Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-10-07
Remarks of ID. 8. Young. ESQ.

dorse all that had been said so we'll in the pream
BILE and resolutions, offered by Judge Shelley.
1t would be vain in him to attempt to say any
thing in addition, touching the life and charac
ter of our deceased brother. For more than
thirty years he was his sincere and constant
friend; he would say his best friend The first fac
ulty of the mind-touched by an event of this
characters the memory and now that his
friend had gone, he felt grieved that whilst he
| was living he had not, in some way, given him
| more and stronger evidences of his sincere
| friendship. Memory carried him back thirty
i've years. of those that were then here, the first
| that was taken was the profound Lawyer and
elegant gentleman, John 81. Peyton; coming
down to the father of our brother, Brscoe G..
| Baldwin, the whole-souled gentleman, the sin
cere friend. the able Lawyer, the profound and
upright Judge, as one now present, who sat
upon the bench with him can testify, (alluding
to the Hon. Judge Moncure,) coming on down
with allusion to Judge Lucas P Thompson, who
sat here so long upon the Bench, to our and his
warm personal friend, Thomas j. Niche; and
now, our brother and friend John B. Baldwin.
| n dealing with this Bar death had taken its
mem bers heretofore very much by seniority in
| this instance, he has departed from the rule
| Why was it not he instead of our brother, tina
he should be here paying some tribute, Gas he
knew he would,) to his humble memory, than
he to that of his friend
Mr.. 7. further remarked that at one time in hic
| life he had doubted whether or not there was
such thing in the human heart as disinterested
benevolence and generosty-he had given up
the doubt; he had found it in that profession
that was sometimes attempted to be sneered at
he had found it with Briscoe G. Baldwin, Thorn
as j. Niche and John B. Baldwin. But they
are dead and he is here-dead did he say-no
they are not dead in the language of the great
Massachusetts Lawyer, "they still live )" they
live IN our hearts and memories, and as he be-,
lieved and trusted they live in glorious immor-
tality beyond the grave.
Remarks of Maj. Thos. G. Elder.
| Maj Thos @. Elder was the next speaker.
He said that less than four months ago we met
together to express our sorrow at the death of q
venerable and revered father in the profession
one who sank quietly and peacefully to his rest
after long and brilliant professional career that
was never furnished by single spot. To-day
| we mourn the loss of another member of the
profession-not father, but rather an elder
brother, whose counsel and sympathy so many
of US have received, and which hereafter we
shall miss-alas, how sadly
great light has been extlnguished-a great
| man has fallen in our midst. He was great in
tellectually, great morally. His success in life
and his influence over his fellow-men we're due no
less to his eminent virtues than to his splendid
talents.
In all the relations of life he was faithful in
the discharge of duty. In his domestic relations,
he was devoted, loving tender. AS citizen, be
was public spirited in an eminent degree The
things that interested the community in which
he lived, interested him. In every enterprise,
having for its object the promotion of the pros.
perity and happiness of our people, he was a
leader. AS patriot. he ever evinced the deep.
est interest in political affairs He loved ou1
dear old Virginia with all the ardor and devo-
tion of his generous nature. He rejoiced with
her in her prosperity, and suffered and mourned
with her in her adversely; at no time did he ev-
er desert her or falter in his devotion to her. In
official station and in private life many of his
best days were spent in endeavoring to promote
her interests But it is of Col. Baldwin as law
yer that we are to speak As lawyer we
knew him best.
Of his ability, his learning, his eoquence,
time will not serve to speak in detail His great
ness in the profession ell of US know. In his
intercourse with the members of the bar, both
in public and in private, he was courteous and
kind. Though welding the strength of an in
tellectual giant, he never wantonly exerted it to
crush q feeble adversary, To US of the bar, he
was indeed brother.
1t is sad, sad indeed, to know that ''the places
which once knew him shall know him no more
forever - That we shall meet him no more in
these halls; no more feel the cordial grasp OF
bis band no more look npon his genial face
no more hear his clarion voice upifted in de-
fence of right, justice and the purity of the law
What vacancy has been caused by his death
Take him all in all we shall never look upon
his like again" Ali of us will revere his men,
Dry: let US also honor him in our daily lives by
emulating his virtues and initiating his exam
pie.
Remarks Of Hon. Ed. PenGEeton.
Hon. Ed. Pendleton, of Botetourt, said that
as a Virginian grieving for one of Virginia no.
blest sons as member of profession sorrow
ing for the loss of its brightest ornament, and as
man grleving for the loss Of one whose heart
was filed with the noblest emotions of Rumani
ty, he would be pardoned for joining in tribute
to the memory of one whose loss invokes the
tears of common wealth. AS we see the oak
full formed and towering in its strength, torn
down by the hurricane. we feel as if Nature had
been cheated in her plan; so when we see a
great mind full Aedged snatched from its useful
ness; we wonder Ct these mysterious operations
of Providence, but we find the explanation in
the teachings of that higher philosophy that tells
US that not sparrow falls to the ground unno-
! ticed of otnniscience, and we bow, with hearts
| hushed in awe and reverence to its lesson. We
are gathered to day for common occasion, and
it is right in our humanity that we should sor-
row. great man has fallen and his fall is to
be deplored in its human aspect. He has been
taken in the plentitule of his intellect ascend
ing the zenith of his greatness. Those eyes
beaming with the fire of intellect have been
glazed, those eloquent lips that moved Senates
to applause now are stilled and that heart filed
| with the noblest emotions and highest ambitions
has been palsied in desth but he has left to us
| the treasure of a bright example, and it remains
to us TO balm it in our hearts and turning from
his grave essay to learn the lessons left by him
| who in everything that went to make up a man
was truly great.
| Remarks of HON. John Letcher.
Ex-Governor Letcher said his two last visits to
Augusta had been unutterably sad But a few
months ago. while here, the venerable Thomas
j. Niche had been called away, and to-day an
other great man, nearer his own age, was gone.