The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-11-02
VOLUME Vino. 18.
From Gov. Per,y's "reminiscences of GreenuiAs.
Sketch of Judge Earle.

Judge Balls J. Earle was the eldest son ofthe
Honorable Samuel Earle, Of Pendleton District,
South Carolina, gallant Revolutionary officer,
and member of Congress, representing the whole
! Western portion of the State in 1886. He was
man 81 large fortune for the upper county
and self-educated. In his intercourse with pubs
lie men, whilst in Congress, he felt ktAnly the
defects of his early education, and determined
to give all of his sons every advantage which
schools and colleges could bestow. He was
man of high and pure character, but most &c.
centric in the latter part of his life. Having
served his State in the Legislature, in the Com
vention which adopted the Federal Constitu-
tion, and in the United States Congress, he
voluntarily withdrew from public life, and de.
voted himself to the management of his various
farms in Pendleton and Greenville. He lived
to an old age, and in great retirement, joined
the Baptist Church, and was much esteemed
by his neighbors. n
| / read law three years in the Office Of Judge
Earle, who was then Solicitor of the Western
Circuit, and I am indebted to him for many
acts of kindness and favors shown me. He was
man of very superior endowments by nature,
and highly accomplished as writer and speaka
err In person he was strikingly handsome,
manly, and beautiful, if the term can be ape
piled to gentleman. But there was nothing
of vanity about him, on account of his fine ap.
pearance He did not seem to regard it at all,
but rather disiked any compliment on that &C.
count. He was, however, a man of great pride
of character, and dignifed in his manners. I
once heard Judge Huger say of him, before
his elevation to the bench, that his manners
were more judicial than. any one he had ever
met. He was a fine scholar, and possessed
great literary taste. He spoke and wrote With
great accuracy and purity. There was nothing
ornate or pretentious in his style. He bad ia
ken Addison as his model when a student, and
all of his writings were marked for their clear.
ness, purity, and simplicity. He seldom in,
dulged in metaphors or figures of speech.
Judge Earle graduated in the South Carolina
College, at sixteen, and took the first honors OF
his class, which was one of great talent aud
scholarship. But none of his class even COM
peted with him for the first honor. He was the
Youngest member of his class, and the first
scholar in it. He read law with John Taylor,
then Solicitor of the Western Circuit, and after
wards q member of Congress from the District
of Pendlcton and Greenyille. At twenty-one,
he was admitted 10 the bar, and established
himself at Greenville. He represented the Dis
trict two years in the Legislature, and was then
elected Solicitor by very large majority over
Chancellor Bowie, of Alabama. Until his eiec-
tion as Solicitor, such was his dif6dence and
modesty, that he scarcely attempted to make
speech at the bar. After this, he was forced to
argue his sessions business, and made the model
of prosecuting officer. He presented the
facts of the case clearly and succinctly, referred
to the law correctly, and left the jury to decide
| the case under the instructions OF che judge
He had one of the fairest minds that l have
ever known, and his judgment was always dis.
passionate. He never urged the conviction OF
II ~ tom
it. Where the guilt of the prisoner was the
settled conviction of his mind, he always pre-
sentcd the circumstances of the case with great
force and clearness. He was always well pre-
pared in his sessions business, and did not pre-
sent more witnesses than were necessary ID
making out the case in the first instance, re-.
serving the Others for the reply. In the trial OF
Sims at Newberry, for the murder of his father,
although the evidence was circumstantlal and
mysterious, he was satisfied of his guilt, and
thought the crime so horrible that he should
not escape punishment He argued the case
with great ability, and presented the facts and
circumstances in such way as forced the jury
to q conviction.
Judge Earle was very young man when
elected to the bench. There were two vacan.
cies ces to be filled and four candidates. He was
elected on the first ballot, and Judge Martin on
the second or third ballot. Though young. he
proved himself the equal of his learned assoct
ates, and his written judicial opinions in tAs
Court of Appeals will compare well with those
of any other Judge on the bench. Perhaps In:
|style and composition, they-are superior, if noe
equal in learning and research, to those of older
Judges. In college he must have been hard
student to have won the honors he did in such
q graduating class, but in after life he wan very
remiss in his studies and did not devote hlmseli
to his profession as he should have done.
never saw Judge Earle, for three years whilst
in his Office, read except to hunt up authority
in his cases in court. He was great reader OF
novels and polite literature, fond of the society
of his friends and associates, and devoted to
making money, though he had neither wife nor
child TO inherit his fortune. In fact, Judge
Earle had but little time to read and study at.
ter nv acquaintance with him. His circuit Oc.
cupied him six or seven weeks in the fall and
sprine. He had to attend the Court of Appeals
twice every year, and he sitting of the Legisla-
ture. In the latter part of the summer, which
was the only recreation ne had, he generally
travelled North, or went to some watering place.
Hence, his time was almost constantly occu-
pied, to the exclusion of those studies to which
he might otherwise have devoted himself.
Judge Earle was, as have already lntima.
ted, : most conscientious and honorable man,
despising all meanness deception and flattery.
He was fair and open in all his conduct, and
never took an advantage in private or public.
Nothing could induce linn to show respect or
confidence where he did not think it was de-
served. He was a man of great sensibiity, at
all times, and frequently morbid in his feelings.
Ordinarily, his manners were courteous and
cordial, but sometimes in his morbid moods, he
seemed careless of the ordinary civilities of
life, and rude to his best friends. He would
pass them, or meet them as if he did not wish
to speak to them, or notice them. On one oc-
casion he passed very intimate acquaintance
without noticing him, who afterwards said to
him, when they met again cordially, ~ wish
you would give your friends some intimation
before hand, when you are hot disposed to rec
ognizc them, or pass with them the ordinary
ciyilities of life" His temperament was un-
fortunate, and he seemed to have inherited a