Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-10-03

value as man, citizen and friend.
The Burlington Times thusIfttingly
speaks;
Mr.. Colby, was native of Derby in this
State, and was, In all respects of princi-
pies and character, of Insight and develop.
ment, Misunderstanding our Union
with the firm love which a conviction of
its true significance and high import i'm.
ply, and hating those who rebelled
against it, not Vindictively, but as
man who clearly perceived the remedi-
less ruin successful rebellion would
bring, not only upon our cherished re-
public, but upon the principles of demo-
cratic government throughout the world.
He was devotee Ito his patriotic con-
victions. All bis life member of the
democratic party" the ties Of party
were as burnt fax to him, compared
with his instructive devotion to the in
tegrity OF our Union. The fire upon
Sumter transformed him, without other
process, into an intense Republican"
as parties wereIthen divided. "Repub-
licans," were for the complete suppress
sion Of the rebellion, -"domocrats, las
rule) were for possible compromise"
Mr.. Colby was for suppression so that
the grand old fabric of our government
should be vindicated and its perfect au-
thority established. Therefore, during
all the war, he was an unCompromising
republican" and his appointment as
Register of the Treasury, in Washington,
lin 1864 was an acceptable recognition
in Vermont of the devoted loyalty of one
of her sons. The manner in which Mr..
Colby performed the duties Of his Office
| justified both the confidence and the
hopes of his many friends.
\
He was never elected to office, though
always loved. The sweetness of his
personal character was proof against
the sourness of the decided politics of
Vermont. In 1864, after the retirement
of Mr.. Chittenden, Mr. Colby was APP
pointed Register of the Treasury of the
United States. In dscharging the du-
ties of that elevated and responsible
Office he gained universal praise-from
the able Secretary of the Treasury, Mr..
McCulloch, to the lowest official in the
Department. Mr.. Colby was 8 gentle
man in the highest sense OF the word.
Nobody ever approached him, however
humble, without the kindest audience.
We utter our own personal knowledge
when we say that Mr.. Colby never de.
died himself to anybody. Kind and
courteous to all, he lessened disappoint-
ment to the disappointed and sweetened
success to the successful in all his Of
fetal intercourse. In fine, he was true
patriot and true gentleman. The
country has cause to lament his death.
Hon. Charles w. Willard, editor of the
Freeman, thus delineates some OF the
fine traits of his character
Mr.. Colby took a high rank in his
profession in the condnct Of his cases,
both in preparation and on trial He
was one Of the most ready men at the
bar we ever saw. Nothing seemed to
disconCert or daunt him. He needed
little time for preparation, and, gen
orally, was not obliged TO labor much
over his cases to master them, 1t hap
pened oftener than otherwise that his
of. hand arguments were among his
best and most brilliant efforts, and we
have heard MIN speak xtemporaneously
better than we ever heard him speak
from written manuscript. AS Jury
advocate he had few equals, and hardly
superior in the State; and in some
classes of cases he was excelled by no
lawyer at the bar. He was once, unex-
pectedly, suddenly obliged to try q case
OF Importance in Lowell, Mass, with B.
f. Butler as opposing counsel, and i'm
partial spectators said that he was FULLY
a match for that acute, bold and skillful
lawyer.
Mr.. Colby will be long remembered by
his intimate friends and his more fami-
liar acquaintance, for his genial man
ners, his sparkling humor, his great
store Of anecdotes, not only of the bench
and the bar but Of all spheres of bust.
ness, his cultivated literary tastes, and
his courteous bearing, which copsplred
to make him most agreeable and en-
PERTAINING gentleman. He had collected
q number Of anecdotes Of the earlier
members Of the bar of Vermont, and at
one time contemplated preparing vol
ume for publication, but we are unad-
vised Of the state of completeness in
WHICH nc Ielb LIS mauuSCEipL. IN MS
hands it could not have failed to prove
most entertaining book
We think, for his fame, MIR, Colby
made mistake in accepting office at
Washington. 1t was certainly out Of
the line Of his professional pursuits, and
placed him where his training at the bar
and in the forum were OF little help to
him. His pleasant address, his fine per
sonal presence, and his always delight
full conversation made him popular
official, but the really best part of his
faculties, and the strongest powers of
his mind, were seldom or never called
into play. But he had unquestionably
taste for public life, and enjoyed much
of the wide acquaintance with men and
political affairs, which his position at
Washington offered; yet we donbt if he
was quite satisfied with it, and would
not have been ready to exchange it, for
his old popularity and practice in the
courts. But it is often much easier to
leave ones profession and business than
to return to it, and this with the fasci-