Washington telegraph., 1853-07-20

anu leaVe chaSms IN the community which
time is powerless to fill.
Resolrcd, That the Bar respectfully fem
der their heartfelt sympathy to the family
Of the deceased; and from respect to the
memory of one so greatly endeared to them
will wear the usual badge of mourning du-
ring the present term of the Supreme Court.
Resoltea, That these resolutions be COM
municated to the Court by the Attorney
General, with request that they NAV be
entered upon the records; and. further, that
they be communicated to the family of the
deceased, by the chairman of this meeting
CAPT. PIKE then arose and said =
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HoNoRs
FREDERICK W. TRAPNALL. for
nearly seventeen years leading and emf
nent member of the Bar of this Court died
at Monticello, in Drew county, in this State.
on Monday last, at five o'clock in the morn
ing, after painful illness of very few
days.
After we had been distressed with the in
formation of his dangerous illness, we were
encouraged, from favorable accounts sent
to us, to hope that he had commenced to
improve. was not iii danger of death. and
would soon be among us to gladden. us with
his genial presence and | am sure that
when that cheering news arrived here. there
was no one among us who did not feel that
he had not until then been conscious bow
much he regarded, admired and loved the
friend the sudden news of which loss soon
after struck so sharp blow upon the hearts
of this community
1t is due to ourselves, many of whom
have been long and intimately acquainted
with the deceased, and had abundant oppor
tunity of knowing him thoroughly and APP
preciating and admiring him in proportion
to the extent of our knowledge that we
should express in fit and proper terms the
sorrow we feel for his death, and our sense
Of the great loss which has befallen us and
the whole community.
There are none of US who have not felt
the genial influences of his cheerful, frank,
and manly temper and disposition; who have
not admired the grace and eminent courte-
sy of his manners. and the vigor and quick
ness of his intellect Amply armed with
dom found unprepared, or taken by surprise
forcible in attack, and prompt and efficient
in defence, he brought to the aid of his large
supply of legal learning, a profound and in
stinctive sense of right, and forcible, spark
ling and persuasive eloquencc. Nature had
been cminently liberal to him; but he had
cultivated well his ripening intellect by an
extensive and iudicious course of reading.
In the social circle he charmed every one
Few men excelled him in conversational
powers none in the grace and elegance of
his department He was formed to charm
men and women alike; and in any forum,
in any Legislative body, in any assembly of
rank and fashion, he would have been no.
ted and distinguished man.
His memory will not die for many years
among us We shall long, very long, miss
him in our daily walks fancy we hear the
cheerful tones of his voice, and look in vain
for his pleasant and manly countenance.-
1t is hard indeed. that one SO brilliant of so
happy and genial temperament. in the
prime and pith of his manhood, and the full
vigor of an ample intellect, so well fitted
to enjoy life himself and increase its enjoy
ment to others, to dispense happiness to his
family, to serve his country, and do good in
his day and generation, should be so sud-
denly, in the inscrutable dispensations of
Divine Providence, struck with the sharp
arrows of death, and committed to his mar
row and lonely chamber in the graveyard to
be seen no more by his friends, in this world,
forever.
It is peculiarly proper for me to pay this
tribute of respect TO his memory [ knew
him at his first entrance into the State-I
have known him intimately and well from
that day to this. There have been at times,
shadows cast between US, and sometimes, no
doubt, in my thoughts, | have failed to do
him Justice, as perhaps he may have failed
to do the same to me- But there was no
time when [ did not admire and love him.
[ bitterly regret his death l condole with
his bereaved family and respectfully offer
them my profoundest sympathy. And |
declare that in all my intercourse with him
during so many years, | never knew the
slightest approach on his part towards any
thing not perfectly frank, manly and honor
able.
May it please your Honors brief as | de-
sire to be. | cannot refrain from adverting
to one trait of his character as a lawyer,
worthy of imitation by all; and without
which, it seems to me, no one is truly entl-
tied to the name. in its largest and truest
sense. And that was, that in every case he
looked first to what was right and Just in
the matter, and sought for arguments and
authority to vindicate the justice of his eli
ent's claim or defence, and not merely to
prove that the lar was upon his side. He
looked to the reason of the law, as its best
interpreter The consequence was, as the
consequence will always be, that his practice
was marked with an unlimited degree of
success. He seemed to recoil instinctively
from doing wrong in the name of the law