BENJAMIN HARDIN was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 1784, and died in Bardstown, Kentucky, on the 24th of September, 1853. His parents, Ben and Sarah Hardin, removed to Kentucky in 1787, locating in Washington county, near Springfield. "Ben" Hardin, as he was always called, was reared in a pioneer home on the Kentucky frontier; he was educated under private instruction, his first teacher being Icahod Radley. He afterward attended school in Bardstown and Hartford, and continued his education under the direction of Daniel Berry, an Irish linguist and a teacher of high repute. He began the study of law in Richmond in 1804, under the instruction of Martin D. Hardin, and in 1805 became a student in the law office of Judge Felix Grundy, of Bardstown. The year following he was admitted to the bar and he began practice in Elizabethtown, where he remained for two years. Through the next half century the bar of the new state of Kentucky won a place among the most able of the country; in fact it was widely accorded the leadership. It included in its membership some of the brightest minds of the nation, and Benjamin Hardin was enumerated in this most distinguished coterie of lawyers. His methods of procedure before court or jury were simple. He relied upon justice, truth and the facts in evidence to secure a verdict favorable to his clients. No point ever escaped him and his arguments followed each other in logical sequence and led up to a climax that set forth the truth with startling clearness. He was extremely sarcastic in speech and this element combined with an aptness and clearness in presenting a case made him a formidable opponent.
In 1808 Mr. Hardin sought a broader field of usefulness and greater opportunities in Bardstown, one of the chief law centers of the state, then famous for the high character of the members of its bar. From that time until his death he was one of the brightest stars in the legal firmament. He was regarded by many as the ablest jurist of his day west of the Alleghenies. His clientage was by no means confined to the county in which he resided, but extended over Nelson, Washington, Hardin, Bullitt, Meade, Grayson, Marion, Breckinridge, Spencer, and other counties and was of the most important character. He also practiced in the court of appeals, in the Louisville courts, and in Indiana and other states. He was connected with almost all litigation of note that was heard in his section of the state for forty-six years. His fame spread abroad throughout Kentucky, nor was it limited by the confines of this state alone. His high reputation therefore soon secured him an extensive following and within a few years he was at the head of one of the most extensive law practices in the state. His comprehensive legal learning, his keen analytical mind that never lost sight of a single point, his readiness in argument and his masterful oratory all gave him a power and strength at the bar which was difficult to combat. His memory was extraordinary and upon it he greatly relied. Taking no notes during the hearing of a case, in the concluding argument he would trace correctly the evidence of many witnesses and answer every point of the opposing counsel. His advocacy frequently towered to the loftiest domain of eloquence of truth,--the still, small voice of justice, pleading through him, for the recognition and protection of the right. He disdained everything like mere factitious ornament and invariably sought to present his argument in the strong, clear light of common reason and sound legal principle.
Mr. Hardin lived in what may well be termed the formative period of state and nation, and left the impress of his strong personality upon both. It was but natural that one who viewed so broadly all issues of the day should be made the people's representative in the council chambers where were decided those questions on which hung not only the welfare of Kentucky but also of the entire Union. In 1810 he took his seat as a member of the general assembly of Kentucky, and continued in the house through 1810, 1811, 1824 and 1825. Three years later he was elected to the state senate, where he served from 1828 to 1832. In 1833 he was one of the thirteen presidential electors from Kentucky and again served in that capacity until 1845. He gave his support to the Whig party from its organization, and took a most active part in shaping the legislation and moulding the policy of the state. When not connected with the general assembly of Kentucky, he represented his district in congress and was one of only nineteen, during the entire history of the state, who have served for eight years or more in congress. He was first elected in 1815, for a term of two years; and again elected in 1819, serving four years; and in 1833 was once more made the representative of his district, and continued in Washington until 1837. He was regarded as one of the ablest debaters in the house. In 1844 he was elected secretary of state of Kentucky, but resigned in February, 1847, owing to a disagreement with Governor William Owsley, which brought on one of the most heated controversies that has ever occurred between men of prominence in public life in the state. His speech defending himself before the senate committee on executive affairs, in January, 1847, was remarkable for its length, power and keenness. In 1849 he was made a member of the constitutional convention of the state from Nelson county and performed an important part in framing the organic law upon which rested the commonwealth for forty-one years. His superior knowledge of constitutional law, his comprehensive views of the needs, requirements and best interests of the state, and his wonderful foresight, guided by sound judgment, made him a most valuable member of the convention. This was his last public service and ended a career that has materially advanced the welfare of Kentucky and given it a most prominent place in the galaxy of states that form the Union. He was a gifted orator, his delivery was animated and he had that eloquence which is not born of rhetoric but springs from the inspiration of the occasion. He was frequently called upon to address public assemblies, and delivered the address in Harrodsburg on the occasion of the celebration of the sixty-sixth anniversary of the admission of Kentucky into the Union.
Mr. Hardin was married in 1806 to Miss Barbour. His person was tall and commanding, his eye remarkably keen and penetrating, and his countenance exhibited striking indications of decided talent. In the legislative halls of state and nation all acknowledge his worth, while his reputation at the bar classed him among the most brilliant jurists that this country has produced. His name is indissolubly linked with Kentucky's history.