his intercourse with men
and their affairs, he is earnest, honest, zealous, and courageous. I-e neither courts nor fears any one, and is utterly
above dissimulation, hypocrisy, or any kind of deception.
No means could be employed to coerce him from the position he takes, and while he respects those who honestly
differ from him in sentiment, he maintains his own views at
all hazards. For two years past he has been a member of
the State Senate, having been elected on the Democratic
ticket in I873, and his career so far has been of great service to the State. In the committees on the Judiciary and
on Finance, and in open session, he has been heard often
tand with edification. The members were wise enough to
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place in the cabinet. Ile resigned office again after serving
one session, and resunied the practice of the law.- In the
crisis of i86i he was a staunch patriot and supporter of the
administration, and was appointed by Governor Dennison
a member of the Peace Commission which sat in Wash,.nton. Throughout the war he was unwavering in his loyalty,
and President Lincoln had an'admiration for him almost
akii-i to reverence. During the greater part of the war era
he practised law in, Washington, but wbei-i peace came be
gave up most of hi s practice. During the latter years of
his life his conservatism alienated,bim from the administration, and he acted with th —- Democratic party. His intellect
was vi,otous to the last. He died at Lancaster, Ohio,
October 26th, 1871, surrounded by his children and their
families.
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ORTflINGTON, HON. VACHEL, Lawyer and
State Senator, was born, FebruarV 2d, 1802, near
Stanford, Lincoln county, Kentucky. His father,
C, James T. Worthington, was I)orn in Baltimore
county, Maryland, and his mother, Margaret P.
(SLade) Worthington, was a native of North Carolina. He' remained with his parents until he was eight
years old, when he went to live with his uncle near Danville,'attendin, the academy in the latter town about two
years- and then became a student in the academy at Stanford, where he commenced a classical course. When he
was sixt een years old, his father purchased Boone Station,
but Vachel.remained at Stanford, afterwards returning to
his uncle and resumed his studies at Danville. At the a,,e
of seventeen years he entered the Transylvania University
at Lexington, where he remained but a short time, having
determined to allow a year to lapse, and returned to Danville, where he passed through a more thorough preparatory
course of study. He then re-entered the university as a
i-nember of the junior class, and remained there until July,
i822, when he graduated, taking the third honor in his
class,. being ranked as the best mathematician, and also as
first in moral science and philosophy. In i825 his 41ina
.Afater conferred on him the degree of Master of Arts.
Shortly after his graduation he went to Maryland, where
be passed about a year with his relatives, returning to Kentucky in 1823, when he commenced the study of law with
Hon. C. J. Boyle, who was then on the bench, and who
examined him monthly as to his proficiency in his readings.
lie was never in a law office until be established his own,
which be did after passing his final examination at Citicinnati, in which he ained for himself and for his preceptor
9
also great credit for his thorough acquireiiients in his profession. At the commencement of his practice, as well as
through his long career of over half a century, he has confined his attention entirely to the civil courts. After a
period of five years, being eminently successful in the difficult and-intricate cases.committed-to his cbarge,.he became.