The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-07-02
VOLUME. XXI---NO. 10.

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IL II III w
judicial service of his country, ane
i during all that period his learning
!, and talents have been assiduons[j
\ Eemployed III erecting that noble
J systems.of law which prevailed ii
South Carolina, and made the ad
m1inistration of justice in that State
: 4 a model Of excellence, Of all the
public officers with whom it has
been my fortune to meet. none i'm.
] ];pressed me more with. the convic
Ition, that he was emptied of every
motive save that Of duty. He, was
1.-THE imppersonation Of abstract jus.
'|tice, and however much feeling
might exist in your own mind. you
FELT assured that the Judge before
whom you stood was lifted above
Eevery wave of passion, and in his
owne calm and serene atmosphere
would not fail to mark the bounz
daries between truth and error.
And thus it is that his judgments
exhibit those clear perceptions
and accurate distinctions which will
ALWAYS cause them to- be cited as
landmarks in the e}science of law.2ta
ISL But in. other departments Of pub
flic service Judge Wardlaw was
Ienlinent. . For many years he was
! |Speaker of The House of Represen-
tttatises, and exhibited there the
same diligence, skill and excellence.
lHismild andikindly = temper, com
tbined withrprompts decision and
| firm resolve, made him vas. popular
as he was useful; and it may not
Ehe generally known that the admi:
Iirable system Of parliamentary law
embodied il Tie Rules of the House.
(of Representative was his work.
AT all times hewas ready to serve
his country wherever he could. be
useful b. Heswas a member of every
Convention of the people; inclu-
ding, that which passed, the Ordi-
nance of Secession. At the close
of the war be was ready again to
make the best Of our misfortuns,.
and suppressed the feelings natural
to his condition to take part in
those proceedings which were; sup
posed to be- a tender of renewed
INTERCOURSE from the North And
when the final, collapse Of ourihopes
occurred, and he was: unjustly de-
priYed, Of position. and means, he
descended with dignity into the
walks of private life, and accepted
his condition without murmur or
|repining.
This picture Of the noble and
virtuous public servant was embel-
lished by the excellence ofshis priz
:yate character. Kind, genial aud
generous, it was happiness to be
numbered among his friends; and
the estimation in which he was
held by those who best knew him,
exhibits his worth as a man. Take
Judge Wardlaw alto gether, ,in. every
relation Of life, and he really, pre-
sents a model for imitation which I
desire to hold up to my younger.
brethren of the bar 1t is a. mis-
take to suppose that because Of the
overthrow Of our system of juris-
dictiou and the prostration of those
who are foremost in legal learning
and experience, that it is siuseless to
cultivate the science Of law. It is
not possible that in a country like
his the present state Of things will
continue. Skill, virtue Fand learn
ings.caunot fail to conquer -igno-
rance and vice, and the time must
come when society will seek the
protection Of honesty and, law.
When that time comes, where shall
the country find security I? whence
shall come the men to administer
justice, if the legal profession suf-
ters itself to. drop down into the
same pool Of ignorance? Who
shall vindicate and bring forward
thergreat principles Of law which
have been, established for us by !
Judge ,Wardlaw and his associates,
if the bar, shall have forgotten the. !.
very language in which those great
men !; ;haye W spoken ........,s !
} REMARKS. OF. HON. W. p. PORTER.
: Mr.. Porter said, it was his wish
to express his concurrence in the
preamble and resolutions as paying;
a, Just tribute, to one of the purest
men and most distinguished Judge
South Carolina has produced" He
has gouetohis rest ripe in years
and full of honors. Death is the
inevitable lot;. and a death such as
his ought to be regarded only as a
natural and ansbicious consumma-
tion.| tits thesending of mortal
life; :butatis also the beginning OF