The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-04-03
= polities, !: 1ntell lligenee, .a,,o,s

;, -r--T
The prince of practical wisdom
and good sense was Judge Evans
ON the Bench aud off the Bench.
de had no vanity to hear himself
talk TO the Bar, and Tie jury, and al.
waysknowing just what was neces.
sary to be said, so much he said and
no more. His rulings of points
made during the progress Of a case,
were decisions, not dissert ations.
In fifteen minutes he would pres
sent the whole case to the, inry,
more easily comprehended than if
ne had charged them two hours.
Whilst engaged in a celebrated
case in Washington, which doccu,
pied the District Court FIVE or six
weeks, Judge Evans said to me,
"Ilay wager thatI can try your
case with a South Carolina Jury
and Bar in, three days" '''
! In, the Appeal Court, 1 cannot
speak of Judge Evans in the con-
snltation room but ]; feel well as
snred that his brethren will award
nmtthere, as the Bar 0hav Q done
on the Circuit, the highest honors.
knew him only in the Appeal
Court through the opinions he de
livered, and which are reported In
our decisions of cases. Ills style
of writing was eminently judicial,
close, coiicise aid neat. He made
no unnecessary display of learning
in his opinions. He decided the
points of the caseiwithout any dis
sertation on general principles or
collateral issues not involved in
the case.aElaq sra,sl--v,,,r2 $3.50
AS a companion, Judge Evans
was always social, pleasant and
agreeable. HE possessed great
good hnmor aud cheertulness of
disposition. I do not remember
ever to have seen him depressed.
sad or, melancholy. He enjoyed
an anecdote or witticism, and
wonld laugh most heartily over a
good joke. He always conversed
well, and made himself interesting
to his friends. He gave then ins
formation without lectures, and
never tried to impress the compa.
ny with his superiority. He de-
sired no monopoly in the conver.
sation, but talked and listened as
seemed most agreeable to those
present. He had warm heart,
and loved his friends, but hated no
one. lie abhorred vice and de-
spised vicious habits, wherever
and whenever be met them. '~..9'
Judge Evans was a graduate of
the South Carolina college, and
when admitted to the Bar, his
whole patrimony had been exhaus
ted in his education, save one
body servant. But he died pos.
sessed of a very large fortu! g in
lands and negroes, which he had
made BY his profession and plant.
ing He never speculated, and
had the greatest contempt for
money lenders and Insurers. He
thought the practice begat an in.
sensibilityto human suffering, and
robbed the heart "t all the finer
and .nobler scnsibilties of our ma.
ture He was an excellent planter,
systematic, prudent and sncccss
ful. He was kind to lis slaves,
administered to their comforts,
aud made them happy. ,retnrn,
they were loyal, obedient and faith
tul, and loved him as a master.
Whilst Judge Evans was a wise
statesman and a pure patriot, he
was no politician and had no relish
tor politics. Once only lhe con-
sented to serve in the Legislature,
and that was just as he was start.
ing in life. He had been brought
up in the States Rights school of
politics, under the lead of Governor
Williams and Judge Smith, of
South Carolina, and Wm. H,
Crawford, Of Georgia. This threw
hmvin opposition to- Mr.. Calhoun
and his school of Irrational politics.
When the Notification controver,
sy sprang up in South Carolina,
Judge Evans was on the Bench
| remember a long and interesting
COW versation with him at that time
on that subject. He then had ais
misgivings and 'dopbts as to the
propfiety and constitutionality of
Modification. He said, however,
that he should advise bis friends
to, 60 for Convention of the State.
rs il was an,onward step in our re-
sistance to an unjust and aggrcs.
siver rtariffs-~It-was not sin his-na.s
'tnre toibe. aspartizan; he was es
sentially y conservative in all things.
!, He frequently said to me in his
letters and conversations, that he
feared he was too mucL of an old
fogy for the times, az He never
was a disnnionist at heart. and nj.