Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-10-17

7 T'fTF " TF''''V' F'''""'T
DEATH OF LORD DENMAS.

Although four years have already elapsed since
Lord Denman wGs compelled by the increasing IN
iirmities of age to Withdraw from the Court ri Queen
Bench and the office oi Lord Chief Justice OF Eng
land, and although the closing period oi hS III" has
removed hin from all connection with public aiinlr-
we cannot allow n man 50 Justly respected III his gen
Grafton 10 pass from among Is without recording somr
traces of his public services and his wcll-carncd hon
ors. /, may be said Of Lord Denman TINT he had moi
the impussloncd forensic c%loqucncc OF Erskinc. MOI
the tremendous Parliamentary energy OF BruuChain
he could not display the cop;Ous and animated learn
ing uf Macintosh, and hc did not possess the subtle
advocacy of S~carlcit:-though he took no undlS'ln'
cuishcd part with Itomily in the reform Of the law
BY the removal ot It's abuses md the mitigation ct ~
severitics, he WIS not his equal ut the bar; and, though
he fought the battle OF negro emancipation with q
zeal and stralinrss inferior In none, Wiiberturcc and
Clarkson hnd n more enthusiastic following in tn,
country, md Buxton and Lushing,on had more at
thoritv in the House of Commons.
Upon the Bcnchl it ~ impossible to rank The judi
cial attainincnts and legal capacity Of Lord DrnmaI
with the eminent qualities Of Parkc or Timdal, Lynd'
hurst or Campbell. But, if the highest rink be de
niel him upon al impartial survey OF his character
and life, il * II" mean praise that in this constellation
of taicnt he held MI in!lsputcd place M Il s;hr "t IN
second magnitude. With these contemporaries. witt
| these associates. with these competitors in tho race q"
life, he won, and he deserved 10 win, n fair and hon
| orable prize. For Is Years lie filled the HONORABLE,
seat OF the Chief Justice nj England, aud, II any
men c1cclled him by the vivacity nj their genius OF
the ncuteness ~ their intellect, mono ctrthlillE sur
passed, or perhaps equalled him. in the moral dlgnIt,
which gave an appropriate" and additional lustrc It
his office. Tho pcr-ouaI ASPECT and outward hcnrim.
OF Lord Dcumun IN the administration Of .jU~tic
wcro strongly impressed with those moral quaiiii'
which he L piaycd i'll nj! the ddtics ni ltr, ant
though he occasionally cvirccd on the bench the pas
sion OF n partisan, we cannot but bear Testimony Il
his untlinrhin- rccti,udc OF purpose, his love of truth
his sincerity and simplicity OF character. His ex
treme bencvOlencc and humanity We're the tittest or
narncnts Of the chief legal guardian Of the pub!i
morals, md these qualities deservo to confer lastinj
honor upon his name.
Lord Dcnman was born on the 23d Of July, 171o
in the house of his father, Thomas Denlnan, VIII
prarticed medicine with distinction in the metrupoli
i'll the latter half OF the lat century. His mothc
was IN aun: OF the present Sir Benjamin Brodle. an
It Is a curious instanc. OF the connection of the Den
man family with the medical profession, that one u
the sisters OF Or. Dcnnan married Sir Richard Croft
and the other DR.. Baltic, the TWO leading physician
OF their time. In earlv childhood Thomas DcnmaI
was sent 10 Palgrave School, near Diss, in Norfolk
which wa then under the management OF Dir. an
Mrs. Barbau!d, and the Judge was sometimes won
to relate i'll after life that lie had received from TIM
accomplished lady the rudiments OF instruction, ant
the hrst lea IONS vi discipline. We have no record q
young Dennan's later school education, but se fn'
him towards the close Of tho last century entered q