Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-10-07


RESOLVED. That in the death of Col. John B.
Baldwin, the city of Stanton, the county of Au-
eusta, and the State of Virginia. have sustained
loss of one of their best, wsest and most hon.
ored citizens, of one of their purest and most
eminent public men, and OF one of their greatest
lawyers loss that in all of his relations, pub
lie and private, is irreparable.
That while we bow with submission to the Di-
vine will, we deeply mourn his loss, and sincere
ly sympathze with his bereaved family, in their
sore aff1iction.
That we will attend his funeral in body and
that the business places of the city of Staunton
be closed during the funeral obsequies.
That copy of these resolutions be tran smitted
to the widow OF the deceased, and that they be
published in the newspapers printed in the city
of Staunton.
The resolutions of the committee having been
submitted by their chairman, Capt. Bumgard-
ner, to the meeting for their consideration
Remarks Of Wm. Frazier, Esq.
Mr.. VIM Frazier remarked that having learn
ed this afternoon there was to be citizens
| meeting at the Courthouse, he had come to at
tend it rather than the Bar meetings for altho
he had been for nineteen years member OF this
Bar. yet twenty years absence from it and from
| the Profession made him feel that his proper
place was in the general meeting of the citizens
assem- bied to mourn our common loss.
| And a!tho he had not thought to utter word,
| yet, having been assigned by the Chair to this
committee, he felt it his duty and privilege to
DROP if not chaplet, yet one 'immortelle'' into
the new-opened grave of a very dear friend
| This community and Commonwealth are sudden
| ly called to mourn no common man. The able
| paper submitted by Judge Shelley to the Bar
meeting comes very near, in my judgment, to a
just delineaton of the leading features in the
nd ohara Of bo
| And it seemed to me, too, that Maj. Elder went
| to the core Of the truth when he said the purity
of his private life his faithful adherence to prn-
ciple his clear integrity, his love of right rather
than of expsdiency, his scorn for everything
that was low or mean or indrect-these sterling
qualities of the man contributed, perhaps, even
more than his shining talents to bis great sue
cess in life Truly, his talents were bright, his
intellect of no common order; but his love OF
truth, of justice, of honesty and drectness of
purpose were most marked traits in his charac-
ter. He loved to have as every honest lawyer
does, just cause, and when he fully believed
he had just cause and an honest client he was
wont to throw into their defence wealth of lega
learning, weight of intellectual ability and
force of soul such as few men could equal He
was, indeed, safe counsellor and q friend to be
trusted.
But he is gone and we are left to mourn the
loss of such friend; for on the morrow if we
ourselves shall live to its light, we shall see
entombed all that is mortal of John B. Baldwin.
Remarks of Jos. A. WaddeIl, Esq.
| Mr.. Jos. A. Waddell said in substance
That he must try to say something, although
he felt that his proper place at this time was in
| the house of mourning. ae did not propose to
indulge in eulogy. but to bear truthful testimo-
| ny. In looking over this assembly, he saw no
| one that had known Col. Baldwin longer ard
more intimately than himself He had known
him as far back as he could know any body. The
audience had just heard eulogies upon Col.
Baldwlns intellectual and moral traits of char.
acter, and in all that had been said Mr. W. fully
concurred; but during the last few days he had
| been able to think of John Baldwin only as he
| was when boy at school, When Mr. w. be-
came old enough, he was sent to the old Staunton
! Academy, and there he fell into daily and init
mate intercourse with the eceased such as a lit
| tie boy at school could have with an older and
| sturdier associate. When boy, the latter was
large and stout and unusually manly for his age,
and always appeared to be older than he was.-
He engaged heartily in all the sports of boyhood
| He was full of fun and frolc, and fond of prac-
| teal jokes. But one thing was remarkable of
| him then-he never imposed in any degree upon
little boy La all his sports he never did
| thing or said a word to wound the feelings or
| injure in any way boy younger or weaker than
| himself. There was no little boy in the school
| that did not look up to John Baldwin as friend
| and protector. And such he all his life
| The speaker would indulge in fattery of the
| deceased, even now that he gone He was
| d mortal man. partaking of our common frail
| humanity, and, of course, was not faultless; but
| there was DO meaIness in him. In the rough
con hict of life he received from his fellows and
| returned many hard blows, but he knew no NAL
| ice-he was too brave and generous for that
| When the light WAS over, no enmity ranked in
| his breast. Nothing aroused him so much as
| wrong and oppression to others. How did his
manly form swell with Indignation at the thought
of persecution or injustice to the weak and help
| less THE boy was father to the man" The
| speaker had associated with Col Baldwin init.
mately at all times and in all places, in private
and in public, and no suspicious had ever crossed
his mind that he was not thoroughly honest
man. He had hin, as an associate for two years in
the General Assembly of the State, at time
when high Office seemed to await his acceptance
some Of his friends urged him for the Cover
norship of the Common wealth. while others de-
sired him to represent Virginia in the SEN
ate of the United States. He was not 1ndif-
ferent to such things but he never sought place
or power by devious ways He turned not to
the right hand or the left, but went straghtfor-
ward in the path of duty. He concealed no opin-
ion because it might be temporarily unpopular
but always and every where said what he believed
and believed what he said.
The speaker remarked that he would like to
say more, but at this time he could do little more
than shed tears The friend of his boyhood and
that no one man is of much Importance in the
world, or in the community. 1t was not true IN
this case; tbs decd was so intimately associated
with the speakers whole experience of life, and
and with all those scenes, that it seemed to him
rs if the pillars which supported the Court house
building had toppled and fallen, leaving void
which could not be filled.
Col M. G. Hartman said that he had no Ian
State had sustained by the death of COL Bald
win.
The preamble and resolutions were unani-
mously adopted and the meeting adjourned.
CIRCUIT COURT.
In the Circuit Court, on Thursday, Judge
Hugh ". Sheffey presented the preamble and
resolutions e6Outad of no mantipo Of Rar