The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-27
JAMES N. BRIOKELL.

our COMMUNITY WIS SbbEbleu y6Sb6E=
day by the rumor OF the hopeless ill
ness Of james N. Briokell, aud to-day
the notice of his death tells us that one
Of our most valued citizens has sudden
ly been snatohed away from us, in the
prime of his life and the meridian Of
his usefulness. Some four or five years
ago severe attack of pneumonia pros
trated him for many weeks, and, though
he recovered sufficiently to resume his
active duties, his health was never re-
established. Year by year his vital
powers slowly failed, and for some
months past the prostitution so steadily
and rapidly progressed as to gil his
friends with serious fears. With the
| flrmness 30 characteristic of him, he
gave, however, no sign Of yielding, kept
doggedly at his work in spite of the
solicitations OF his friends, and retired
to his bed on Monday evening COM
planning Of great weakness, but with no
indications to excite special alarm.
In the night, congestion Of the brain
ensued, terminating In serous effusion,
and on the morning Of the 26th, at
o'clock, the brief, unconscious, painless
struggle was over. To-day we consign
to the tomb, amid the regrets Of great
city, the last remains Of one of our best
and purest and most valued friends.
James N. Brickell was born ia Column
bia, South Carolina, In 1923. Educated
Ia his native State. he was graduated at
Yale, with high honors, in 1874, and
having embraced the profession of law.
at the completion Of his studies he
began It's practice In this city. Here he
built up the splendid reputation which
follows him, and on the bosom Of the
soil he loved 80 we'll and served 50 faith
fully he now sleeps forever.
OF such a man IL is difficult to write
worthily: to do justice to 80 fine char
acter Is task OF no ordinary labor.
Dark as Is the shadow of our bereave-
ment, we can still see clearly enough,
and feel with vivid keenness the full
measure Of our loss but the exaggera-
ton and fulsome hattery OF the Ameri-
can press is such that when q truly
great man dies there are no epithets
left, with which justly to portray him,
that have not been stalled and degrade d
by the abuse which heaps them upon
all who have achieved either wealth or
power, bywhatever disreputable means.
And James N. Brickell was, in the
highest and best sense Of the term, q
truly great man, though the circle In
which he was really known was small,
and though beyond It's narrow round he
won no fame. For IL true greatness be-
to have high aims, and worthily to pur-
sue lofty ends; to add to great abilities
by strenuous endeavor, noble culture !;
to enlarge the bounds Of human freedom
aud increase the respect for human
rights by all manly effort and example
to be self-denying. self-contained, pure,
brave, modest; to do no shameful thing
for any end, no, not 80 much as to
think it; to freeze by the cold rebulSe
OF an unselhsh life the fever and the
fret of all self-seekers; to win q stain
less reputation, and to leave no spot to
dim the tradition Of Its bright example;
IL to be truly great be this, the man we
deplore to-day may fairly challenge
that high renown.
As a citizen, Louisiana had none in all
her bounds more devoted. With all his
force he opposed the secession OF his
State as an act of unwisdom, in his
opinion; but when her fat was declared
| ho ali ,Fh
mand, but simply took up his musket,
stepped into the ranks, and for fifteen
months kept his humble post in the
line. When the urgency Of his friends
forced him into department where his
signal abilities might be made of serv-
ice, it was characteristic Of him that he
refused to ask for anything higher than
lieutenancy of ordnance. He coached
the very men who passed with him as
captains. The examining board de-
clared him to have shown proficiency
beyond that Of any applicant before
them but in spite Of every remonstrance
his modesty refused to take the higher
step, and he slept on the ground and eat
his soldiers fare in the field, until Lee
gave up his sword at Appomattox. And
during all the long bitter years Of serf-
dom which we have since endured, his
untiring pen enforced with surprising
vigor the principles for which he had
fought, and for which at any moment
he was ready to lay down his life. He
stood in the ranks Of our citizen soldiers
on the 14th Of September, 1874, and on
the 9th of January last, sick, feeble,
we'll nigh near his end, he still stood UP
ready to do all his duty.
In his profession, by the general YER
dict of his brethren, he held a place
among the first. An uuwearying stu
dent, gifted with a memory OF remark
able tenacity, and Of a temper OF mind
that could not rest any where except