The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-09-10

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/ dence no allegation should be permitted against
him here. He certainly had smallfaults, which
TO small eyes were large enough to shut out a
+ perception of his great qualities. He despised
the anse and the cumIn, and necessarily lost
the respect OF those valuable members of the
State, outside and inside of the bar, who do the
least important things first and the more lmpor-
tant last. Frank, generous and con6ding, he
spoke on the bench and elsewhere of persons
+ and OF things, with that impulse which .none
but an honest heart can know; and in doing So,
/ he occasionally lost in dignity as much as be
gained in the pleasure of giving expression to his
real sentiments in his own way. If, as presi-
ding officer, he had preserved order more rigid-
/ ly, his Court would have been a more solemn
place, and if he had attended more directly to
what was passing before him, the business would
have been more efficiently despatched. But e.
nough of what be was not The qualities which
he possessed were striking and peculiar. That
which most impressed those who knew him
best, was the exceeding kindness of his heart.
The knowledge ofthis was key to his charac-
ter. Any newspaper editor or legislative ora
tor who had abused him, might have approach
ed him with the proloundest confidence, not on
ly that be had forgiven, but actually forgotten,
any calumny however gross. In that respect,
at least, no man could have reduced 10 practice
more directly, the morality Of the New Testa-
ment He cherished 10 antipathies, and form
ed no preiudices. In every relation, public and
private, he displayed that charity of the heart
which makes gentleman, despite of ear
ly associations and even Of bad manners. Inthe
lveest salI"s Of his vii and humor-the last
acts on which benevolence exerts its restraining
influence he never allowed himself TO trench
on the sensbiitirs of others. When be said
anything from The bench approaching severity,
as he sometimes did when worn down by dull
and tedious argument, no time was lost IN try
/ ing, BY a remark Of different kind, to wear
away lis effect both on the speaker and The au-
dence. He was a sound critic IN the best sense
of the term, and when harsh observation
was made of one whom he knew, he was gem
orally able to relieve its effect by pointing out
some excellence which had escaped the aten-
tion of Others To the Young, and especially
TO those who were endeavoring to become the
architects Of their own fortunes, he was kind,
aHabIe, ard iudulgent. But the picture requi-
res higher colorIng. There was something IN
bis magnanimiy, in his lo~giving temper, in
his kindly charity, in his capacity to appreciate
excellence of any kind, in any form, which
despite his apparent unconcern OF manner and
sluggishnpss OF body, ELECTED and compelled at
fiction, There was true fire of the heart
which glowed increasingly and cast even the
splendor of his intellect into the shade. No
ma, e,.a, moro cord;allv dpspispd cold. calcu-
l,,;,r s,idar-lila layy.r. weayino day BIZ day
hi. miserable tolls. oivinr up nothing, retaining
t,;s grsSn an every victim Of chance and folly,
and employing his powers only for the produc-
ton Of misery and the practice OF oppression.-
No man ever spoke into being with 50 little el-
fort. arden, and permanent friendship. He sat
on the Supreme Bench with twenty-six differ
emf J Judges. none of whom owed their position
TO his influence. and almost all of whom, on
their accession, were comparative strangers to
him. and vet it NAV be doubted whether the
,ursst and bappie>t household ever lived in
moro absolute harmony than he pnjoyed in his
o..,son,l ;,,e,coprss with his associates. In
.ora 70 any hoJv Of men Iono associated to-
na5ber This fac, ni5bt be worth repeating; but
p ,ba, Of 60 many indep-ndent men, of strong
;nt.llsc,s and wills, employed together in the