Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-03

his arguments, have won him unstinted praise in all
the courts IN which he practced and that in the SD
preme Court he had gained the position of counsel
Of commanding abilities.
others SIR his more intimate personal friends who
saw more of him than have lately done in the lami
liar associations Of life will speak Of his social quali
ties and estmabl9 character, Proud and self-con-
tanned in the matters that pressed upon him sharply
in the rough centctS Of public life, l know that be
was genial vivacious aud singulaTly agreeable in his
private intercourse. Extensive reading large obyer-
vation, literary taste and wonderful memory made
him most GttTac i've and pleasant companion: and
while his earnest nature attached his friends most
strongly TO him. they telt thar differences Of opinion
did not beget in him arvpersonal ltencss. and that
he was 10 be tny and frankly relied upon in all the
professions Of his friendships.
REsARRS OF MIR. GwIN.
Mr. Chairman: l cannot but remember how often
in late years we have met TO pay this tribute to the
memory of our dead. The days are not lar distant
when those who survive will assemble to Gender the
sad Offices to many who are here present. Some
may perish IN YOUTH some in mature life, AMI somein
old age Hhenc.etI,G may depalt it is consultation
to know that kindly memories will alone survive M
and that the old and the young will as breth
ren around our graves. With this feeling we have
any intimate relations with our deceased brother
But ! know that he was qualified, both hy applica-
tUn and capacity, To have attained the highest hon
ors Of our profession. know that in the House Of
Representatives he had earned, in the conflict Of de
bate repntqtlon seldom surpassed, and that he well
deserved the high praise which men Were accustOm-
cd to pay to his eoquence aud ability. know that
he had those Tarer ana more precious qualities which
drew closely to him, in youth and manhood, very
many friends. and that these qualities were sgnaliy
illustrated in his private life In thus recalling him
to your recol ecti0n have sought Mr.. Chairman t.
speak the plain and simple words of truth. His un-
timely death and the sorrow Of these who were near
est 10 him may. well awaken deep regret and Sympa-
thy among his brethren of the bar. A one member
Of your committee beg leave to lay this tribute on
his grave.
REMARKS OF Mr. MATHEWS.
Hfr Cbuirm0n-Never before. in meetings similar
to this, have felt it incumbent upon TO do more
than to evnce by my presence cordial concurrence
with our brethren in their expressions Of regret for
thp S5ffN nhar= q
who were the leaders of the Bar when my cotcmpo-
raries first entered its ranks have passed away one
by one to the silent hamlets of the dead, which lg
around this city Of bustlng and stirring life But
day have been called to The loss Of for
will survivn the shock of sudden grief, and be the
fragrance of recollection until my own heart shall BE-
pulseess in the slumber of death. The cultivated
gentleman tho accomplished lawyer, was my trlenu,
The brilliant and courageous statesman the OBJ
ject of deeper homage than have ever felt for any
other among the pubic men Of our own times. Asso-
catng with him upon terms Of intimacy as far ba",
a thirteen years ago. there was subsequently short
cessation Of personal relatlOns and yet through
all that period, later and long continued intercourse
with him has taught me that there alienation
Of his kind feelings toward me-,
1t Is impossible for any one OF those who saw most
Of him. and best understood his qualities OF mind and
heart, to speak Of him in the language Of moderate
enl"gy Ills vas a rare nature and our rgseoct ior
telect.
In the death of Henry Winter Davis. the law hse
lost of its ableSt and most ingenious interpreters
in whom The rarest gifts of nature united with
ripe scholarship and coriOus aud accurate legal
But since he had
The genius TO be '?Ued-why let him have
The Justice to be hon0red in his grave"
He was peculiarly fitted Tor the highest tasks o
forensic labor and brought to the discharge of the
trusts comu.ittcd TO his management profound ep
probation Of the responsibilities Of advocate. In
small as in great cases, he WIS Dainstaking and ex
act, never trusting TO the chances Of the trta tabo
Interests which could he hest promoted by fgitbfI,
\ m WAS soc IN mis-
Gated to battle his powers Of subtle analysis and
the most ab5truee rrincipies wcrc Simpicd by the
force ol his clear logic lie was rapid. keen and
exhaustive thinker--not less eminent for the quici-
ness of his perceptions than for the cOpopS logic
with which he illustrated every subject upon which
his mind was brought to rear: Alth9ushit was easy,
at all times TO recognize in his dction and in his
varied style the cultivation Of scholar Of widely
diversified attanments, Yet his arguments III the
courts SUI Geperis exhibitions Of processes of
pure reasoning, the creations Of his own intellect
they were terse, vigorous. compact and lucid, and
their unity Sel5om marred by the Interpolation
of decided eases.
Ills nobiest qualities were the sincerity of his con
vlctlon* and the zeal and courage with which he ad
yauced and defended them. M man, with whom ii
has been my fortune to meet in his combination OF
great moral and mental qualities, bore any resem-
blanCe to him. lie has left no superior as a man
and it may be appropriately added, few peers either
at this bar or at the bar Of the Supreme Court in
which he achieved his highest professional distinc
ton. As he incapable of meanness in his private
conduct, so in ms professional demcanOr he was
always an open and courteous adversary, at whose
hands we could expect uothiEg more and nothing
less than the cxcrions which his sense of duty de-
manded, and his honor sanctioned in behalf Of his
For some years Mr. Davis has been seldom seen
and seldom heard in our courts. Appearing only
when retained III eases of unusual magnitude and
interest he leaves behind him few records of profeg-
siOual success in our midst but he was for years y
distinguished practioncrin AlexGndra, and has lett
lmpeTlShaole evidences Of his abilities on the page
of the rep rts OF tne highest tribunal of the country
While he was thoroughly LAWYER in the couven-
uonal and honorable sense in which nat term is aD
piled to those who practice the law he rose above
the narrowing influence mere professional training
and was capabl { of mastering The iar-er Gua--
tions Of pahlic import, with which, during the last
ten wears, he has been almost exclusively occunnd
His fame will rest Secur ly upon his reputati
people during four sessions of tho Congress of the
United States In he debate of important question.
he bore conspicuous part, and always commanded
IN audience OF the whole House. The members Of
the opposition knew that his enunciatial4 of prinr
pies womb always DE bold and UHeqGiv0cal. If hi
CONVICTIONS led him In advance OF his party. they
were expressed uniformly with unmistakabe candOI
and fulness: and his lasting honor let it be said
that his vision swept broader horizon than the eve
Of mere pa tisan could reach and his unsurpassed
lifted him to loitier aii udes than the rank
and file 0! mere partis?ns sometimes thought it
reliant and set-Foised man in the National Coun-
ellis When once satisfied that certain course was
to be pursued. he walked through 1t 10 the eni
and never asked himself how many or how few
would follow him. Drcading alone the condernna-
ton of his own conscience he neither omitted to do
what it dictated nor dreaded the dsapprObation oi
Others lie felt that right and truth and justice
ought to be popular, and he was their champion at
all times against all odds and fearless of ali consn
quences. He could dare to do what most men would
shrink FROM he could dare to leave undone thous-
and things which men, equally honest, but with
coarser natures are in the hab of thinking
TO the success of public man. No man of his ace
has attracted larger share of public attention during
the bnel pHt brilliant career which has terminated
abruptly. In the ylgor and beauty Of manhood-in
the prime and pride Of intellectthe LAWYER orator
and statesman mas been removed from our midst
His works do follow him. Ten thousand grateful
benedictons will fall To-Day upon his grave; and all
W er the length anG breadth of tho Republic the
truest and the best OF our cOuntrymen are uniting
with us IN our lamcntation over the sudden exin-
guishment cf a shining light For this man was ma
tiOnal in the best and largest sense of the term lie
was an American citizen, and his decease is calam
ty TO the land Not for ourselves, nor even for this
generation, do we sorrow. He great man. daily
growing more devoted to the advocacy Of the pro-
gress and advancement OF our race. His whole
heart was agloW with love of liberty and the bless
ngS which he enjoyed he generously sought to be
stow upon all. lie was a believer in the manhood
of men. and all his gympathe5 were with tho
masses OF the people, II is not my judgment Of his
capacities alone upon which rey-whep l speak Of
him as the greatest citizen of our Statebut hay C
been accustomed to hear the abiest and oldest of our
statesmen speak of him Of the greatest of our
countrymen. lie has wrought his full toll, and is at
rest: The thorough lawyer, the genial loyal, mag
unanimous gentleman, the incorruptbe patriot the
polished debater the bold and fearless leader will
earthly" and now the Christian has gone to reap
eternal compensation for all that he lost and all that
he suffered by his sublime devotion to liberty and
the elevation and happiness of his fellow men.
REMARKS OF Mr.. STIRLING.
He could not allow the grave to close upon the
man whose form 1t is about to encircle without tes-
titying in few words, his estimation of the char
acter of the lamented deceased and his feelings of
affection towards him. He would not speak Of his
public reputation, of his abilities as statesman.
1t was gratifying fact, after all the struggles
through Whch we have gone, after all the of
division and boodshed, the influences of which have
penetrated all our hearts. to know. with Saddened
hearts and with feelings chastened to kindness he
proved mat here. among the members Of the profes
sion, we are always ready to render justice to every
man.
lie would say q word to the members of the pro-
fession in regard to Mr.. Davis as lawyer and gen
tleman. Many persons think that he was hard
man. The speaker sad that while he was in many
respects a proud man. and of rapid aud quick
temper he was man destitute OF every spec OF per-
sonal meannesS aud resentment. lie testified from
personal knowledge, that of those with whom the de-
ceased differed subjects which have divided men of
the same blood. he always spoke personally in the
kndest terms otmany who, perhaps, regarded him as
Hlle better than an enemy. He would speak of his
professional character 1t true that he was made
1or statesman. that he had no partaliy for the
personal contest OF cases He united the utmost
rapldlty OF thought. facility of acquiring informa-
tlOn, with habit of patient investigation. As
lawyer, although he could see quicker than most
men, he never contented himself with seeing quick r
In his profession he was a gentleman. lie did no
mean thing. lie marched Ill the law as he marched
In public lite, straightforward to accomplish his pur
pose anu he has left bright example to the young
men of the profession.
Whatever MIR. Davis was in public life, he was in
private l1e IN every sense, cultivated Christian
gentleman. be would not speak about his religion
but he knew that he had planted his faith firm and
in tbas oil ,fafin