Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1862-01-01
WEDNESDAY uOBNING, JAN. /. 1889
The Late Sylvester L. Finley.

The prominent position of the late Capt. SYLvEs
TER L. FEIEY in the community and the high
esteem "a wklch he Was held, By all who kne7 v
MIN, demand som3 mere particular NOTICE than We
we're able 70 give OH the morning succeelinE HE
death. &c "a unnecessary that We POW speak Of
his political relations further than to refer briefly
to his peculiar fitness for giving strength and Ell
cheney TO any cause il which he was engaged. This
vas attributable TO the fact in part that he Away
took comprehensive snd catholic view of every
question submitted to his study, and partly to the
essAsive and accurate political information which
he had garnered up But we must look as much
perhaps to the charitable and kindly spirit which
ever animated him in his political relations, to
either of these, for mis- position.
He looked upon political questions purely in the
light in which they presented themselves, as affect
ing the country, without mingling with them per-
sonaI asperity or unkindness. lie has again and
again been known to enter plea in extenuation OF
the motives which actuated those who differed from
him, when he heard them sssaIled in q time of ex
element He was, nevertheless, at all times an ar
dent Southern Rights Democrat, before the dissolu.
ton of par ties, warm partisan and forcible sd-
vocate of his principles His charity gave to his
advocacy the color Of impartialty, and thus added
weight to his arguments
But it was in the social relations of life that he
most highly estimated by his associates. We shall
therefore confne what follows of an imperfect
sketch of his life to some brief incidents of his per
sonal history and some allusion to those qualities
which endeared him to all who knew him.
Sylvester L1rnei Finley was born IN the city Of
Baltimore, Nd 3rd Dec. 1921 OR p. He was
forty last month. The home of his youth ever re-
tanned q warm spot in his heart and memory
When the present war commenced, his deepest
sympataies were with "poor oppressed Mary
land" Snd he often expressed the wish
that he might yet be enabled to strike one
blow for her. Around Baltimore were clustered
ali the pleasant associations AMI memories of his
boyhood days. There his fond mothers form, his
brothers and sisters minglIng faces, the kind
father who often pointed out the paths of virtue
to his boy, and the induigent aunt who WAS to him
as q second mother, met his sight Ali save
three of that happy family circle are awaiting
him in Heaven. In Baltimore, too, he imbibed his
first ideas of religion. From childhood up TO man.
hood he was regular student OF the o. School
Presbyterian church. and tho he afterwards prOfessed
religion in the c. P. church; he never for a mo>
mens wavered IN his love for the former,
and still clung 70 its doctrine. AL these
things endearei him to the home Of his nativity.
But Tennessee was the home of his adoption. Ia
1t were ceutered all the hopes of his maturity-all
his happiness, Gni for it he laboFed with untiriug
zeal but his labors are over, his active soul is at
rest we hope, in the bosom Of his God. He has
been dutiful son and an afectionate brother. he
WAS good citizen warm and disintarested frienda
kind brother, true, pure patriot, and most deep
Iy devoted and attached husband. OF pure princi-
pies, unblemishad integrity. and the very soul of
honor, it is no wonder that he never had enemy,
Gad none knew him but to love him Cutdown I'm
expectedly, in the flower Of his days, he leaves
many warm friends and bereaved and broken
hearted wife TO mourn his loss. May Col temper
the wind to the shorn lamb"