Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-08
THE LATE JUDGE J. q. WUM-
PHREXS.
EuIogy BY Judge ThOs. r. smith.

pause upon the DpulR6fF Ills GcLMEt4
he past and the future, 20 look back
ward upon the dead n buried, plant
), the old year, before entering upon the
! hopeful paths of the new, that such 3
season OF retrospect and OF hope might
J not be an inappropriate time liz which 10
= ask your Honor to inter upon the records
G OF the Court the worthy tribute OF the
2 Bar of Memphis to one who fills 9 most
g enviable position in the Judicial history
OF the State-Hon. JnO. q. Humphrey
: who, on the - day o. last,
passed away from eaFth's tolls, and
= troubles, ard honors, to reap 10 3 better
7 world the sure reward OF g life well spent
and full Of good works.
Judge Humphreys was prepared for his
: Sdysnc sleat 10 the Bench by an early
education remarkable for its thorough
= ness, ant no One could converse with
him without perceiging him to be q mar
OF rare culture, finely trained in all thai
classic learning from which the scholars
Of the wCrtd have ever chosen their
lighes. models. Besides this general
scholarship. land partially as q c0nss-
I queuce OF itf) he wss thoroughly familiar
With the history ard precepts Of the
, Common Law, haViBg traced al the
rules CT In 2, s. they are understood to-
, day, 20 their sources in the eternal pTin
cip!es Of justice which unGer.ie them,
aud being by this knowledge prepared to
=dQ3iHister the !zW 50 uuusrstandiugly,
50 f.tiEgly and 50 Gecorously that tie
!, Profession, in common wish lhe cOmau-
Bity gave him the meed of their geneT-
JUS praise, ard marked him 20 z public
servant, honest, capable and Efficient.
FIR twelve ye1gs 1 say him, prompt
IS the SEASONS, preside with grace sad
diEnity,a at eve tsra OF his Court which
was held in my county, and on many
occasions during these yesrs, 1 at
tended Bis courts il other counties Of bis
Circuit, ami l can tTUiy ssy that, during
al that time, although l saw him III
trials OF all soTls, from the petty sppeal,
1hers nsught was involved bu5 the pas
sion Of some obstinate iitigsHt, 10 the
soisnn enquiry where ths life Of q fell
low being hung trembling in the SCALES
II justice. His hand held firmly the
balance, and 10 man ever bIeathed the
thought that his course Was or could be
II Influenced by any but the highest desire
20 enforce justice, according to the f1Tn-
Of law AMI l Of.en heard it said By those
whose early lives had thrown thsm INFO
intimacy With him, thst il he had any
fault As a Judge, it was that he was apt
70 lean 3 little too strongly against hi
f.iends, for fear lest bis affection for them
might sWeCve his judgment IN their "a
yor. They Thought he Erlced himself
NJ sgaiGst these promPtings OF the sffec-
tons.
His charge to g Jury WIS = model Of
simple, nervous English, that cCn7eyed
10 the most illiteTate Of the twelve, ex-
actly the idea which he intends to con-
Yey, and lett ca the mind CT none suy
F~egueEess as 10 how they were to under
stand the law. Another most praise
worthy characteristic Of his charges vas.
I NNaE HAL- r..
thoroughly appreciated the law of every
sui5, aud was possessed OF s. mind % re-
maTkab,e ciearness; he never found diff
Guilty ia expressing his ilsa2, hut always
plshed for the true point 0! 8 case with
= precision that was uuerriog and = ga
| gscity that was wonderful.
be revered the great Judges OF s1cient
e mCdsT1 times, Sld having q great
familiarity with their decisions, be fol-
lowed their ~pTecedenis with the peril
nscity Of $ man and the faith O. q child
By common consent no has taken
his place among tie best Judges
ne viii long 10 remembered
in This Circuit as one to whose learning,
ability, courage and honesty the people
c0nfded their dearest rights OF properly
and Of life with the most abiding conf
dsuce.
Such was Judge Humphreys as a
Judge.
As a lawyer he wss eqUslly eminent.
ResumiDg the practice OF his profession
ut the close OF the war, he at C found
himself in fail practice in the counties Of
Fayette ard Herd5maD. His health had
began to fail, but his energy and quiet
determination made up for that AID he
became what he had been before going
on the bench, q most successful lawyer,
8 most dangerous opponent before q
court Gnd jury. In fact his opponents
had \ new difficulty to contend with
the i1Tie5 could not get over that i'm
| preston which had become almost q
| part OF their natures, that they were
| bound TO decide according to his direc-
lions, and 1t often happened thst their
| Yerdiets reflected the results OF his ear
nest and skillful advocacy, rather than
the conclusions Of the law presented TO
! them as they were, without those Old
| associations which made Judge Hum
phreys invinei5le. Occasionally q
| stranger or S new conner was on the jury,
! and then by skillful management there
might be s mistrisl, otherwise the public
confidence in his law knowledge sGd the
old habit OF following his directions
| carried the juiies over to his side in spite
Of ali efforts to the contrary.
Judge Humphreys continued in the
practice until his rapidly declining
health warned him that he Was over
taskiDg his strength, AMI he prepared
with a manly fOrtituie to start on the /
last journey which TO many is 80 fail OF
| sorrow and dread, but to him so full OF
pesce and hope,
Bas aside from his profession,
| aide from his Position he
was full OF all those good qualities which
mark the friend aud ad0Fn the Christian;
quist, gentle, modest IS 3 young girl,
truthful. frank, generous, ardent ia his
! attachments, constant beyond express
sion; with a ehiyalrous respect for wo-
nlsn, pure, with charity for sll, he
walked among the temptations and pit
falls OF this world with spotless garmsnts,
and feet that never stumbled. 1t seems
TO ne that no man could have known
him in the confidence OF private fclend.
| ship, without being improved and made
better by his society, Tor he possessed IN
an eminent degree al earnestness OF Eeei-
iDg, 3 delicacy of sentiment, s purity Of
| thought, a courage in defence OF tie
fight, which made Us feel that the age
| of rue ehivalry had not yet gone.
IL can hardly be necessary for me- to
say that such . man Wass true Christian,
with . faith ss simple and trusting rs
that which lived in the lives and w3s
made glorious ia the deaths Of the Holy
| MartyTs. And when he came to make
ready and await the coming OF the armed
tyrant, who is nearing Us ali so certainly,
he felt the mighty arm OF God bearing
him up along his weary journey.
To the very last of MS life he moved
about among his n%eighbcrs, so long did
bis strong win overcome the weakness OF
| his body. Bot at last, rs it seemed De-
| coming al. er such a lifs, be passed away
| as gently and as quietly as an infant, to
his sleep, so that the loving eyes that
we're watching aim could not tell at what
hour be put on immortality.
| q Tbsv watched him gently thr0eghthe night
watching by bis sige,
a. tseughth him dying when be slept,
nd sleeping when he died
q left us all that wss mortslof dno. c.
Hnmphreys. but we nave still his menu
! oTv 10 cherish, his virtues to emulate,
his life to copy, Ills influence, silent
| and psraaps unthoug6t OF by many, has
Dr MANY years been seen by the oosery-
ant and made itself felt In the character
~ the Younger members OF the profess
sion who were around him. And it will
- nowHa tfaaff fall for D1TiEy