American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-05-24
DEATH OF JAMES PHELAN.

DEATH OF JAMES pnxLAm.
Memphis Appeal. lsth.l
Death has been busy with our
prominent citizens. About one
O'Clock yesterday Col. r. A Pinson
gently glided from the earth he
adorned, and three hours later q
star-iike genius faded from the fir
mameut in the death of James
Phelan. In retrospecting the his
tory of those who have died during
the last few years, We can call to
MUD no citizen whose death has
produced more regret. sadness and
gloom than that of Judge Pbelan.
The writer of this was born about
the same time, in the same town,
and proposes briefly to tell the sto-
nv of the life of the friend that he
loved and has lost:
James Phelan was born in Hunts
vile, Alabama, on the 10th of Dc
tober, 1921. As his name indicates
his father was an exile from that
isle whose teeming refugees from
wrong aud oppression have contrib
uted SO much to the greatness and
grandeur of our institutions. While
at school. SO bright and sparkling
was the intellect of young Phelan,
that he attracted the attention of
such men as Governor G. @. Clay
and James w. McClung. and he
was placed in the Office of the
Huntsville Democ, at, then the
greatest paper of Alabama. Phil.
Woodson the editor of the Demo-
crat. and whose name is still held
IN high repute by all old Alabam-
ians, made young Phelan his pro-
teQe, aud in q short time the young
printer boy was writing the leading
editorials for u paper which in that
day, with it's five thousand weekly
circulation, was all powerful IN con-
trolling the politics0f Alabama. So
brilliant were these editorials that
the party magnates of the State.
with singular unanimity, called him
to take charge of the Flag Of the
Union, then the central party organ.
published at Tuscaloosa. the capital
Of the State. BY this time the pro-
tegc of Woodson had grown to be a
man Of power in the politics of Ala
bama. As editor of the Flag Of the
Union, James Phelan controlled the
politics of the State. The contests
in which he was engaged were fierce
aud bitter, but he triumphed-elect.
ed the governors of the State, and
dictated the election of United
States senators. In 1843 James
Phelan was eleceed State printer.
over the most fearful opposition.
For years he controlled the central
organ of the State, and having
lived down all opposition and accu.
INFLATED y competency, he removed
to Aberdeen, Mississippi, and form
ed a cOpartnership with John b.
Sale, as lawyers. The firm was re-
yarded as one of the ablest iu Mis-
sissippi, and was exceedingly pros
porous. Judge Ptelan was elected
Confederate senator, and occupied
a high position in the Confederate
congress. His devotion to Hon.
jefferson Davis was beautiful. His
admiration for that great and grand
representative OF u cause as pure
and holy rs ever attracted the sym
pathy of mankind was sublime.
But this fidelity was in keeping
with the characttr Of James Phelan.
He believed, aud believed justly,
that the theory OF the Confederacy
formed the only substantial basis
OF a nermaueut union. In temper
ament he was quick, ardent, mag
nauimOus, sincere and frank in bis
professions. He was honest in his
convictions, aud uncOmprOmising
in principle. He was made Of the
sterner stuff which forms the ele-
ments OF All honest, fearless and
good character. Duty was to him
the sublimest aud dearest object of
life. 1t would have been as easy
to rstard the sun in it's course as to
swerve him from the faithful dis
charge Of what he regarded as
right. Neither t1attery nor censure
could move him, aud he was lnsen-
slble to fear, except that of fail
ure to serve his country and her
cause with the efficiency aud success
which he desired. If there ever
was a man devoted to the true
principles of the constitution and
the rights of the people, James Phe-
Ian was that man. Ii he had an
idol upon earth above and beyond
the beautiful wife he adOred, it was
the constitution as interpreted by
the fathers aud administered in
it's original spirit and purity. Ar,
istldes was not more just, nor gov:
erned by more lofty views OF moral
rectilude. He was firm in what he
believed to be right, aud would not
Have fattered Neptune for bis Trident,
Nor Jove for his power to Thunder.
AS a lawyer, it is no disparage
ment to say thatJames PheIan stood
as high as any member Of the bar
of Memphis. He grappled will
great questions of low with readl.
ness and facility which astOnished
those of his friends not familiar
with his habits. ln the display Ol
those fOrenic powers which made
him peerless In the courtroom, while
lie adorned his OratOry prOfusely
with all the rich decorations Of
rhetoric, he fortified himself with
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