Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-06-28
TRIBUTE TO HON JOHN MCLEAN.

AT the late session Of the Caledonia County
Court at Danville, the following proceedings
were had in commemoration of the life, charac.
ter, and services of that pure-hearted and excel
lent man, the Hon JOHN MCLEAN, of Cabot.
From the North Star.
At meeting Of the members of the Bar of
this County, held at the Court House on the
9th inst, at which Hon Charles Davis presided,
and &. A. Burbank, Esq was chosen Secretary,
the following resolutions were presented, read,
and unanimously adopted -
Resolved, by the members Of the Bar practic.
ing in the county of Caledonia, that with grief,
sincere and profound, we call to mind the de-
cease, since the last session of this Court our es-
teemcd friend and brother, Hon. JOHN MCLEAN,
by whose sudden death we all feel that the pro-
fcsson and the entire community have sustained
an irreparable loss.
ResolCed, That we deeply sympathize with
the family and relatives of the deceased in their
bereavement, and desire the Secretary of this
meeting to certify and present to the afflicted
widow, with our heartfelt coincidence, copy of
these resolutions,
Resolved, That these resolutions be presented
and read before this Honorable Court, with a re-
quest that the same be 'ntercd upon the minutes
Of the Clerk
In presenting the above resolutions, Stoddard
B. Colby, ESD, of Montpelier made the follow
ing appropriate and eloquent remarks: =
MIR. CHAIRMAN 1t is not always, that an
exact portrait of ones character is his best eu-
logy; hence we sometimes fear in speaking of
the dead to come too near the truth. But not
SO Of John Mclean. We, who knew him 30
we'll, approach his memory full of confidence in
the goodness of his heart. the purity of his pur-
pose, the strength and solidity of his mind. We
feel that there is no need to tread lightly upon
the ashes of our departed brother, for his ster-
ling qualities are proof against less partial crit
icism than ours.
1t is true noe have no need to hear or make
mention OF him, for the sake of keeping his
memory-he was too near US to be forgotten
ana we do all remember no,C the sensation of sud-
den sorrow that ovcrcame us when the startling
words came to our ears last winter-words az
ICY and chilling rs the frozen air on which they
were borne John Mclean is deadt" Ave.
". we all remember that our breathing stopped, as
If bolt from Heaven had fallen among US. and
our hearts sank within us: But it is due for
LIT respect Tor ourselves to express our friendly
regards for such a man. it is fit that we. who
know SO well, all that he was, and how dear he
must have been to his warm and loving home
friends" it is fit that We declare to them our
klndliest sympathy. 1t is, indeed, decent and
proper that we tender tho poor solace of our
coincidence to her, whose gentle form was lean
ing in such confidence, faith and love, upon his
manly. noble nature.
To the State, whose councils he adorned--to
the community where he lived, and whose in
terest he ever made his own, we owe as much as
to unite in expressions Of our regard for his
fame, and our admiration of his virtues.
| he was man of most excellent spirit. I
shall not f'rget my fast meeting with him Ii
was at this place, in the last session of this Court
lie wished me to take short ride with him for
recreation, in the course of which he stopped
against an old homestead, and begged me to ex-
cuse him long enough to call on some AGED neo.
pie, who were living there quite alone, and TOO
lnilrm with age to go about, and seldom seeing
any one of their relatives He saws. =. / ai,pay,
cdH, .for /" makes them so happy" He did so:
and for the half hour of his STAY. he made the
Old house ring again with the JOYOUS hiDari,y "a
readily always at his command. | think often
how consderate that was for younp sc,;vr
business man. and how all too r,rey among MS
IS such thoughtful humanity exercised II was
his genial warmth Of heart tina, SO endeared him
10 ms friends, aud made every body clad TO see
him eN '" 500
MS chahty, his benevolence, his neyer-endino
kindness and good humor shapes themselves into
clusturc of rich memories, rs we think Of him
In inll lille; and it is remarkable how far such
luan''es OF the heart do ou,shine all the reccol.
'eeu'ns we have OF the more mental s,renp,b or
even intellectual culture and refinement. when we
are thinking of those who have gone from among
us. o"s
lie was man of sound practical sense. To
MS nelghbors his legal counsel was mos, useful
and sae-pseful because il was safe and honos,.
c c,, unlimited was reposed in him by ali
classes the entire social life Of his vicinity .uf.
iers and ianguishes beneath the loss of his great
moral strength and beauty. The time and oecas.
ION VIII not allow me to say more. A s;ncers
'rendliness always kept alive between ma would
not permit me TO say less. We have only to nro6,
by 'ne good acts and words he has done and said
and to urge on all his many .arden, friends ,be
counsel of racitus, in the conclusion Of his
Agricola !" VI "'s
u omnia fscta, dlstaquc, sjas sscum revOysu.n